Buffet by the Beach! San Fabian PTA Beach Resort Combines Stellar Views with Awesome Food!

The wooden azotea of San Fabian PTA Beach Resort overlooking the picnic area and the ocean is where diners may indulge themselves in unlimited pork barbecue and bangus sisig.

It all started with a lone tarpaulin hung haphazardly on a public light post beside the highway. The announcement coupled with the design on it were neither eye-catching nor interesting that passers-by and motorists walked and drove past it without a second look until, ironically, its straightforward dullness caught my mom's attention.  Thank God for that, or we wouldn't have been treated to the delightful experience that is San Fabian's first and only eat-all-you-can offering as of writing.

A second tarpaulin identical to the one I saw by the highway hung on a pole inside PTA.

I should probably mention that San Fabian is a first class municipality in Pangasinan with a population of at least 77,000. Here, fishing and farming are the biggest sources of livelihood. The beaches are a definite tourist draw that resort giant Thunderbird formerly considered building its Northern Luzon flagship branch here. And while government-run PTA (Philippine Tourism Authority) Beach Resort is a far cry from Thunderbird, it is still one of the greatest gems of San Fabian with its own trademark ambiance of serenity and isolation.

News of an eat-all-you-can at PTA came as a surprise to me mainly because (1) I think it is a bold move, considering the resort's location is far from the steady stream of potential and/or ideal customers and only accessible by private vehicles, and (2) because the whole thing was under-publicized that it's practically unheard of-- which makes the experience sound so exclusive that I wanted so badly to try it.

So try it I did. I came with the whole family on Saturday, July 30, 2016, at 4:30 in the afternoon. We intentionally arrived 30 minutes early because we wanted to beat the queue in case there was one (surprise-- there wasn't). We were the first and (for the next sixty minutes from the start of the buffet) only diners in the place. It was a much welcome change from the crowd we encountered when Sidney's first offered its buffet service (which persisted until its first week before it started to wane) and from the regularly-high number of patrons of fan-favorite Sigay Fiestahan Buffet of the North (which just opened a second branch in Bolosan, Dagupan City, a place I've yet to visit).

Related: To read about my dining experience in Sigay Fiestahan Buffet of the North (Binmaley, Pangasinan), click here.

From an opening by the highway, it's a two- to three-minute drive to PTA.

Welcome!

There were a lot of trees in the resort, and the sea-salty breeze constantly blew gently.

AROUND THE RESORT

Arriving early and knowing that dinner wouldn't be served until after thirty minutes, I took the chance to roam around the resort and take pictures.

The picnic area.

The picnic area from the wooden azotea.

Steps leading to the beach.

A  mini-playground with dirty, dilapidated equipment. Wish they'd improve this!

A (really old-looking) building where some of the hotel rooms are.

Guests also have the option to rent whole cottages here.

The pool area.

The beach. The setting sun can be viewed here. The ideal time for a swim is in the morning as the waves start to get rough in the afternoon.

THE DINING AREA

I truly loved the wooden azotea. In fact, it's in a whole wooden building where the ala-carte restaurant and the more prestigious rooms (such as the Presidential Suite) are housed. The whole place is charming and rustic especially with the addition of fairy lights and the use of heavy wooden tables and chairs.

The place is even more beautiful all lit up when it gets dark; in our case, they turned on the lights at 5:00 PM right before the buffet started.

THE FOOD

At 5:00 PM, we were told that we could already start eating but were advised to settle our bill before everything else. The price was Php250.00 per head, while drinks other than water were charged separately (a rather large pitcher of iced tea cost Php120.00 each, BTW). I gave the cashier the exact amount as payment and had our hands stamped, and was about to head back to our table when the cashier handed me back my "change". Turns out, they gave us a discount of Php50.00 off! Sweet! Thank you, PTA!

Looking around, I realized that we were the only diners around. I remember feeling very relieved, but wondered if the food will be able to live up to my expectations. After all, from the far end of the azotea, I could only make out five or six trays of food.

The buffet table before it was completely set-up.

The buffet table all lit up!

Appetizers table: bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste in brine), diced green mangoes, and diced tomato salsa.

From L-R: bangus sisig, pork barbecue,  pork dinakdakan, and steamed rice.

Sweet and sour fish fillet and chopsuey.

Bangus sisig and pork barbecue.

Chopsuey and pork dinakdakan.

Boiled okra and eggplant. Best when paired with bagoong alamang and diced green mangoes.

My plate. I skipped lunch to prepare for this feast! (Word of warning, though-- that's not advisable.)

Desserts! Macaroni salad, gelatin, and fresh sliced pineapples. The pineapples were the bomb!

THE VERDICT

I've been to various buffet restaurants where the menus were more extensive than that of PTA's. What does a two-hundred and fifty peso buffet restaurant have that is worth the visit over another buffet restaurant with an entrance fee of three hundred pesos and dishes over two times more than what PTA has served? People will usually flock to the latter, thinking that they will probably get their money's worth there versus the former. In the end, their satisfaction will be derived from a full belly and not from the gastronomic experience in itself. This is why, I've reached the conclusion that a visit to PTA's buffet is definitely worth the money and trip, and that the food, although not plentiful, is nothing short of delicious and fulfilling. A perfect example of quality versus quantity. Let me cite some examples in my defense.

First, the location. How many buffet restaurants do you know are located near the ocean where, instead of hearing the humming of the air conditioner and the chatter of the crowd you'll hear the sound of the waves roaring a few meters away, feeling no need of an AC because it is the breeze that staves off the heat? Wouldn't you give a fair amount of money to be able to eat in a serene, no-hassles place like this?

Secondly, the food. It is no secret that buffet restaurants place a lot of emphasis in their viands-- the reason why most of them are salty is to drive diners to eat more rice and drink more fluids, making them fuller by the second. The food in PTA is not bland per se, but compared to the others they're not over-seasoned and the saltiness and umami are just right. Plus, the items on the menu! There's diced green mangoes, which I rarely see offered in a buffet. This also goes with the bangus sisig and dinakdakan. They're rarely served in mid-range buffets. Surprised and amazed diner here!

Over-all, I and my family had a great experience and highly recommend the place. We'll all definitely come back.

Addendum: PTA only offers its dinner (and lunch too, eventually) buffet every weekends, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. A representative from PTA verbally confirmed that they'll start the lunch buffet on their second week, probably on August 8 (2016).