AIBU to ask for your "All You Can Eat" restaurant tips?

[Goldenbug]

I'm visiting an establishment in a few weeks that offers an "all you can eat" buffet type deal of foods from around the world. How can I get my money's worth?

Avoid fizzy drinks I assume. Don't want Co2 taking up precious stomach room.

Should I have a big meal the day before to prepare?

Eat slow?

Tips please. I want the restaurant to remember my visit as "Run Out Of Food Saturday".

I once ate at a Cake Buffet. I didn't believe it until I saw it. I ate cake. Nothing else.

Now cake buffet doesn't interest me at all, I don't have a sweet tooth.

Bad time of the year to be going to a buffet restaurant - it's norovirus season...

Bad time of the year to be going to a buffet restaurant - it's norovirus season...

lol, this is so funny. i hate buffets, and im off to one tomorrow, for a special birthday treat, everyone else chose.... i am being grinchy.

but when we go for a buffet, I always choose things im too flippin stingy to buy when we get take away, for example, Ill always head for duck, if there is some ill get a bit of salt and pepper chicken.

Then ill have a few chicken balls, a bit of egg fried rice/chicken fried rice, a bit of chow mein and some prawn crackers, it really is fairly small portions. I go up twice. Once for a few duck pancakes, the second time i put on a bit of the other things I listed.

by that point its well worth the money weve spent (the bits we buy for a take away are usually £20 ish, so I gather by the time ive had my plate full, and taken into account someone washing my plate and fork im about equal to what a takeaway is, the duck and (if there is any) the salt and pepper chicken makes it a steal.

I as a big fat greedy person, do not even understand the need for anyone to stuff themselves silly at a buffet.

Remember - it is all you can eat, not all you do eat. If you think you can manage more in the taxi home it is quite acceptable to take tupperware, IMO.

Meh, they are ok, food is alright and a bust one on a busy day it is at least fairly fresh.

But the greed displayed actually turns my stomach.

Well, it was fun. The desserts were a bit poor but the first course food was really rather good. I had a variety of Chinese dishes with a little bit of rice. Even tried some Mongolian lamb which was lovely. Then shredded duck in pancakes and a few tempura prawn. Then a few mussels which were a bit on the hot side. Tried 3 mini puds but the best thing I found were the grapes.

I'd go again. I think the restaurant won though.

Lot of families there and a LOT of people generally. Big old crowded warehouse of a place.

That was a quick few weeks!

That was a quick few weeks!

My god I love a buffet. I love being waited on too, but sometimes an all you can eat buffet is the thing that will hit the spot. I am not convinced the quality of the food is likely to be much worse than a lot of pubs or restaurants that just pre-prepare food and then reheat in the microwave.

I love the little Chinese dumplings, steamed buns and mini spring rolls. Yes they're carby but I don't care, they are so delicious and I love being able to have a wide selection of them at a buffet.

My top tip would be not to worry about mixing courses. I'd draw the line at having dessert then going back for more savoury (though DSS doesn't) but I definitely believe in mixing up starter type things and main type things. In fact I am more likely to make a meal of mini starter items as they are more exciting and it is novel to eat them in a bigger quantity than usual. Whereas the main dishes are a bit more "normal".

Some of the best meat I have ever had was in an AI hotel in the Dominican Republic. The main buffet restaurant did these enormous huge roasts every day, so one day was a massive turkey, the next practically a whole pig...it was just incredibly flavoursome, tender and delicious meat. The steak restaurant in that resort was also incredible, some of the best steak I have ever had and I've eaten a lot in lots of different countries. Yes, there was a lot of pretty crappy food in the restaurants there too, but if you chose correctly you could have some amazing meals.

I did lie about the timing in case somebody tried to track me down. As there were another 8000 people in the restaurant I needn't have worried.

I hope to go again sometime. I fancy hitting the 'beige' next time. Onion rings, cheese balls, scampi tempura prawns, the nuggets of various creatures...

One person claiming that they want to get as much as they can by means of copious gluttony and everyone jumping in to give them tips on how to do it is one of the ugliest threads i've ever read on MN.

Have a word with yourself.

Goldenbug, my friend and I are planning our next visit after reading this thread, and we also meet up a few times a year to eat in a Michelin starred restaurant.
We both love food, any and all food.

Insomnibrat - really? Who is it hurting to make it so very ugly? Do you not read it as somewhat light-hearted?

Insominibrat, you must be new here (and a bit delicate.)

Insominibrat, you must have known what the thread would be from the title. You are aware that you have the choice to NOT read threads you disapprove of, yes? That might be a better choice for you in the future instead of your current method of "spoiling everyone elses fun with unwanted judgy comments".

nuggets of various creatures