The Best Buffet ?

[cwldanny]

I just came back from lunch, went to Plaza Anthenee today for the weekday international buffet lunch. It had everything that I had expected, seafood and an assortment of thai/international stations. Lamb, smoked salmon, rock lobster, prawns, nothing amazing though. Service was excellent. Dessert was so so. Coffee and tea not included. Thats pretty much it, but the real reason i want to post is the promotion they have next month according to the waiter.

Today's lunch was 800++ per person, 15% discount for Kasikorn credit card.

Starting next month (June) its 40% off total bill (Max 4 people) for Kasikorn/KTC credit cards. For lunch or

dinner, but not sunday brunch (darn).

So ill be seeing the place again for dinner in a few weeks =)

[djayz]

@ cwldanny: earlier this month I wrote a "flaming" comment regarding your post on buffets. I don't know why I even bothered to reply to your post in the first place - I don't do buffets - but anyway I just want to apologize for my rude comment - I was out of line.

I hope you found/will find a good buffet.

Best regards.

[csolgosz]

@ cwldanny: earlier this month I wrote a "flaming" comment regarding your post on buffets. I don't know why I even bothered to reply to your post in the first place - I don't do buffets - but anyway I just want to apologize for my rude comment - I was out of line.

I hope you found/will find a good buffet.

Best regards.

Hello, a gentleman on Thaivisa? More power to you, djayz

[cwldanny]

@ cwldanny: earlier this month I wrote a "flaming" comment regarding your post on buffets. I don't know why I even bothered to reply to your post in the first place - I don't do buffets - but anyway I just want to apologize for my rude comment - I was out of line.

I hope you found/will find a good buffet.

Best regards.

Apology accepted! Sorry for lashing out too, a few weeks without a nice big meal can make a man go mad =)

Looking forward to May and all the new wonderful feasts it will bring!

[Familyonthemove]

The Four Seasons has one of the best Sunday Buffets ... should be open again now. Not cheap, but it includes drinks.

If we all eat out more we may be able to save a few people's jobs .... thousands have lost their jobs in the hotels and restaurants in Thailand.

[cwldanny]

Went to Lord Jim's Weekday Lunch buffet today, heard that it was good and was recommended by a quite a number of people. Took a few photos too this time!

Entrance and buffet line

They specialize in seafood, but they do have hot dishes and an international spread as well. Service was excellent and it seemed like the staff knew what we wanted before we had to ask. I tried to go for their buffet a few weeks ago but it was fully booked (even though I called 2 days in advance). I made reservations about 3-4 days ahead this time and still couldn't get a window table for 2, but went anyways. Their highlight is definitely the foie gras but since my SO doesn't allow me to eat it ever since we saw a video on how it was made, I didn't try any.

The Good: Cold prawns were very fresh, and they had a number of appetizers and seafood tid bits you could try. The prawn tempuras were also very crispy and almost always ran out within minutes. I enjoyed all the sashimi, the cuts were tasty and fresh. The desserts were delicious and there was a large variety to choose from. They serve the same ice cream and cakes from their oriental shop =)

Rock Lobster(?)

The Not so Good: I Didn't enjoy their roasts. The Beef was tender but lacking taste, the chicken was passable and the fish I just refused to finish after taking a bite. Feel free to skip the pasta station, nothing special there. The buffet is almost always packed full during lunch so expect a crowd. The scene is filled with hiso big haired women and their incredibly rich families. Other then that, everything else was went great.

Other than the dishes mentioned, there was also smoked salmon, assorted rice, lamb skewers, salads, thai noodles and appetizers, 3 types of soup and etc on the menu.

The total bill for two came to around 2860, about 1430 baht per person nett. This includes coffee and tea and you can have as much as it as you like. Believe me, you will want to just sit and relax after stuffing yourself so full. The Sunday Brunch is a bit more expensive, however I work on Sundays so I never get to enjoy brunches :/ If I ever get the day off its definitely Trader Vics or Four Seasons!

Overall it was a good experience. A nice place to have lunch with friends or for business, not really a place for a romantic get-together. Food quality and service top-notch.

Anther view of the aquarium while leaving.

I will be continuing my buffet hopping for a few more months. Now I just need more suggestions on where to go next! Has anybody tried the Saturday Brunch at JW Marriot?

[onethailand]

Nice report and photos - thanks

[cwldanny]

Nice report and photos - thanks

Your welcome!

For the current month, American Express is offering 1 for 1 buffet lunch/dinner at Orchid Cafe, Sheraton (Not including Sunday brunch)

[cwldanny]

In addition to my post above, The Orchid Cafe has a "Lazy Lunch" buffet on Saturdays which offer the same menu as their dinner weekend buffet - for those of you who prefer dining during the day and can't make it to Sunday brunches =) Its 1200++ but with 50% discount for 2-6 people on the total bill.

The Dining Room at Grand Hyatt Erawan has 15% discount for American Express Platinum and Citibank Platinum credit cards this month.

[ExpatJ]

Went to Lord Jim's Weekday Lunch buffet today, heard that it was good and was recommended by a quite a number of people. Took a few photos too this time!

Great review. I went to Lord Jims for dinner recently; ate one of the best seafood dishes i have ever had. The French restaurant downstairs is apparently one of the best in Asia and have a good value set lunch menu- thats next on my agenda!

[cwldanny]

The month of June, full of Buffet deals all around Bangkok.

I happened to be around Siam, looking for something to eat in Paragon until I came up with the bright idea of revisiting one of my favorite "bang for buck" buffets in Bangkok, "The Square" at Novotel Siam Square.

