Latest news with #buffet
Independent Singapore
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
Durian lovers, rejoice! ‘All Hail the King Durian Fest' is back with an all-you-can-eat buffet starring Musang King, Red Prawn, D24 @ Resorts World Sentosa
Photo: RWS Sentosa SINGAPORE: All right, people, this is not a drill! Musang King, D24, Red Prawn, and other tropical fruits are on the 'All Hail the King Durian Fest' menu—only for six nights this July! Trust us when we say that this is the ultimate combo: Mao Shan Wang (Musang King) + tropical fruits + coconut water + resort vibes = the most epic durian night out you'll have this year. So if you love durian as much as we do (or know someone who does), here's the ultimate treat: Resorts World Sentosa is bringing back its wildly popular durian buffet—and it's more indulgent than ever. Clear your schedules: The Durian Buffet of your dreams is back! Running over two weekends in July (11–13 and 18–20), this exclusive durian feast will take place at The Bay Restaurant inside Adventure Cove Waterpark. Photo: FB/Brendon Chan ( For 90 glorious minutes (6 pm to 7.30 pm), guests can go wild with bottomless servings of Musang King, D24, and Red Prawn durians—arguably three of the most legendary varieties out there. And the price of this fruity splurge? S$268 per person. Worth it? You bet, especially if you're the kind who treats durian season like a national holiday. Booking Details (before it's too late) If you're already drooling, here's everything you need to know: 🗓 Dates: July 11–13 and 18–20 🕕 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm 📍 Location: The Bay Restaurant, Adventure Cove Waterpark, Resorts World Sentosa 💸 Price: S$268 per person 📲 Booking: Slots are limited, and these events usually sell out fast, so gather your durian squad and book ASAP! And it's not just durian… There's fresh fruit and cooling drinks too! This isn't your usual roadside stall scene. Think chill vibes, resort setting, and tropical fruit galore. Besides the durians (which, let's be honest, are the main event), you'll get to snack on an abundant spread of tropical fruits like rambutan and mangosteen, and may be more—all of them perfect palate cleansers between durian rounds. Photo: Freepik/jcomp To help you stay refreshed, they're serving up a cooling coconut water or the iconic 'Three Legs Cooling Water.' It's the classic go-to for balancing out the 'heatiness' of durian, and every local knows it's a must after a durian feast. Let's talk durians: What's on the table If you're not already convinced, here's a quick Durian 101 on what's being served: Depositphotos/awaygy (for illustration purposes only) Mao Shan Wang (aka Musang King) The rockstar of all durians. Bold, buttery, and packed with punch. If you like your durian bitter-sweet and ultra-creamy, this one's your soulmate. D24 Reliable, balanced, and smooth. Once the top dog before MSW took the throne, D24 is still a fan fave—less intense, but deeply satisfying. Red Prawn Soft, sweet, and a little flirtier than the others. It has a unique reddish tint and melts like custard in your mouth. Beginners tend to love this one. Basically, if you've ever argued over which durian is best, this buffet gives you a chance to settle the score. Or just eat them all and call it a win. Soak it in: Luxe vibes without the street heat Set inside the waterpark's Bay Restaurant, the buffet setting is equal parts breezy and bougie. No need to hunch over on plastic stools or swat away flies—this is durian eating in comfort. It's also perfect for family outings, date nights (for adventurous couples), or a fun treat-yourself weekend with your fruit-loving crew. Plus, you get to skip the durian stall gamble. No guesswork, no bad batches—just good, fresh fruit. Final Bite: Is this even worth it? If you're the kind who counts down to durian season or hoards Mao Shan Wang in your freezer, this buffet is calling your name. You're getting premium fruit, a chill tropical setting, refreshing drinks, and a flavour-packed evening—all rolled into one. So yeah! This is definitely not just another buffet. It's a full-on durian fantasy with a five-star twist. But wait! Why are people so crazy about durians anyway, you may ask Love it or loathe it, durian is one fruit that refuses to be ignored. Nicknamed the 'King of Fruits,' it's known for its powerful aroma, spiky exterior, and rich, custard-like flesh that delivers a complex flavour—sweet, bitter, and slightly savoury—all at once. Photo: Facebook/Uncle Tan Orchard Stingless Bee Farm For many Southeast Asians, durian isn't just