Restaurant buffets -- R.I.P.?

[Jingthing]

I think there is a pretty good chance that restaurant buffets are more or less permanently finished internationally. 

So here is a place to recall the last buffet you ate it, some of the most memorable buffet experiences of your life, and to comment on whether you will miss them or not.

 

To wit, buffets on cruise ships are being pointed to as a main vector of the mass infections there.

 

Personally living in Thailand I won't miss them much. I used to like high end hotel buffets in Bangkok but I don't really do that living in Pattaya, and the other budget buffets that are available are more like feeding troughs for livestock than any kind of gourmet experience.

 

So I honestly don't even remember the last buffet I went to in the pre-pandemic days. It was that forgettable. 

 

But I have had many wonderful experiences with buffets in other countries that I do remember vividly.

 

So feel welcome to comment on all things buffets.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Jingthing

[bkk6060]

Not a big buffet person and don't totally disagree, but Sizzler salad bar was available. I did not go inside but saw the salad bar with a person getting food from it.

And, those places where the food goes around on a track were open here also.

I think the latest studies say it cannot be transmitted by food.  But people coughing, sneezing or handling food seems like a spread possibility.

But, it is also all the other using utensils, lifting lids, and general fear of crowds around a buffet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by bkk6060

[CharlieH]

Never liked Buffets regardless of the venue, always reminded me of a "food line" for the homeless or similar such tragic circumstance.

I dont mean that to sound wrong or come across as some kind of snob, its just the mental image it always creates for me and subsequently I dont like them.

I would much rather sit down and be served my food.

 

Each to his own.????

[Keyser Soze666]

'I didn't see that up there where abouts is it'

 

I'm not so sure that the buffet has seen it's last spread, so to speak. Even already we are seeing some things getting back to something like normal...give it another year or 2 and all this may just have been pretty much forgotten about.

 

[Jingthing]

I think buffets are especially good for certain kinds of food. Particularly Indian. If you are to order a full well balanced Indian meal you're talking several dishes. Of course individual thali platters address that somewhat. You could say similar about Chinese food but for some reason Indian food seems to keep better on buffet tables than Chinese.

[Jingthing]

  

3 hours ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

'I didn't see that up there where abouts is it'

 

I'm not so sure that the buffet has seen it's last spread, so to speak. Even already we are seeing some things getting back to something like normal...give it another year or 2 and all this may just have been pretty much forgotten about.

 

Of course nobody really knows exactly what the future will hold for buffets or anything else.

But I think it's a fair bet that buffets will at the very least be less common and with big changes.

There are ways to still do buffets even in the midst of restaurants opening during a pandemic.

 

For example served at the table buffets instead of the standard buffet table.

 

Where you might be able to check off menu items from a checklist, specify the portion size, and then have the food brought to you.

 

 https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/end-buffet

 

Quote

 

Is this the end of the buffet?

As restaurants reopen, many regulations explicitly forbid buffets and self-service. That could require massive changes at buffet concepts, or their end altogether, says RB’s The Bottom Line.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Jingthing

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Of course nobody really knows exactly what the future will hold for buffets or anything else.

But I think it's a fair bet that buffets will at the very least less common and with big changes.

There are ways to still do buffets even in the midst of restaurants opening during a pandemic.

 

 

 

Personally, I think that the Thais will revert to the 'old normal' before very long.

[sqwakvfr]

One of the largest and longest running Salad Buffett franchises in the US(Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes) recently announced they were going out of business forever due to the Pandemic.  Also, the Casinos that recently opened up in California have kept their buffets closed.  Doubt any business will let food out in the open for people to handle.  

 

Topps’ salad bar now offers prepackaged and sealed containers of vegetables and fruit.  

 

Buffets: RIP 2020.  

[CGW]

3 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Never liked Buffets regardless of the venue, always reminded me of a "food line" for the homeless or similar such tragic circumstance.

Buffet style has been a large chunk of my life having spent my working life offshore or in shipyards, when staying in hotels I Never take the buffet option, apart from breakfast where generally there isn't a lot of choice if you are in a hurry.

Singapore has some exceptional buffet dining at the Fullerton and suchlike, but you are going to pay handsomely for the privilege 4,000 baht plus, I would imagine be long time before buffet become acceptable again internationally.

Given the rate of infection in Thailand there has been no danger from communal eating, why change? going forward sure the scaremongers will get in on the act, so stand by for social engineering scene 2, phase 3 etc............

