The constant rain these past few days always trigger a response, like a serious craving for comfort food. And when it pours, it's hot pot on my mind...
Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu at the Mega Atrium of SM Megamall is open once again, and just in time for those rainy day cravings too. A gently simmering pot of comforting broth, a table-top grill and a whole variety of tasty offerings from tender beef and pork, chicken, seafood, savory balls and dumplings of every kind and garden fresh vegetables presents a tempting option for the rainy days. Or any day, really. Time to get your hot pot game on because Tong Yang is back.
Located at Level 4 in Mega Atrium, Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu continues its enduring tradition of buffet-style hot pot and table top grilling with a vast selection of fresh ingredients for a customized dining experience. Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu is open daily, Monday to Thursday for Lunch from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and Dinner starting at 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm and on Fridays, Weekends and Holidays from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
The imposition of quarantine restrictions continues to limit our mobility in an effort to curb the spread of the pandemic. But there are establishments that allow diners to revisit their favorite restaurants that implement the latest mandatory health and safety protocols with social distancing strictly enforced at all times. But still, it's not the time to let your guard down so face masks and shields including temperature scans and tracing are required before entry. The new normal is now part of our daily routine, and enjoying our usual activities now means taking extra precautions.
The buffet format is now adjusted to meet the requirements of the new normal. You still get to enjoy the usual wide variety of fresh ingredients, but servers are now assigned to plate your selection while practicing social distancing. If you ask me, I like the new system as it brings order to the whole experience without the mad scramble. And the selection at Tong Yang never fails to impress. Various cuts of beef, pork chicken, sausages and a selection of the day's freshest catch of seafood along with balls and dumplings, vegetables and many more allow you to create a customized dining experience for the hot pot or table-top grill.
Your hot pot feast starts with your choice of broth, including Pork Soup, Vegetable Soup, Sinigang Soup, Sate Soup, Spicy Mala Soup, Laksa Soup and Tomato Soup. Then, prepare your own special dipping sauce from the station with their extensive range of sauce blends, chili, fresh garlic and spring onions. As with any buffet, you need a proper game plan for that perfect hot pot experience. Start with a selection of savory Balls and Dumplings and don't forget your plate of fresh vegetables...
...followed by a platter of tender Pork Jowl...
...thin slabs of Pork Belly...
...and premium slices of Beef Kurubi to add more flavor to your simmering stock. The perfect hot pot is all about building layers of flavors from a wide selection of ingredients.
Mussels, clams, fish, shrimps and other fresh seafood presents another option for your hot pot and table-top grill. The quality and selection of fresh ingredients at Tong Yang has always been impressive, and a quick scan of the spacious interiors and well designed layout highlights this signature feature of the popular hot pot and grill buffet restaurant.
Once you have your selection, it's time to turn on the table-top burner and grill...
...and begin building the flavors of your hot pot. Add your meats, dumplings and assorted savory balls and vegetables and let it simmer. In the meantime, grab a refreshing drink from the Beverage Station.
And in just a few minutes, the broth is infused with the rich notes from the wide variety of ingredients adding multiple layers of flavor enjoyed with each sip. This is the flavor we all missed during the long days of quarantine, more so when it rains.
A bowl with tender strips of assorted meats and savory balls dipped in your customized dipping sauce with loads of garlic, fresh spring onions and crisp onions brings back all those memories from countless visits to Tong Yang. The rains and a heaping bowl like this, fresh from the steaming pot remains one of many simple pleasures in this new normal. Then again, any day would be better with a sumptuous steaming hot bowl loaded to the brim at Tong Yang.
The extensive selection of meats include offals too for a more savory stock...
...adding depth with each soothing sip. The flavorful broth, now thickened by the various cuts of meat delivers a savory burst lining the palate with an indulgent richness while warming the body on a grey rainy day.
Shift gears and fire up the table-top grill with an assortment of meats. Extra rice? Go ahead. Not surprisingly, one can feel the marked difference in buffet dining in this new normal. There is a sense of order in a usually rushed and chaotic dining experience with the new health and safety protocols in place. And I'm liking it. Buffet dining becomes a much more calmer experience. And the value and variety combination remains as popular as ever in the culinary mainstream.
And you can enjoy all these with the attractive rates of Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu for some of the best deals in the metro:
Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu Buffet Rates (Subject to 5% Service Charge)
Weekdays - P 638+
Weekends and Holidays - P 738+
Kids Below 3 ft - FREE
Kids 3 ft to 4 ft - P 418+
75 Years Old and Above - 50% Special Discount
And for those celebrating their birthdays, be sure to inquire about their cool Birthday Promos. And don't forget to ask about their Bakuna Benefits as part of Tong Yang's special way of saying thank you for being part of the solution in this lingering pandemic.
But leave room for dessert. Make your own Halo-Halo or enjoy unlimited scoops of Ice Cream to cap another sumptuous feast at Tong Yang.
The new normal is here to stay forever changing dining formats like the popular and much-loved buffet dining experience. The quarantine may have altered our daily routine, but a comforting bowl of hot pot on a rainy day endures as one of the simple pleasures even in this new normal. And you can experience all that plus the peace of mind of dining in a safe environment at Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu.
Tong Yang Grill & Shabu Shabu is located at Level 4, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City or call 8470 3638 and 0968 854 8888 for inquiries and reservations.
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