Buffet 101

Now Jennie asked a question on Nes' blog that I thought I would answer here. After all I do love to share what knowledge I can and I have many years of buffet eating experience. I can't pinpoint exactly when my love of buffets developed but I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I am all about getting as much bang for my eating buck as possible!

I've gotten to the point where not just any buffet will do, no hometown buffet for me, LOL. It's not like I have lofty taste buds (although I do) but I just want food that tastes good!

Here is Nancy and I at the seafood buffet at the Rio in Vegas. That plate across from me is Nes'. While I love me the seafood and the seafood buffets I can't get stuffed on seafood. I quickly reach a maximum seafood limit, even if I'm not full and have to eat something else. My fave seafood restaurant was at a military post in VA, I used to drive down from Ft Meade (rather hitch a ride since I didnt' drive, LOL) just to go eat here. Not only was the seafood superb but they had a 3 piece band and the lead singer was a woman in her 60s wearing a sequined dress singing the electric slide! Loved it!

You all know I love Korean food and when I lived in LA I had a favorite restaurant that was an all you can eat Korean restaurant. Since Korean food is not cheap (since it's all about the meat) I really got my money's worth here because it cost the same as going to a regular Korean restaurant. I loved to take people here. This pic was taken by Su. One side was all meats and the other was the side dishes. They also had lots of soups and the other side of the restuarant had a small salad bar.

Finally, the best buffet in recent memory was at the Bally's Sterling Champagne Brunch which I blogged about back in April. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Yes, we paid a lot of money for this buffet but it was a fabulous experience!The champagne never stopped!

Now onto my eating rules. It pains me to go to a buffet with an amateur. Yes, some people just got for a few key things and they're happy. More power to those eaters. I am NOT that person, LOL. When I am at a buffet I was quality but I also love quantity! There are different rules for different buffets. Like at my korean restaurant there's tons of meat to choose from. My favorite is the kalbi so that would be all I would eat. Sometimes I feel like I should try the other meats but I don't like them as much so why waste precious stomach room eating things just because they were there. Don't do that.

Also, don't starve yourself in prep for a buffet. Your stomach will shrink and you will not be able to eat as much as you want and that would be a shame. I'm not saying pig out before hand but you should eat something during the day. Now buffet eating is all about priorities. Unless you're a vegetarian, do not head to the salad bar! I always go straight for the seafood and prime rib. I like to also serve up small amounts of things because if you like it you can get more but if you don't then you're not wasting as much and you don't feel guilty about not eating it. Remember, stomach room is limited. Don't waste it eating something you don't like just because it's on your plate. Once I am done with my prime rib and seafood (I usually put a veggie on there too but I enjoy veggies) which depending on how good it is and my mood could be two plates worth that's when you go for the other foods. That means do not put mashed potatoes on your plate for the first trip. I love mashed potatoes but I have to have room to eat the other foods. If I have room later, then I'll scoop some up. This will also be the plate for any salads or cheeses you're interested in. Once I'm done with the sides then I'll move on to dessert. I don't have a huge sweet tooth so I don't need a lot of room for it. If I see things I'm interested in, I'll serve up small portions, mainly so I can taste. I love soft serve ice cream which most buffets have so I'll eat that with a couple of bites of fruit and call it a day.

Yes, that's a lot of food, which is why I don't eat a buffet everyday, LOL. The trick also is to not to eat to the point of pain. Yes, I have done this, I learned that lesson the hard way. Please learn from my mistake, it hurts. When it feels painful, put down the fork! If I can help one person have a more successful buffet eating experience, then my job is done!

Share on Google Plus

About Leiha

I love to eat and sleep. One thing is more fun to blog about than the other. In between eating and sleeping I love to travel, spend time with my family and talk about myself. :)