[utalkin2me]

Buffets aren't going anywhere, and even if they did they would just change the setup to more service oriented. Meaning, it is a "buffet" and an employee brings you what you want. 

[Pattaya46]

4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Never liked Buffets regardless of the venue, always reminded me of a "food line" for the homeless or similar such tragic circumstance. //

There is Buffet and Buffet... ????

I doubt you will see many homeless at the Hilton seafood buffet at more than 1'000B...

[time2093]

Maybe this is a shock for the OP, but Buffets are one of the the most popular eating type establishments in the world. As others pointed, they are not going anywhere especially in Thailand as they are open for business where I live with all the new eating rules in place like taping half the tables with a screen as other restaurants.

[CharlieH]

1 hour ago, Pattaya46 said:

There is Buffet and Buffet... ????

I doubt you will see many homeless at the Hilton seafood buffet at more than 1'000B...

Sorry you missed the "regardless of venue" and "reminds me" 

[OneeyedJohn]

I used to eat buffet style in the middle east in nice hotels and was never really comfortable with it.

 

For what reason, I don't know.

[Puchaiyank]

A unique post-virus lockdown buffet experience.

 

Chinese buffet...hand me takeout box...get food from buffet..pay for food...then allowed to sit down to eat...no going back for seconds.

 

Patrons who order from menu get plates...

 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Puchaiyank

[chicowoodduck]

Well, I guess you have not been to the Lek Hotel in Pattaya....they have been doing the buffet for weeks......????????????

[alant]

Depends on if you want the Chinese tourists back...

[1FinickyOne]

20 hours ago, Jingthing said:

especially good for certain kinds of food. Particularly Indian.

Back in USA that was one of my favorite meals in my small college town... delicious but it always gave me the runs??? 

 

Had a good seafood buffet in Chiang Mai... 

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

And as to the anything Buffett subject...

 

Love Jimmy - - not so crazy about Warren...

[Chassa]

Obviously not talking about Thai buffets (they will never die) - Just western-style. 

[Nemises]

 

Excellent WESTERN STYLE buffet....last night.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Nemises

[Bender Rodriguez]

stop the panic

 

get some sun ... probably what saved Thailand, other countries don't have this

 

Malaysia = muslim = people cover their face / whole body and Singapore = poor immigrant worker living in small dirty spaces

[Andycoops]

Haven't used a buffet in years as they are a hotbed of e coli, salmonella etc with food left out for hours on end.

I for one won't be missing them.

[KingDong75]

No we had buffet at our local Sizzler yesterday but with massive social distancing and no masks obviously when we ate. 

[ChakaKhan]

As someone who has been cooking for 30+ yrs and culinary trained..NOPE

 

Next time think about how MANY hands touch those spoons-tongs-etc...add kids

 

And the items you choose, lots of finger foods, most of us hit the buffet, sit and eat, some with hands

 

Now imagine ALL the hands that touch those spoons-tongs-etc..think they all wash their hands?

They touch their face and worse, you then touch those tongs and you get my drift...gross

 

Also unused food, if its seafood etc, that is $$$ and costly, no one wants to lose $$$ and I'd bet it

gets recycled back into the next buffet. Ive worked in kitchens and I see what happens...food is "cost"

 

Ive done catering for rock bands U2-Coldplay--Bon Jovi--Billy Joel-Andre Bocelli, Korn, etc.....

 

Just like samples at stores, unless you get first crack at a sample, do NOT eat it..you have been warned

 

In conclusion, I dont eat at buffets..is just a gorgefest as ppl think they need to get their moneys worth

 

Note they usually put filling junky stuff first and are slow to refill $$$ items, as its about profit....

 

Cruise ships are floating petri dishes....ever see those tongs or spoons replaced?  holding temps???

[DaLa]

Going to be difficult to replace the system in place at 99% of hotel breakfasts.  And it's so entertaining watching the mixed concoctions that people conjure up, for example Ritz cracker and  peanut butter and raw onion and ketchup !!!

It won't be sad though when I no longer have to witness people piling their plates up with huge portions and then leaving 75% of it.

[kingstonkid]

Buffets will still be there the difference is that you might have to point at what you want and it will be out on your plate.

[wavodavo]

I think buffets will survive but for a few changes such as the food displayed as usual but closed in  on the public side with glass or perspex. staff will be on hand and the diner requests their choice and it is placed on the plate and collected at the end of the line.A bit like Subway.