NIU by Vikings

NIU by Vikings is a luxurious buffet style restaurant situated on the 6th Floor of the beautiful SM Aura Shopping Mall in Bonafacio Global City (BGC) in Metro Manila. It is the 6th branch of the Vikings group. NIU means “nine” in a language called Old Norse, the language spoken once by the Vikings. They are the Scandinavian seafarers during the late 8th to the late 11th centuries.

Do you know that all-you-can-eat buffets are called “Viking” in Japan? I have always wondered about it growing up. Our American friends who introduced and brought us to a Sunday brunch at NIU by Vikings have previously lived in Japan and pointed out the correlations. It didn’t even dawn on me even though I’m Japanese. During my research I stumbled upon a story behind the history of naming a buffet ‘Viking’ in Japan. I recommend you to go to the link below for a good article on the derivation of the term.

In Japan, Vikings are All-You-Can-Eat Buffets

What Makes NIU Brunch The Best Value For Money

NIU by Vikings is not cheap by any means, but I find it much more affordable than many. Considering how much food being offered, the price point is reasonable. We had a brunch, but our reservation was from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. That time frame is pretty generous for a brunch.

At the entrance, we all were already awed by the scale and atmosphere of the NIU. The very first thing my two girls said to me when they had just returned from checking out the buffet line was “I want to live here!”

When I saw the buffet tables myself, I felt as though I was a kid at a candy store. I’ve been to buffets in my life in a variety of countries, but I have never seen any buffet of this scale! The closest one was probably the brunch at the Four Seasons in Jakarta.

The selection was overwhelmingly abundant. NIU is one of those places where you must have a strategy. The obvious rule I gave my kids was “Eat real food before going to the dessert table!” I also told my kids to avoid bread and encouraged them to pick dishes that they love while hinting them to eat something that is pricy.

Having indulged in the luxurious time with great company, it was blissful to eat, chat and relax. I instructed the kids to eat some more food towards the end of our time since the last thing I wanted to hear from them was that they were hungry again shortly we got home. We have experienced that before. As for myself, I felt the need to be rolled out of the restaurant!

According to the Booky Website, NIU by Vikings is one of the “11 of the Best Buffet Restaurants in Metro Manila that are Worth Every Peso!” NIU by Vikings was pretty impressive. All the places that the Booky featured look amazing, too. For buffet lovers, Metro Manila might be the best place to be in Asia!