Category: All you can eat

All About Food Blog challenges you to the ultimate eating test, all you can eat. The food review won’t be based on individual dishes, but overall experience.

Koh-Ya Randwick

Review:

One of my favourite restaurants in Sydney just got a new baby sister in Randwick! Koh-Ya Randwick is part of a group that includes Yakiniku restaurants and noodle bars. Yakiniku is a type of Japanese cooking that let you grill the meat yourself.

Koh-Ya Randwick has a few a la carte dishes. However, the one that got us interested is their buffet menu. They have two types of buffet: Koh-Ya Buffet and Special Bufet. Koh-Ya buffet costs you $36.90 and you can choose from 50 different dishes, three different desserts, and it’s all you can eat.

Although it’s an all-you-can-eat restaurant, you are only given an hour and 30 minutes at the restaurant. Additionally, you are only allowed to order in the first 60 minutes. That might sound a bit short (especially when compared to 4-hour degustation), however it should be enough time for intense cooking-and-eating combo!

There are only five extra items on the menu for Special Buffet: ox tongue, wagyu beef ribs, spicy chicken, and sashimi salmon and tuna). For these extra items, you will need to pay $8 more. If you are a big fan of sashimi, then the special buffet is a must for you!

I know most of the things I eat in all you can eat restaurant are either meat or seafood. However, there are some dishes in Koh-Ya to consider, like different types of rice bowls and soups and quite a number of salads.

The final verdict for Koh-Ya Randwick

The good things about Koh-Ya Randwick are that they open pretty close to where I live at the moment and they don’t use charcoal for Yakiniku – which translates to less smoke.

Did you know?

Koh-Ya also has a branch in Neutral Bay.

The best thing about Koh-Ya Randwick is probably the fact that there is a small children playground on the side!

Rating for:

7.5 / 10

Taste: 7.5.0 / 10

Price: $36.90 for buffet

Place: 7.5 / 10

Details:

36 Perouse Road, Randwick 2031

+61 2 8068 0522

Koh-Ya Randwick’s facebook page

Mar 11, 2015
Edogin

Review for all you can eat menu:

Edogin is located in one of the most posh hotels in Jakarta. At a price point of $40 per person, it should be one of the most expensive dinner experiences in Indonesia. However, if you look at what they have to offer, that price is ridiculously cheap compared to other ‘big name’ restaurants with really crappy dishes and overly jacked up price.

So, what do they have to offer?

Quality All You Can Eat

I have been to Edogin twice now and I have yet to find any dishes that are below my standards. Some of them actually exceeded my expectations for non-Indonesian food served in Indonesia. They were as authentic as you could probably ask for!

They have several sections that serve different kind of Japanese cuisines. Without further ado, let me introduce you to the wonderful food from Edogin.

Fresh Sashimi

The obvious first spot to check for quality is its Sashimi range. They have a diverse selection of fresh fishes, octopus, fish roe, and fresh oysters – specifically I think it’s the big pacific oysters!

Rumour has it that they were one of the select few restaurants in Jakarta that received premium grade sashimi straight from the dock.

But seriously, their sashimi is the best I have ever tasted in Indonesia. They are on par with great sashimi place in Sydney.

Teppanyaki

I think their Teppanyaki has the biggest selection of meat and vegetables. They have assortments of fishes, different cuts of meat including beef ribs, poultry, and mushrooms to name a few.

What I like most about its teppanyaki section is its tiger prawns. Gigantic prawns and sometimes with eggs are there (and unlimited) for you to enjoy.

Robatayaki

If I told you above that Edogin’s sashimi was fresh. One of the creatures in their Robatayaki range is still alive! Better yet, they are live baby lobsters! They can even cut your finger if you are not careful in picking them up. You can see a video of the lobster walking off the plate here.

They also have ikan malas (Marble Goby), salmon, tuna, lamb chop, sausages and fish head ready to be grilled.

Noodles

I didn’t get a chance to taste the noodles (even my tummy has its limit!), but just to let you know that they have made-to-order noodles counter.

Assorted Japanese

There were quite a few fried stuffs in this section, including assortments of tempura. In this occasion, I tried their okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and fried salmon skin. I also tried its curious looking prawn and glass noodles in a short glass.

