Trouble deciding where to eat in BGC? There are many restaurants and cafés for your selection, and one good option is F All Day Dining (F Café). F All Day Dining serves both ala carte and buffet all-day for breakfast, lunch and dinner expertly prepared by the chefs. I see this place as a hidden gem, since we can’t see it from the street. Neither is it directly accessible and open like restaurants residing in a mall. Rather, it sits at the third floor of F1 Hotel Manila, my new-found place and recommended spot for a nice business lunch or celebratory dinner with the family.
It’s rare to find a restaurant inside a hotel with PhP 1k+ and not over the range of over PhP 2k+ for a meal, and that’s exactly what we discovered in F1’s “F”. Their food is not made up of overpriced garbage that appeal only to those wearing a suit and fancy four-star diners.
Review of F All Day Dining (F1 Hotel Manila, Bonifacio Global City)
Ambiance: ★★★★★
Seating arrangements spot a relaxed setting, and the ambiance was elegant enough to host business and holiday meals. Contributing to the cheery feel of the place were the combination of lively and muted colors and ample lighting.
The dining tables were appropriately separated from the next, making it comfortable for guests to move around and get another plate of sumptuous food from the buffet tables (which happen to be set up appropriately according to food type: salads and appetizers, mains and desserts).
Service: ★★★★★
Service rendered by a bunch of dedicated staffs at F All Day Dining restaurant was great. They took special efforts to speak to diners between service to make sure that they get all requests done without the long wait. The satisfying customer service here (well, aside from the food) is no coincidence that most patrons left contented.
Food: ★★★★☆
Eating all these food would probably require four extra miles on the treadmill the next day. Let me share the best things we’ve tried here.
BREAKFAST BUFFET
The Mini Burger Patties were like Jollibee’s burger steak with mushroom sauce. I liked that the burger steak wasn’t dry and the sauce made it even juicier. I did mix it with mashed potatoes, which was simple yet a really good compliment as it balanced out the saltiness of the burger patties.
The cheesy Broccoli Gratin had blown me away. The creaminess blended well with the crunchiness of the broccoli. A thing of warming beauty, this is a true comfort food. Yummy!
I had three short servings of the light and moist Scrambled Eggs. I wanted to get more but had to reserve space in my tummy for other food. Scrambled eggs are, after all, the king of the breakfast table! 🙂 I thought these eggs were cooked using the low and slow cook method, and the healthy knob of butter was key to make them soft and perfect.
Presented as amazing little bites, the Fresh Cold Ham were some nicely sized pieces best paired with Pan De Sal at the bread counter.
The Fish Fillet in lemon butter sauce was particularly good with garlic rice. It was tad tangy and inviting. I see sunshine. 🙂 If presentation was not enough to wow, the flavor and texture were spot on.
Perfectly seasoned, the popular breakfast dish in the Philippines—Chicken Tocino—wasn’t too salty and was just sweet enough. It tasted homemade and all-natural, also good to pair with rice.
Sorry, man. Bacon wasn’t available every time I visited the buffet table. It was so sold out that I haven’t taken a picture of the ridiculously good-tasting crispy bacon. I didn’t realize it was that serious until I checked the photos in my camera. I know these tiny leftovers aren’t enough to do justice, nevertheless… 
“CHRISTMAS” LUNCH BUFFET (available on December 24, 25, 30, 31 and January 1)
Make little bites of the different variants of cheese and be happy. In this coming holiday season, it would seem only fair to give everything a shot. 😉
The Glazed Ham has always been a yuletide essential. But F All Day Dining took the next level and infused pineapples and cherries in the recipe. You really need to taste this glorious thing. Looking and tasting as fantastic, another festive dish we tried was the Chicken Galantina. It was made with plump by the savory stuffed chicken inside. I’ve learned that it’s a French dish adapted by the Filipinos. The Beef Morcon consisted of marinated ground beef filled with sausages rolled up to form a marvelous slice. Sound good? It is.
A classic entree during Christmas, turkey is popular and on the radar. The turkey at F All Day Dining tasted good but it could have been a little more moist. In any case, I bet you won’t have second thoughts to give it a try.
If you dig Tempura, absolutely get their lightly deep fried shrimp and vegetable tempura dish. The tempura had an incredible crispy outside layer and a firm but delicate interior. Season with soy sauce for the ultimate salty and sweet finish. Moving on, the Eggplant Lasagna was truly solid. They’re the best eggplant lasagna we’ve had in a long time. Another winner was the Roasted Salmon With Orange And Rosemary Beurre Blanc. You know, I’m crazy about salmon and this one’s highly tasty! The sauce made it SO much more palatable.
Lamb Caldereta—I’m not a big meat eater and I have a hard time eating this stuff without feeling like I’ve somehow given up. But the lamb caldereta they made here was commendable for it didn’t have that strong aftertaste that’s typical when eating lamb. The sauce’s flavor was bold and intense. Therefore, I conclude that this is a must-try, even if you’re not a fan of lamb.
The Spicy Crabs were cooked well and they’re so spicy that I think they’ve been marinated in fire. It’s the spiciest item we had at “F” actually, and you definitely should not mess with this if you can’t handle some heat.
Lapu-lapu—You want at least two servings on your table. Good lord! The fish was so fresh and there was not one bit of fish bone.
Sashimi and sushi? Always a crowd-pleaser.
The Bulalo Soup was the kind of rich and flavorful “authentic Filipino” soup that makes life worth living. It’s a dish that tasted far superior than what it looked.
Can you ever end a hearty meal without some sweet treats? Not for us as we were pampered with a variety of fruity type desserts and a whole section of cakes, halo-halo, leche flan and other pastries. These calories-laden desserts are surely not for the diabetics and for the faint-hearted.
The best for my taste was the red velvet cake which was velvety and delicious by virtue of its divine combination with chocolate. Loved it!
BARBECUE DINNER
We were supposed to be having the barbecue dinner at the Canary Lounge at the poolside of F1 Hotel Manila, but since it rained in the afternoon, dinner was served at the “F” restaurant and we were lucky to avoid the rain.
The BBQ dinner consisted of a medley of grilled meat and seafood with corn kernels and buttered vegetables. While I wasn’t pleased biting into the rubbery grilled pork belly and chewy beef, the flavors were definitely there—bold to say the least. On a separate note, the Hungarian sausage was good and shined on its own accord.
I had mixed feelings with the meaty finds, but the grilled seafood entrees were a blast, a joy to savor. The plate came with the mackerel, shrimps and squid tasting great and flavorsome. It wasn’t hard to sense the natural sweetness in the seafood that’s owed to the freshness of the ingredients.
Price for Value: ★★★☆☆
Nothing was inconspicuous about the honest cooking of the chefs behind the scenes. Lunch/dinner buffet rate (as of date) is at PhP 1399 pax, and the barbecue meal set is about PhP 2200+ (good for 5-7 people to share). Given that, I still don’t suggest dining in at F All Day Dining if you don’t have to mainly because of the price. But for times when you need an up-to-standard option in BGC, Taguig for any celebration or special occasion, this restaurant at F1 Hotel Manila is your jam.
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