food; it's an experience. From childhood memories of eating it by the roadside with family, to late-night durian hunts during peak season, this fruit has deep cultural roots. Part of the obsession comes from its seasonality. Durians aren't available all year round, and when they do appear, fans rush to get their fix before they're gone. It's that fleeting nature—like cherry blossom season in Japan—that adds to the hype. And with varieties like Mao Shan Wang or Musang King commanding premium prices, durian has become something of a luxury indulgence, sparking debates over which breed is best and where to find the 'creamiest' bite. The intensity of durian's smell and taste also creates a kind of cult appeal. First-timers are often overwhelmed, but those who get hooked are hooked for life. It's not unusual for die-hard fans to travel across the island or even across borders just for a trusted stall or farm. Whether you're Team Musang King or Team Red Prawn, one thing's for sure: once you fall in love with durian, there's no going back. Just don't do anything crazy like what a tourist from China did after she ate a durian in a local hotel unless you want to be slapped with an S$200 cleaning fee. The woman then took to social media to warn others so they don't make the same costly mistake. Read all about it here: Chinese tourist gets charged S$200 cleaning fee for bringing durian into hotel, warns others
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Start the day with a treat': an ode to hotel breakfasts
A good, diverse breakfast buffet is one of the few meals that can please any taste bud, from the fussiest eater to the greedy lover of food in all its forms. If you can't find something you want to eat at a hotel breakfast, then the fault probably lies with you. But while an abundant breakfast buffet is a thing of beauty, the ideal scenario is a combination of DIY stations and an à la carte menu. And that's the case at Conrad Dublin. At the buffet, symmetrical displays of mini chia pudding pots are lined up over fanned slices of cantaloupe, pineapple and watermelon. Hefty slices of soda bread sit next to a tower of homemade scones, with blueberry muffins and mini croissants on the side. There's even a giant slab of honeycomb, so you can spool off some raw honey for your toast. Get it right, and your first attempt at the breakfast buffet should always look like it's been plated by Jackson Pollock. But the hot food is best left to the professionals. The pancakes are Instagram-ready, deliciously springy and sitting in a pool of creme anglaise, with a sprinkling of edible flowers on top. With an extra plate of crispy bacon to the side, you couldn't ask for more. Well, unless you have a few Danish pastries for afters, that is. A moment, too, for the breakfast beverages. I'm always looking for at least three options in front of me – freshly squeezed orange juice, some form of smoothie and a coffee, preferably pressed in a cafetiere. One of the joys of a hotel breakfast is the fact that you can enjoy a languid meal without rushing. You're not eating a bowl of cereal while absentmindedly watching the news or thinking about the washing-up. You're starting the day with a treat, tucking into a veritable feast while plotting the adventures of the day ahead – where you're going to go, what you're going to see, and, if you're anything like me, what you're going to have for dinner. Because if you're doing a hotel breakfast right, you will most likely be too full to eat lunch. You're also getting a little peek into local life, long before you've even put your coat on. A good hotel breakfast is a showcase of the best local produce. And don't get me started on another one of life's great pleasures: the room service breakfast. You may miss out on the joy of browsing the buffet, but you get to tick off your choices on the menu the night before, hang it on the doorknob, then wait for the following morning when you can eat waffles in bed while watching TV. If you ask me, any day that starts off like that is a good one. Try as you might, a hotel breakfast is an experience that simply can't be replicated anywhere else. Order three breakfast dishes at a cafe, and you're a glutton. Bring 10 different kinds of cereal to your self-catering rental, and you're eccentric. But when you're in a hotel, anything goes. And that's all part of the fun. For our best hotel breakfasts, see below or book direct at and save on your stay. Join Hilton Honors for free and save up to 20%* in the Hilton Sale, now on. *Terms and conditions apply. Must be a Hilton Honors Member.