Assorted Desserts

By this point, I think you already got my point that there are lots and lots of options in every section. They seemingly have millions of mini bites, fruits, bread and butter pudding, and some things in shot glasses.

Assorted Ice Cream

And…. If your tummy can still handle it (or you can skip straight to this section), they have no less than 10 selection of ice creams with various toppings to enhance their flavours.

You can choose to have the ‘standard’ scoops and toppings scenario or they can mash them up on a bed of cold rock to create your personalised ice cream.

For this occasion, I ordered Pandan and Malaga ice creams with dragon fruit and lychee. You can also opt for the heavy options like chocolate ice cream with choco chip, cookies, and stuff.

The final verdict for Edogin

Edogin might be a bit pricey to some Indonesians, but this all you can eat restaurant has the best value of any high-end restaurants in Jakarta!

Did you know?

This is the first restaurant in Indonesia that was given a score of 9.0. It is also possibly the only 9.0+ restaurant that I would come back to without severely damaging my pocket!

It is also nice to have the waiters and waitresses address you by your name when the food is delivered to your table.

Rating for Edogin:

9.0 / 10

Taste: 9.0 / 10

Price: $40 for all you can eat

Place: 9.5 / 10

Details:

Hotel Mulia Senayan

Jalan Asia Afrika, Senayan, Jakarta 10270

+62 21 5753274, 5747777

http://www.hotelmulia.com/index.php/dining.html

Aug 27, 2014
Cafe Mix

Rating:

7 / 10

Taste: 7 / 10

Price: $75 buffet dinner

Place: 7.5 / 10

Review:

Prior to this review, I’ve been to Cafe Mix at Shangri-La Hotel a couple of times before for both its buffet and a la carte dinner. However, we decided to write on their buffet dinner. Available only on weekends, they have a buffet dinner called Spectacular Seafood Buffet at Cafe Mix Shangri-La, a big and catchy name for sure. So, how was it?

The buffet was divided into four sections with the first one strategically located just after the entrance. It was a crepe station with a fondue fountain filled with loads of goodies: strawberries, churros, marshmallow, and lollies. It would definitely grab instant attention for kids and adults alike.

The second one was its centrepiece: seafood buffet bar. There were a lot of chilled seafood dishes, like Balmain bugs, crabs, oysters and prawns. There was also whole poached salmon. Squid, octopus, scallops, and white baits were made into different kinds of salad. There was also a selection of salads for vegetarians. There were two Japanese dishes (sushi plates and miso soup) fitted awkwardly next to the seafood buffet. I didn’t like the sushi and didn’t even try the soup.

The third section comprises of a mixture of hot dishes, mostly of Asian influence, like roasted pork belly, BBQ pork, and noodles. There were also some European dishes, including Arancini mushrooms, carbonara pasta and mussels in white wine. At the other end of the table, there were several Indian dishes, like Mango Chicken and basmati rice with pappadums (love the pappadums!). However, I skipped most of them (including some vegetable dishes I didn’t bother to check) to reserve my tummy space for its dessert.

Lastly, we have the dessert section. As I am a big fan of macarons, my eyes were fixated on them. They still couldn’t beat Baroque’s in terms of taste, but were more than okay for ‘free’ ones! I am also a big fan of crème brûlée, but I could only taste my wife’s crème brûlée as they weren’t available when I tried to get it! Other notable desserts include: apple crumble, some chocolate desserts, meringue and jelly.There was also a selection of cheese if you fancy them.

The final verdict for Cafe Mix at Shangri-La

There was definitely abundance of choices when you dined at Cafe Mix. However, these dishes were simply too ordinary for the listed price. I did hog on the Balmain bugs as they were pretty uncommon and quite similar to lobster.

Details:

Level 1, Shangri-La Hotel

176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW 2000

02 9250 6000

http://www.shangri-la.com/sydney/shangrila/dining/restaurants/cafe-mix/

Jan 20, 2014
Braza Churrascaria

Rating:

8 / 10

Taste: 8/10

Price: $47 All you can eat

Place: 8.5/10

Review:

I wanted to say Braza Churrascaria is just another all you can eat Brazilian restaurant that’s been flooding Sydney over the years… but I just couldn’t!

Why?

