Originally Posted by
Hipplewm
I have seen many with very nice spreads for sure, but I still wouldn't stretch it to "Dinner"
Can you eat enough to be full, sure, but I would rather have a nice "Dinner" somewhere....
YMMV
You obviously have not seen the good Asian lounges. The "spreads" are Real Dishes, no different than what you would get from a mid-price restaurant.
Some of these lounges offered, are no less, in both varieties and quality, than what you can get at a mid-price restaurant. More often than not, restaurant meals are not satisfactory due to one way or the other, from foods to service, you name it.
Sure. if you want to have a high end restaurant with exquisite foods and the prices to match, then the lounge no matter how good the "spreads" are, would not be for you - because it lacks the important element that a high end place would have - that is not the foods, but a quiet, elegant setting to enjoy your dinner.
But if you are just for DECENT foods together with drinks, a table to enjoy such, and not mind the fact that you have to get the foods yourself, plus you are sharing the "spreads" with other guests, then many Asian properties lounges meet the requirements and then some.
In fact we dont mind the buffet style, because we can see what the foods look like and determine whether to try it or not, versus you dont have any idea how a dish ordered at a restaurant would turn out. Many times there are disappointments. Not to mention the fact that no way we can order that many different dishes when dine at a restaurant, versus pick and choose at the good Asian properties lounges.
Outside Asia, I think the lounge at Sheraton on the Park at Sydney offerings should be good enough for a dinner as well - nightly freshly shuck Sydney Rock Oysters and palm size King Prawns, sushi rolls, nightly rotated hot dishes from Western to Indian to Asian, plus pastas, together with the cold stuff (salads, smoked fishes, varieties of cold cuts and cheeses, breads, desserts, etc) that can certainly be called a dinner, except that it again, lack the element of being a proper setting for a nice dinner, but the "spreads" certainly qualify for a dinner without any stretch.
You can have similar spread at the casino and pay about 50 or 60 AUD per person without drink....Just fyi.