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I ate at world's biggest all you can eat buffet – it cost £10 with NO time limit… but here's what it's REALLY like
A FOODIE who filled up her plate at the world's biggest buffet for just £10 has spilled the beans on her tasty experience. Serving up giant steaks, extra thick milkshakes and Amish pie, the huge restaurant serves up enough grub for 10,000 people every single day. 9 9 9 9 Shady Maple Smorgasbord has transformed East Earl, Pennsylvania into an unlikely tourist hotspot in recent years. Hungry Americans and fascinated tourists regularly flock to the 100,000 sq ft buffet to try and take on the world's biggest buffet. In recent years it has even become famous on social media through food bloggers and popular influencers. One of these is New York-based influencer Amorray Marcano who visited Shady Maple back in April. She told The Sun: "I'm a content creator so I like to show cool things in the New York area and around it and I had no clue that the largest buffet in America was so close to me. "So I wanted to go just because of its reputation of being the largest and serving up to 10,000 people in a day." Amorray, 29, filmed her trip and posted it online to her 440,000 Instagram followers. She said one of her biggest concerns going into the buffet was the quality of the food. Most people usually head down to a buffet as a novelty dining experience where they can fill their plates high and try out as much food as their stomachs can handle. But the food is typically seen as below par due to it usually being left out under a heat lamp for some time before being eaten. Hotel guest reveals unique buffet breakfast and people have been left stunned Shady Maple is far from an average all you can eat place though as it even boasts an impressive 4.6 star rating online. Amorray said she was "pleasantly surprised" by the taste of the food on offer. She admitted: "There were hits and misses, but there were certain things that were actually really good. "The night I went they were serving catfish. And I don't really eat catfish normally, but thought I'll try it and it was so good. "It was cooked really well and just delicious. "There were some things that I didn't love. I would say some things might've been a little dry or some things maybe needed a little bit more seasoning. "But the things that were good were great, like their beef brisket, the steak and of course the cajun catfish." The whole buffet is open Monday to Saturday and welcomes in hungry guests from 7am all the way through to 7:30pm. 9 9 9 During the day, they serve up a breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. The breakfast costs just $13.99 (£10) during the week and lunch will set you back $19.99 (£15). The price for dinner varies depending on exactly what type of food you want to treat yourself to but a standard price is $26.99 (£20). This encompasses grill items, 46 salad bar items, three soups, six homemade breads & rolls, four cheeses, eight different meats, 14 vegetables, ten cold desserts, three hot desserts, eight pies, six cakes, sundae bar and countless drinks. Special options are also available throughout the week including steak night, seafood night, wings night or even the grand menu. Amorray was amazed by the cheap price of the unlimited food. She continued: "I would see people sit down, they would eat, and then they would go back for more and you could stay for as long as you want. "So realistically, you could stay there for hours so it's a great bang for your buck. "For the night that I went, it was like $27 and the amount of food you get for that is easily worth way more than the price." One thing that did leave a sour taste in Amorray's mouth was just how busy the buffet was. Amorray and her friend queued up for 30 minutes outside at around dinner time due to the long line of excited guests. The influencer was mainly shocked by this due to its little known location. Not only is East Earl a tight knit community in Amish country but it also has a population of under 2,000 people. This means the town can sometimes be packed out with over five times the number of residents due to the popularity of the restaurant. "When I went in, I thought there's not going to be that much seating. But then once I walked in, there was loads in every, nook and cranny," Amorray added. "There must have been thousands of people in there and I was not expecting that just because we already had a 30 minute wait and there was a huge line behind us. "Honestly I was kind of overwhelmed when I went in because I was expecting the amount of food but not the amount of people." But after tucking into her first plate, Amorray said she fully understood why so many people flocked to the world famous Pennsylvania buffet. Amorray was also blown away by the number of drinks available. I tried one of the world's most expensive buffets – and made my money back in just one plate By The