I’ll skip the part of explaining what Churrascaria is (you can look at the ‘Did you know?’ section) and let you know why I think you MUST visit this place. Look at the menu below or in this link and see an extensive list of things you can eat (including side dishes).

Let’s start with the obvious Rump Cap or Picanha. Seriously, if a Brazilian restaurant doesn’t serve a great picanha, don’t return! Picanha is the core element of a churrascaria. Still in the beef department, they also have flank, rump, hump and Scotch Fillet. The meat quality in Braza restaurant was incredible.

I have limited knowledge of food from the pork department. They have an assortment of Neck, Leg, and Belly. From the look of it, they were the least appealing in the restaurant. Strangely enough, you also got a chance to see a whole pig / pork meat sitting on the wooden trolley. They only have two lamb dishes: Leg and Rump. Both were nice and cooked correctly (i.e. no smelly lamb taste).

We’re now on to the white meat of chicken. They have a decent range from chicken with bacon to chicken hearts. They also have Chicken Drummetes and fillet. Personally, I love chicken hearts and can easily have a dozen of them.

Braza’s seafood range was extensive on easter with the addition of mussels and octopus. However, they were only limited to Fish and Prawns in a normal day. However, if you see the fish plate, please ask as much as you can. They were heaps good! I am not a big fan of the Chorizo in Braza. I think they were quite dry and tough.

So now we are on to the best part: Braza Churrascaria’s ribs. They prepared the ribs in a slightly different way. They would wheel around gigantic slab(s) of ribs on a wooden trolley and slice the meat in front of you. The ribs were really the highlight of the day. They were succulent, juicy, and best of all, not burnt! You can have an option of Beef ribs, Pork ribs, or Lamb ribs.

They have Halloumi Cheese, Pineapple and Garlic Bread as the main churrascaria offered. I had no less than five slices of fabulous pineapple throughout the night. You might want to slow down on the cheese and bread if you didn’t want to be full too fast.

They handled the side dishes quite differently. Instead of circling around the table, you will need to order them specifically. My favourite was Polenta chips. They were really nice and crunchy. We also always have a supply of Brazilian Chilies, Farofafa, and Tomato Salsa because I like a bit more flavour on my meat.

The final verdict for Braza Churrascaria

Braza Churrascaria is hands down the best Brazilian restaurant in Sydney. The assortments and quality of meat are unrivaled to those other Brazilian restaurants in Sydney. The only downside to their otherwise excellent review was the unavailability of complementing sauce. It’s a very minor item but unfortunately I like sauce on my meat.

Did you know?

When we were there on Saturday at around 8 PM, they had a Brazilian dance a la Carnaval de Rio with very loud Brazilian drums.

For those of you new to the concept, Churrascaria is a place where meat is cooked in Churrasco style. The meat is grilled to perfection with an iron skewer on a fireplace. The waiters and waitresses would then go around the table offering those meats and you could decide whether you wanted it or not (no obligation to take everything they offered!).

Details:

1-25 Harbour St, Darling Quarter

Darling Harbour NSW 2000

+61 2 9386 9534

http://www.braza.com.au/

Apr 8, 2013
Sizzler

Rating:

7 / 10 Taste: 7/10

Price: $28-$37 per main course
(+ unlimited salad bar)

Place: 7.5/10

Review:

Two years ago I reviewed its ‘alleged’ copycat in Surabaya, called American Grill. I finally got the chance to review the self-proclaimed legendary salad bar’s restaurant, Sizzler. We visited Sizzler St George in Kogarah. The venue was incredibly spacious and was perfect for a pretty big group. The only downside is you can’t book in advance.

So, how does it work? When you enter the restaurant, the menu pages are printed on the wall for easy viewing. When you ordered one of the main courses, you are entitled to unlimited and free access to their ‘legendary’ salad bar. You can choose to have the salad bar only for $24.50. I will explain about it towards the end of the review. You can also order refillable drink for $3.95. You are entitled for either hot drinks (coffee and tea) or soft drinks (including water).

Since I am a big fan of rump steak, my obvious choice was Steak & Big BBQ Garlic Prawns combo ($37). It was a smallish (200 gr) rump steak grilled to your liking with a side of mashed potato with (luckily) three big grilled prawns and mushroom sauce. I was quite content with the steak despite of the size. Alternatively, you could also order Steak with Salt & Pepper Calamari ($31). Instead of the prawns, you were served with a handful of calamari. It is a nice alternative if you dislike crustaceans.

