How Much do you really eat at Buffets ?
 

Everyone loves the idea of all you can eat, but how much do you really eat at buffets ?

I usually eat 1 plate of seafood, 2 plates of hot mains and 2 plates of desserts

I go to buffet more for variety of choice than volume. I typically eat 3 average plates (you can see the plate and there are no huge heaps of food): one appetizers/salad; one main course; and a smaller plate of dessert. Occasionally I will add a bowl of soup as well.

I just can't eat like I used to and I really shouldn't eat as I did either!!

Count me on the quality instead of quantity bandwagon. I usually go for appetizer/salad, main course, dessert. I also try to go for middle of the road buffets, not too cheap and not too expensive.

If I'm going to really pig out at a buffet, I'll aim for a lunch buffet and have that as my only meal of the day, though I can't remember in my recent memory the last time I dd that.

Not trying to sound like a snob, but I avoid them like the plague. I only go when I have to, meaning, I'm on some sort of trip (personal or biz) where the herd mentality decides they want to go to one.

When I do go, it's a (small) plate of stuff that will be the least likely to have me running to the washroom.

Two kinds of major buffet soft spots: Any kind of fish and seafood appetizers and then the cheeseboard. Anything else I could do without...Or maybe some dim sum if any decent available.

So, two plates of seafood and 1-2 of cheeses with garnishes. Hopefully also some nice Austrian or French wine in an ideal setting.

I squint every time I hear the word "Buffet".

I hate them.

What finished me off was going to my first (and only) FT "do" (we happened to be there at the same time) and buying my first buffet for mrs uk1 and me and I hadn't realised the importance that some of our colonial brothers place on the table they choose and it's proximity to the food. In hindsight, it was as though they had developed some sort of mental tape-measure that could calculate each seat and it's approximate travel time to the table.

I without knowledge of such things placed ourselves at the other end of the room. I missed them saying the magic key word which must have been FT for "Muster stations! Muster Stations! Descend and hoover now! Descend and hoover now!", but felt this enormous rush and vacuum of air as my fellow ft'ers descended onto the buffet into a buffinacious frenzy.

Never was so much buffet hoovered by so few.

We of course were at the wrong end of the queue - and we even did that "after you" business in that strange English way when we took pity on some people with panic on their faces ..... and by the time my little plump FT brethren staggered back to their tables with plates with food that ascended past their heads (and whilst some returned and pushed into the queue to collect "seconds" plates clearly panicing that the food might dissapear before some of us on "firsts" got theirs), mrs uk1 and I found ourselves on enforced diets. There didn't appear to be any thought about taking reasonable amounts so that others could have some as well.

Anyway, £70 for two cold chicken wings and a battered bit of tomato between us isn't good. As you can tell, I'm even sweaty about it now even though the ingress of time should have watered down the angst.

And then there's people who handle the food with their dirty little digits ..............:)

"buffinacious" I like the word uk1! I don't seek buffets out, but when I do find myself at one I usually eat too much but not enough to merit the price (or should I say cost - as to include the way I feel afterwards). I do get flummoxed at brunch buffets, especially the ones at the Four Seasons and Ritz. The sight of shrimp, crab and smoked salmon makes my mouth water. However, I do love the savory breakfast foods, omelets, eggs benedict, bacon... I just don't want both types of food at one meal. It's a hard decision, but as we're usually eating around noon, the seafood usually wins.

Thanks. If there isn't the right word .....invent one!:)

I like a good quality buffet. I also try to avoid the grazing scene.

I do like an occasional Chinese buffet for lunch...

I tend to get my value for the$. I do try to not over endulge.

Brothers in arms (not much more.)

or How much do you really drink at buffets?
 

My favourite buffets are the ones in Asia, usually Sunday brunch, that include free flow champagne or wine. At these, the answer to my own question is usually "a lot"

Singapore has some excellent ones, any time i am in Singapore I try to be there on a Sunday to enjoy one of these.

I have also had the pleasure of an excellent champagne brunch at the JW marriott in Shanghai, and slightly less posh, about 8 years ago in Vietnam various hotels offered them for around US$25 which included unlimited food and free flowing wine!

Suffice to say, the food was not my primary concern at many of these buffets :D, although in Singapore certainly the food tends to be of a high standard

I love the buffet/salad bar at fogo de chao

Most buffets as far as I am concerned are semi warm garbage, unless you are paying top dollar. I especially find Chinese buffets disgusting, the food is seldom hot and seldom delicious. I think most people who go to buffets go for quanity not quality, as always they are thinking with their stomach, just look at the people who eat at buffets and I am not trying to be rude, but some of them can hardly fit in their chairs, big stomachs and big rear ends. Buffet areas are not very well kept up, food scattered around the serving area. Not for me, no thanks, unless it is a very upscale restaurant or hotel, I will stay away and if I choose to eat at a buffet I only choose foods that I would not or could not prepare at home, and certainly would not eat more than I normally would.

What I eat depends on the nature of the particular buffet, but generally the benefit of a buffet is the variety, rather than just the quantity. I have explored many high-end buffets, and the food at the best of them is just excellent. I have completed two trip reports mainly on exploring the world's best buffets, and my journey continues. The best so far were Burj al Arab in Dubai, Intercontinental Hong Kong, and Cafe Too Hong Kong in the Shangri La. These are experiences not to be missed by anyone, and I would challenge any buffet-naysayer to try these out as I can't see anyone being disappointed in the least.:cool:

Here is the first buffet trip report.

Here is the second.

As you will see, some buffets can be very sophisticated in terms of environment and quality of dishes. Having gone to many of them now, I have trained myself to not over-do the quantities and usually average about four plates, and tend to only sample the desert selections. But at good restaurants, I never leave hungry anyhow, so those are "all you can eat", so to speak, as well...:p

You hate FT DO's or buffets? :D

I used to like buffets but the older I have got the more warier I have become regarding the hygiene of them. I remember staying in a hotel in Brasil where they had an evening buffet. Unfortunately for us we timed our arrival into the dining room five minutes too late. As we entered we saw a school group swarming round it.......teenagers, lifting and putting back the food not caring which spoon they were using while bawling and shouting at the same time.God only knows how much saliva was being transferred from mouth to food.

I do still partake in some, usually only hotel breakfast ones though. I go early while it is fresh and kid free.