Mooncake Festival Buffet at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo

Highlighting various Chinese dishes and specialties like mooncakes, The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo celebrates Mid Autumn Festival 2014 with a special buffet series that started yesterday and to conclude on the day of the festival itself on Monday, Sept. 8

A display of various mooncakes greeted us during the informal launch of the buffet yesterday. It came in different variants to choose from like lotus seed, yellow monggo and black monggo, among others. They were enough reason for us to start our gastronomic quest so we can have them as "prize at the end of our food journey" - so to speak.

It began with a tasty soup made with pork strips and mushrooms among others that whet our appetites even before we headed to the appetizer station.

There's even more when we got there with Golden Shrimps Balls (crunchy with a taste of real shimps in every bit) and Stuffed Bean Curd (perfect for tofu lovers or even first timers).

Over at the Dimsum station, we gorge on sio mai and sio pao, among others.

On top of the fresh and organic choices at the Salad Bar are the Chinese Bean Sprout Salad and Shrimp Salad.

A vegetarian delight the Bean Sprout Salad was a healthy and tasty mix of sprouts and fried bean curd in light dressing while the Shrimp Salad had shrimps, apples and carrots in an Asian fusion style recipe.

Then off to the main course and starting with the Peking-style rice with mushrooms, squid and pineapple among others. A complete "meal" unto itself!

But since it's a buffet, we got some Hoisin Chicken...

and Stir-fry fish fillet!

For our veggies, there's four in one dish having mushrooms, young corn, chinese pechay (bok choy) and tomatoes.

And then there's hung ma, a braised pork dish with mushrooms and hardboiled egg, among others which instantly became everybody's favorite. Who could resist tender slow cooked pork in savoury sauce with that layer of fat?

Different "Chinese Special" stations will highlight the 8-day buffet and for starters, we had the White Chicken, Soy Chicken and Roast Pork Asado Station to aptly start the Chinese festival Buffet.

So what it will be - chicken or pork? "Of course, BOTH!"  answers Greg of Cafe Ilonggo who captures this station in all its appetizing glory.

Harder to resist are the sweets making up the Dessert Station as The Promenade offers the best dessert station in town. So popular that it even has its own buffet called Sweet Cravings.

Specially made for the Mid Autumn Festival were desserts one would would usually find in Chinese restaurants.

How about some Buchi and Amond Jelly?

And there's iced black gulaman and white sago.

Those wanting more icy treats are most welcome to concoct their own at the Halo-halo station with more than a dozen ingredients to choose from.

Then there's the the barrage of sweets like egg tarts, cupcakes, cookies, bars and squares plus dessert cups and so much more.

Also an the station are puddings and whole cakes like this full-of-aroma and delicious banana-walnut cake.

Fruits are always present and they come in their freshest all the time.

And we came in full circle - we're back to the mooncake which is the star of the moment during this Mid Autumn Festival. When you like it, you can purchase some more from the display in front or get some from Tinapayan Bakeshop at the ground floor.

Indeed the Mooncake Festival Buffet is another gastronomic event and The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo is awaits you within the next five days.

Mid Autumn Festival Buffets at The Promenade happens during the International Lunch Buffet from Sept. 1-5 and Sept. 8 from 11am to 2pm; Indulgence Buffet on Sept. 6 from 6pm-10pm and Sunday Lunch Buffet on Sept. 7, 11am to 2pm.