I have always had a
fondness for buffets knowing that I would gain value for my money, yet not gain a centimeter on my tummy. Same goes for Tomomi, so we could feast for more than an hour without guilt. Though, I am noticing that the number of buffets I can do in a month while maintaining a fit regime is dropping from 10 to 5. Hope it does not drop further. Interestingly, there is a trend for good restaurants offering reasonably cheap buffets sprouting around major cities in the world. Cheap here is defined as USD$10 and below, and the notion of quality subjective as it is, is defined as having a variety of tasty, fresh vegetables and meat. Its a known fact that Michelin 1 star restaurants do not serve buffets or have low prices in their menus. Hence, not reaching for the stars, but a feast to the stomachs content. One thing I have noticed is that Japanese restaurant owners usually offer the best quality and if you can spot low priced ones due to lack of marketing, you are in for a good treat. It would surely be a marked difference between restaurants offering low prices for less fresh and recycled food with those of good quality, albeit minimalist marketing and interior decorations. Restaurant ambience is important too, but sometimes you could still have average ambience, good quality food at low prices and that would make me smile in today's bearish market conditions.
One Japanese restaurant in London that I have spotted through an advertisement in a Japanese newsletter in London is Wakaba located near the Finchley Road tube. The lunch buffet is offered at 6.5 pounds and I am delighted that they have a small selection of sushi and tempura, Korean pancake, various Japanese and Chinese dishes and even chawanmushi. For Tokyo, I would know much more that are in the range of 1000 yen or cheaper for their lunch buffets, yet offer much better quality. A few of them are at Akasaka: Ostrea, an Italian restaurant and oyster bar with a good selection of spagetthi, Star Kebab House, a Turkish restaurant with interesting Turkish delicacies and sweet dessert, Thai Suki, a Thai restaurant with rather spicy curry. Near to Ushigome Kagurazaka station, there is Asian Palm on Okubo-dori serving a variety of Thai and Indian dishes.
Know of other buffets you would recommend for quality servings at affordable prices? Please share.
(Photos show Wakaba food selection and the National History Museum with a skeletal display of a brontosaurus exhibit at its lobby).
