NO more self service buffets!

Story and photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet TM

The intrepid and indomitable Travelling Gourmet TM explains the…

MONUMENTAL change to the Eat As Much As You Want Self Service Buffet. Do you remember when we could just help ourselves to 6 Oysters au naturel and 6 Lobsters on the half shell??? I do. Well, for the time being those days are gone with the wind. All because of the vile and horrid china virus which china cursed on the world. Cover-ups, lies and wilful spreading of the china virus worldwide by china has led to this.

Best buffets in Singapore: Where to go for a top-notch all-you-can-eat spread of international bites, seafood delights, and more

Au revoir to self serve buffets because of the vile china virus!

Now diners can enjoy unlimited servings in the à la carte style or they can select from from special curated set menus. However, ordering by ticking off items on a paper menu sheet loses a lot in the visual sense where before you could see the food and dishes before you in chillers or in hot chafing dishes! The style and savoir faire is missing n’est pas… A lot of the fun is missing. I miss too the live cooking stations.

More staff needed but less capacity!

Another vital concern for restauranteurs is that the newly redesigned buffet format means that restaurants need more staff. Switching to an à la carte format has resulted in a 40 percent increase in staffing. Each and every food item has to be served to the diners’ tables, including drinks and condiments. This has led to an increase in operating costs, while sales have dropped by 30 to 40 percent due to spacing constraints due to safe distancing.” A double whammy body blow! C’est tres terrible! IN addition, the staff have to have to work with entirely separated shifts and teams that do not mix or overlap. This of course causes serious rostering issues. Most diners do not realise these issues facing the restaurants.

At a recent Staycation in the 5 Star Grand Hyatt Singapore, I experienced the new a la carte buffet in the Grand Club for breakfast and Cocktails and Canapes. I had to tick off my orders like yummie Smoked Salmon, Prawn Cocktail, Cheese Selection, etc. as well as Wines and Cocktails. It was nice to be served but I still miss the former self serve concept.

Let us hope the new vaccines against the china virus and other measures will put an end to the virus pandemic! The Travelling Gourmet TM says: Keep calm and carry on eating!

About thetravellinggourmet

As a renowned Travel, Food & Wine Writer he has travelled the world in a keen & indomitable pursuit of exotic delicacies & fine wines. His articles have been published in over 20 prestigious publications, both local & international. Dr. Lim has toured and trained in Wine Evaluation & Oenology in most of the world's top wine producing areas from France to Australia. The Travelling Gourmet says, "Gastronomy has no frontier. These are the gastronomic voyages of The Travelling Gourmet. My unending mission. To explore strange new cuisines, to seek out new wines and new culinary experiences, to boldly go where no gourmet has gone before...." Have pen, will travel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage & retrieval system, without permission from Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet and/or MSN. Material may be works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents may be true but may also be products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance whatsoever to actual person or persons, either dead or living, events, or locales may be entirely and purely coincidental and unintentional. No part of this website may be used to villify others or for criminal purposes. Interests: Travel, Food, Wines, Cooking, Wine Appreciation, Parachuting, Languages, Music, Reading, Swimming, Hunting, Ballet, Fencing, Archery, Anthropology and more... The Travelling Gourmet is a copyrighted trademark. All rights and photos reserved. No part may be reproduced without permission.

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