Quite frankly, I have attended a number of catered events at the Hotel Marriott in Panama City and have left unimpressed. Lunches at the restaurant to the immediate left of the front entrance have been better, but in my experience nothing particularly special.

However, recently I did breakfast in the same restaurant with a couple of colleagues, and I have to say that this is the best breakfast buffet that I have yet encountered in Panama.

If you'e an American traditionalist at breakfast time, you can do bacon and eggs, or cereal with milk, or oatmeal or cream of wheat, or toast or bagels, with the standard coffee and juice. For those who prefer a slightly more sophisticated version of their morning eggs, there are quiches and omelets to order.

But I'm an old hippie who's not especially fond of eggs. I can get my cholesterol fix from the various sausages or cheeses on offer, but to raise the freak flag on that particular morning I chose the yogurt, mixing in jam, raisins, dried apricots, cashews and peanuts. I could have done the pumpkin or sesame seeds, the almond or hazlenuts, the carob or chocolate chips or many other combinations.

I also carry Panamanian cultural baggage with me when I go out for breakfast. Thus, among the selections of salad and sandwich (or croissant) stuff, the seafood selections caught my eye. I chose some cold poached corvina, and a bagel with cream cheese and lox. I also could have had ceviche for breakfast.

This was shaping up to be the day's major meal, and my mama taught me about balance. Thus I added some beets, a little corn relish, and a little lettuce, tomato, olive and cucumber salad. And of course, an ample glass or cranberry juice cocktail, and my usual tea with sugar and lemon juice. (My habit down here is lime juice, but at the Marriott they have actual lemons, which are a bit unusual to find in Panama.)

The next time I have breakfast at the Marriott, I'm sure that I'll select something entirely different, and be just as pleased.

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