The heaviest dish on the menu is the T-Bone Steak. It was listed on the menu as 500 gr, although part of it is the weight of the bone. It also came with complimentary sides and sauce.

There is also a rather special menu (more expensive than regular rump, at $34 ^_^): Royal Blue Rib Eye. The description stated grass-fed MSA royal blue rib eye. I wasn’t really sure what the difference with the rump steak was. It, did, however came with sweet potato fries, steamed broccolini and a choice of sauce.

Now, let’s talk about the legendary salad bar. You will be offered cheese toast as soon as you’re comfortable on your seat. There is one giant table full of food in the main salad bar. In this part of the bar, you can get fruits, salads, condiments, and, my personal favourite, jacket potatoes. If you need more carbs, there is also the pasta and soup area on the salad bar.

The dessert bar isn’t as big as the main salad bar, but it sure is pretty famous amongst ladies and kids. In addition to the desserts in the picture, you could also get soft ice cream and all kinds of jelly beans, marshmallows, chocolates to go with your ice cream. You can be as creative as you can be with the dessert.

The final verdict for Sizzler

Sizzler is definitely one of the more cost effective all you can eat restaurants in Sydney, although technically the all you can eat portion is only the salad bar.

Details:

Cnr Princes Highway & Jubilee Avenue, Kogarah

Phone: +61 2 9553 8657

http://www.sizzler.com.au/

Nov 18, 2012
Churrasco Restaurant

Rating:

7.5 / 10 Taste: 7.5/10

Price: $44 per person

Place: 7.5/10

Review:

If you are familiar with the name Churrasco, that is because I did the review about this restaurant more than two years ago. Churrasco review was one of my first ones. Back in those days, Churrasco had just one vegetarian dish in their all-you-can-eat arsenal. They even charged us extra for a bowl of vegetables.

Since then, they have opened in two other locations, increased their quality, services, ambience, and last – but not least- they have also included vegetables! So, despite the unavoidable increase in price, the value was pretty much justified, considering that other high-end Brazilian restaurants also charges between these regions. Waitresses still go around the restaurant offering slices of meat to your plate.

Let’s now start with the new menu, vegetables. I am still not a big fan of them, but at least they have my favourite, Rocket Salad with balsamic vinegar. They also added french fries, tomato and capsicum salad, eggplant and capsicum antipasto-style (not shown in picture). You can still get Zucchini and cheese. I will introduce other new stuff according to their classification.

To get the real feeling of Churrasco, the next couple of pictures were from its skewers. Only Churrasco’s chicken range utilises this method. Their common chicken range is the Brazilian Chicken. They also have a new Sweet Soy Chicken that was really yummy when grilled to perfection. Other chicken range includes: sausages, wings, and -the one I can never get enough of- chicken hearts.

Special to Wednesday-only, Churrasco’s Beef Ribs are worth fighting for! The beef range has lots of staple food like Rump Steak and new Pepper Beef. They also have a couple more new beef in Chilli Beef and Mushroom beef. I didn’t get the pictures of their already-extensive beef range: Sirloin steak, scotch fillet, eye fillet amongst other things. Their condiments also got a little face-lift in the addition of Chilli sauce. Farofa is now strictly by request. They also trialled polenta, before they pulled it out of the menu.

Lastly, the following dishes could be considered rarities since they were served once in like half an hour. Their newest range, Banana Fritter, was my instant favourite. The banana was both crunchy and sweet. My previous favourites, cheese bread and grilled cheese were still served and tasted as good. Grilled pineapple is kind of a cat in the bag. You can sometimes get a really sweet one but other times it would be really sour.

The final verdict for Churrasco – revisited

I would like to give more score for this restaurant, but its occasional inconsistencies in the way the dishes are cooked prevented me from doing so. The new additions to the menu gave us an increased experience to the dining in Churrasco. Although it is still predominated by meat dishes, I now leave the restaurant with much happier feeling and not stuffed.

Details:

240 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee

+61 2 9665 6535

http://www.churrasco.com.au/

Aug 21, 2012