Frugal eating means a buffet

When you are frugal, you make sure everything is worth it--specially eating out. I helped my mom and her husband sell their car in Craigslist.org and as a bonus, she treated us out to lunch. We chose China Buffet in Concord, legendary for its more than 150 food Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and continental selecations--from sushi, an unbelievable fruit and salad bar, chinese favorites (sweet and sour pork, general's chicken, kung pao chicken, dimsum and gyoza), roast beef, italian goodies like pasta sauces, stuffed pasta shells, pizza, calzones. But I zeroed into the seafood display and piled myself a platter-full of fried crabs in salt and pepper, and some shrimp in garlic. Yipee--specially because I went back three times!

This was a good time as I knew exactly what I wanted and didn't get disoriented with the abundant display. Many times, the sheer sight of all that food is enough to overwhelm me to lose my appetite. Well, not when you are frugal--the experience should be worth it and more, remember?

The food was just so good! And there were so many Pinoys around, parang nasa Cabalen. "Anong masarap?" said one. "Damihan mo yung roast beef!" said the other.

My sons attacked the Chinese food and then went back for the Italian. Ah my sons, laging lugi ang buffet anywhere in the world sa kanila. And if I could remember what they got for dessert, ice-cream sundaes (make your own), pastries, sago, jelly, cakes, . .But I was busy licking my fingers! Was the food fantastic or is it the fact that we just don't eat out often enough to be this thrilled?

Here in the States, there is no pressure to finish your food or else pay double price--like in Manila. But then, the boys are trained to get only what they can finish, and what a nice lesson, I thought. reinforced by Manila buffets. At least, in our table, there was practically no wasted food left-overs.

Well, the buffet's price is nothing to rave about, specially since my Manila friends rave about the P100 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets in Eastwood. China Buffet will have to do for now.

It has been our life aim to bring the dealer down, as it were, when it comes to buffets. Even in Manila, we don't pile rice or soda to distract us. My dad used to call my boys the "first team sa kainan." "Lugi sila sa atin," said my son.

"Okay lang," I said. I am sure the restaurants can afford a few big eaters. But the most enjoyable part was the coming together and seeing how much my mom pampered her grandkids on this sunny day; where everyone was in a light and happy (albeit hungry!) mood.