They have a promotion going on this month, 500 Baht dinner buffets (Comes to about 580 Nett). Although the variaty wasn't as large as the bigger 5 star hotels that we have gone to, it is definitely worth it.

Some items on the menu include smoked salmon, prawns, sukiyaki, roast tenderloin (disappointing), lamb (delicious), a small indian section and an equally small dessert choice. I loaded myself up quite well with the fresh sashimi, roasted chicken, fish, but managed to resist the pizza that they also had on offer.

Enough text though, let the pictures do the talking.

Hotel Lobby view from The Square

Seafood / Salad / Appetizers

The petite hot food section

Cheese and Smoked Salmon with crackers

Lamb and other "eat worthy" dishes

In the end we paid around 1100 for two people dining and left very satisfied. We would have spent just as much if not more eating at a restaurant inside Paragon.

Next up, Saturday brunch at The Orchid Cafe, Sheraton! (With 50% for American Express, of course)

Edited June 21, 2010 by cwldanny

[GaiUan]

One of the best I've ever seen (gutsy budget inside): the lunch buffet at the Sofitel, Pasai City, Manila (Philippines). Frustrating as you get full before having finished to try what you like.

[cwldanny]

I would have to say although food in Thailand in general is much cheaper than overseas, the prices you have to pay for a nice classy buffet in Bangkok is on par if not more than those in other countries. Looking at some Sunday Brunch prices over the past few years, some have increased by almost double!

[cwldanny]

This is my first review for the international lunch buffet at Latest Recipe, Le Meridien. I heard about this buffet through a few online forums and from what I know, it is frequented by quite a few buffet lovers on a weekly basis. The hotel is located near Silom, on Surawong road and is very close to quite a number of landmarks, making it a very convenient place to drop by for a meal.

The first thing I noticed about the hotel is that the design is very modern, clean and sophisticated. Lunch is served on the 3rd floor, Latest Recipe while the dinner buffet at the hotel is located at Bamboo Chic. According to the receptionist, Latest Recipe offers a more international variety of food choices while Bamboo Chic sticks to Japanese, Thai and generally Asian cuisines.

Hotel Lobby View

On the way up I stopped for a short bathroom break, and although I had second thoughts at first, took a photo of the men's bathroom. It's simply put, great. The hand towels were a nice touch and even though I have been to many other 5 star hotels in Bangkok, the restrooms here are really a step up from the rest.

The Restroom

We arrived a bit early for the buffet, which starts at 12:00PM, so I managed to take a few photos of the buffet setup. The table felt a bit empty, but that meant more space for our dishes! The staff were very welcoming and even came to check if we wanted our complimentary coffee/tea/soft drink while we waited for the buffet to be ready.

Our Table Layout

Dining and Seating Area, Latest Recipe

The first thing we noticed was that the selection of food was quite large. The buffet was separated into a few sections and during the course of lunch we didn't have to queue for anything.

Appetizers and Sashimi

Cooking Station - Pasta / Noodles / Pizza

Breads and Cheeses

Roasts

Hot Dishes

Desserts

When the buffet finally started and we had our usual first round food survey. We did notice that some things were missing. For example, the Caesar salad station did not have any bacon bits. or other usual condiments. There was not a single dish made with beef or lamb, or any chocolate desserts. I love my beef, I love my lamb and I definitely love my chocolate, so I was very disappointed. This also seemed a bit odd but we were hungry and started digging in.

Smoked Salmon

Honey Glazed Duck, Chicken Tikka Masala, Pork and Roasted Chicken

Pizza, fish, and other unmemorable dishes

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

To sum up the buffet at this point, it was very bland and lacked taste. If I enjoyed a buffet, I can remember a number of dishes that were served. I don't remember going back for seconds on anything here. However, the pasta quality was very good, and I managed to finish an entire plate even though I knew I shouldn't. The Squid Ink "Paht Kee Mao" Spaghetti is also very popular so give that a try if you're here. Pizza choices were also large. Sashimi wasn't very fresh and the cheeses tasted a bit off. The smoked salmon and parma ham were so-so as well.

I was ready to go home, unhappy with the results until it was time for desserts! Now, the cakes and tarts were nothing to shout about, what you would usually get at a 4 star hotel, but I would go back to Latest Recipe, Le Meridien just for the Ice Cream Teppanyaki bar.

Ice Cream Teppanyaki

Choice of Fillings

You can choose from 8 different flavors of ice cream, 20 or so condiments (Oreos, Butter Cookies, Chocolate Bits, Jelly) and have the "Chef" behind the bar mix them up for you over a slab of cold metal.

Oreos and Vanilla Icecream, To Which I Added M&Ms and Cookie Dough Later On

Ice Cream Being Made

Voila! Best Tasting Ice Cream Flavor in Bangkok

Although the food here may be sub-standard, the Ice Cream Teppanyaki made up for all the things this buffet lacked. Would I come back here again? Not anytime soon, but whenever I feel like being 12 years old again, creating my own pastas, pizzas, and ice cream flavors, I will definitely drop by. Actually, just take your kids here if you don't have anything planned for lunch. 935 Baht Nett Per Person, (With KTC Credit Card, 2 for 1)

Edited July 13, 2010 by cwldanny

[Zpete]

I like buffet feeds, but....

My preference is for more laziness.

Shabshabu, on Sukhumvit, acroos from Eastern Bus terminal.

Mind you, one has to cook your own food, or eat it raw, hotpot style.

The beauty is all the tukka comes along on a conveyor, like a sushi train.

Forgotten how much, about 200 baht, and ya eat for one and a half hours.

There is almost everything one could wish for.

Well worth looking into.