In Greek mythology, Nyx is the goddess of night. The offspring of Chaos, she is often described as a black-robed goddess riding through the sky in a chariot pulled by horses. She is of such strong character, it is written in Homer’s Iliad that even Zeus fears to displease her. She is associated with things that are chaotic or disruptive.

And on the right side of disruptive, there is certainly something to be said about how the new Jackson Go-led restaurant at the Level 4 of One Ayala’s al fresco area is appropriately named Nyx. Jackson’s restaurant group, led by Vikings, needs no introduction in our dining landscape. And with Nyx, he now transforms and elevates the buffet concept to an unheard-of gastronomic experience.

Arrayed in the buffet stations and kitchen areas of Nyx are dishes that one only finds in fine-dining establishments. Whether Western cuisine, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, or Thai, among others, be ready to be mesmerized by what’s on offer. It’s “takaw tingin,” a version of food porn, and it’s guaranteed to disrupt the previously comfortable world of buffets organized by the best hotels in the city. For Nyx is challenging these buffets to offer the wide diversity that’s to be found at Nyx, for the unbelievable price points and quality.

When dining at Nyx, there are even periodic light and sound shows, live musical interludes, and dining booths that offer a sense of privacy within the expansive floor area. It’s an unheard-of concept, and when I asked Jackson if there was a peg for this, he just smiled, saying not that he knew of, and that only time will tell if it’s a concept that will click with the more discriminating dining demographic.

During the opening night hosted by 1Lit’s Jackie Go, she explained how certain dishes would be served at our table, but that we were also free to roam around the buffet setups and order for certain items to be brought to our tables. And honestly, while one could just wait for the nine dishes that would reach our tables, the buffet setup had so many interesting and tempting stations.

I’ve made a selection of some of these stations, so you understand how tempting it was to just gorge and end up stuffed.

As for the ones that were especially cooked and brought to our table, the first one I have to mention would be the U.S. scallops that were served with creamy spaghettini with a scoop of caviar. Talk about indulgence, and this dish had it. The plump scallops were bites of perfection.

Then there was the lobster, done in Thermidor style, and browned to enhance the dish. And one will love how the claw part had already been cracked so it was easy to get to the lobster meat.

The garlic abalone was their concession to Chinese, and showing us how Nyx would define Chinese cuisine, only offering the dishes that were once the exclusive domain of royalty.

The wagyu nigiri is a must try, as it’s super tender and hides the portion of rice that’s to be found underneath the thin slice of quality beef.

There’s a dessert section that’s out of this world. And beyond the bevy of choices, there’s even a section with terrific gelato and sorbet flavors, and here is a photo with just a quarter of the ice cream display.

I can write more about my Nyx experience, but trust me when I say that there’s nothing like heading there and experiencing it yourself. I’m wishing great success for Nyx, as Issa and I both agreed that we’d be back as regulars.