Sun's Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski AS the Sun travel desk's resident foodie, I could hardly resist trying the UK's fanciest buffet, also one of the world's most expensive. The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire went viral earlier last year when TikTok foodies discovered its Glasshouse restaurant where everyone dines en masse, but in five-star luxury. Costing a whopping £82 per person at the weekend, there is certainly enough to choose from. After several, overly-generous spoonfuls of caviar, a few servings of beetroot-cured salmon and seven superbly crafted sushi rolls, decorated with dainty herbs, I felt I'd made a good dent in 'getting my money's worth' – a statement that had been thrown back and forth between my buffet partner, Mum, and I. I prowled the platters of sizzling Asian grub arranged temptingly in tandoor bowls and loaded into terracotta dishes, before heading straight for the crispy Thai fish cakes. The fish section was part of one of 10 dining areas at the buffet. This includes a carving station, AKA the place to pick up your classic roast dinner and trimmings with slices of rare roast beef, flakey wellington and crispy roast spuds all laid out with gravy. There was a sushi station with hand-made California rolls placed delicately alongside huge tubs of wasabi and seaweed salads. The robata grill is where everything from whole seabass to juicy steaks are scorched over an open flame and there's also fresh pasta and pizza stations. If all this isn't enough to wrap your head around, you can also order directly from the chefs, doting on each station, when there is something in particular that you fancy that isn't on display. So the real question is: would you pay that much cash for dinner? Much like the food on offer at the buffet, Shady Maple provided almost every kind of soft drink imaginable. The star of the drinks show was a huge soda fountain to the side of the room. This had all kinds of soda in it from cream soda, vanilla coke and even root beer as well as all the regular options. A coffee machine, hot chocolate station and milkshake stand meant everyone's taste was catered for. Alcohol was the only notable exception on the menu. And no tipping is expected at the restaurant. Amorarry recommended anyone in the area to head to Shady Maple if they get the chance. 9 9
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Restaurant chain in Thailand in hot soup over buffet shortage complaints
A restaurant chain in Thailand has apologised after food shortages at a buffet promotion left diners hungry and angry. MK Restaurants was overwhelmed by the public response to the launch of a promotion offering unlimited premium dishes for just 299 baht (US$9.17), with customers reporting long wait times and unavailable menu items, according to The Bangkok Post. In response to the growing backlash, the chain posted a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, acknowledging the issues it faced over the promotion and vowing to improve its service. 'We sincerely apologise to all customers who experienced delays or incomplete service. We are fully aware of the issues encountered at some branches and are working urgently to resolve them,' it wrote. MK Restaurants is known for suki – a Thai variant of hot pot – and is one of the country's biggest suki chains. The chain launched its 'MK-Koom-Koom Eat All You Can' promotion on Monday, offering diners unlimited servings of items, such as Australian brisket, sliced pork and seasoned seaweed. Groups of four or more also get free unlimited freshwater prawns. The offer is set to run until the end of the month.
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Restaurant chain in Thailand in hot soup over buffet shortage complaints
A restaurant chain in Thailand has apologised after food shortages at a buffet promotion left diners hungry and angry. MK Restaurants was overwhelmed by the public response to the launch of a promotion offering unlimited premium dishes for just 299 baht (US$9.17), with customers reporting long wait times and unavailable menu items, according to The Bangkok Post. In response to the growing backlash, the chain posted a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, acknowledging the issues it faced over the promotion and vowing to improve its service. 'We sincerely apologise to all customers who experienced delays or incomplete service. We are fully aware of the issues encountered at some branches and are working urgently to resolve them,' it wrote. MK Restaurants is known for suki – a Thai variant of hot pot – and is one of the country's biggest suki chains. The chain launched its 'MK-Koom-Koom Eat All You Can' promotion on Monday, offering diners unlimited servings of items, such as Australian brisket, sliced pork and seasoned seaweed. Groups of four or more also get free unlimited freshwater prawns. The offer is set to run until the end of the month.
