Let me start by saying that I do not frequent buffet restaurants such as Vikings and Sambokojin. I’m a heavy eater but I know my stomach’s limitations. Thus, the only time I would visit such restaurants would be during special occasions and office lunch-outs. Some people, however, dine at these establishments on a frequent basis. I admire them for their endurance and fortitude in consuming a large amount of food. Besides, who wouldn’t be tempted if the dishes you only get to eat once in a while are within your reach and without any limitation?
I can’t exactly compete by volume, so I formulated my own tactics for maximizing all-you-can-eat deals. What I lack in capacity, I made up for in endurance. Most of the tips here were based on real-life advice from friends and relatives, with additional ideas from other food blogs detailing their conquest of such buffets. These have worked for me many times over, but results may vary depending on the kind of buffet you will indulge in. Without further ado, here are my tips.
1. Get more protein and less carbs.
A common first round strategy for Philippine buffets is to immediately get rice and pair it off with multiple viands or main courses. This can’t be helped as the Philippines is a rice-eating nation. However, such a practice leads to an earlier feeling of fullness — with some tapping out after round three.
It is best to get multiple viands first and sample them on the first round. Get minimal amounts of rice (or other carbohydrate-rich equivalents such as mashed potatoes) on succeeding rounds. That way, you don’t get satiated with too much carbohydrates early on.
2. Sample a little bit of everything.
Most buffet restaurants offer an assortment of cuisines from all over the world. Take this opportunity to sample a different dish you haven’t tasted before. Manageable portions from different buffet stations let you enjoy without easily getting full. This ties in with the first point; consuming more protein will delay your fullness compared to carbohydrates.
However, I would like to emphasize “manageable portions” here. Keep in mind that buffet restaurants charge penalties for leftovers, so only get a reasonable amount of food you can finish in one sitting.
3. Go easy on the drinks.
Buffet restaurants usually serve juices and soft drinks as part of the all-you-can-eat deal, and these fill up diners even before they check out the stations. Remember: you came here for the food, not the drinks! A sip or two of any drink offered can wash down the savory taste of food in between rounds, but don’t finish your drink in one sitting. I personally prefer a simple glass of water for this purpose instead of sugar-laden juices and sodas. (If the restaurant offers lemon water, all the better!)
4. Take your sweet time.
Unless you are at one of those time-bound Korean samgyupsal joints, most buffet establishments do not rush their patrons to finish eating within a fixed duration. Whether it’s lunch service or dinner service, the staff will continuously prepare food and replenish empty stations from opening up to last call. You have more or less three to four hours to enjoy all the different cuisines and stations, so there’s no need to rush.
This isn’t a race of who consumes more; gorging all that food is no way to enjoy a buffet! Some restaurants even have grill-it-yourself and communal hot pot choices, and those take time and patience to enjoy. Think of dining at a buffet as akin to traveling towards a certain destination: You won’t find pleasure in it if you’re constrained by time.
The buffet spreads may seem intimidating, but one can have an epicurean adventure with the proper strategy, and the right amount of food portions. You’ll be sure to leave any buffet restaurant full (busog in Filipino) with these four tips, instead of being bloated (bundat) and experiencing a food coma after.
Before I wrap up, I’d like to take this opportunity to mention Sambokojin in Eastwood City–where I took all of the featured images in this entry. I’ve dined there multiple times, but I assure everyone here that I received no compensation from the Triple-V Restaurant Group (owners of Sambokojin and the rest of the establishments under the DADS Buffet banner) in the process of drafting this entry.
Until the next post.
Sambokojin
Eastwood City Walk 1, E-Commerce Road
Eastwood City, Bagumbayan,
Libis, Quezon City 1110
The Monching's Guide 
I watched a video a while ago that says people who dine in at buffets have a beat-the-buffet thinking when they should just be enjoying themselves, which I kinda agree. Altho I understand it’s normal to feel that you should be getting your money’s worth. 🙂
Somehow, that’s true. But if you ask me, trying to “beat the buffet” is like playing against the house in a casino. The establishment has ways to ensure that they do not have a loss. A person only has a single stomach with a limited capacity and, sooner or later, will hit the limit. Buffet joints then ensure that patrons reach the limit at the soonest.
Thanks for stopping by! 😀
Haaay heto na naman…. Busog na naman ang mga mata ko 😆 Everytime I go sa mga buffet, I would get a little bit of everything that interest me and then binge on the ones that satisfy my tastebuds. After that, d na ako kakain ng buong araw Lol!
Good strategy din iyan! 😀 Sa dami ng pagkaing nakahain at di mo naman makakain iyan lahat, it’s best to focus on the ones that you really like. Thank you for stopping by!
(That’s also a good strategy! 😀 With the sheer amount of food served and the fact that you can’t eat it all, it’s best to focus on the ones that you really like. Thank you for stopping by!)
You have no idea how useful these tips are to me! I am a small eater, and always have problems strategising which food to eat first and the portion to take 😆
Glad I helped you with that! 😀
All those times I quickly became full in the face of buffets suddenly make sense to me now. And I guess I should appreciate eating less rice more, hahaha~
When you have one too many food comas, you start strategizing! 😂 Also, watch out for breaded specialties (katsus, etc.) as those also fill you up fast. 😉
I Totally agree with Tips number 1, 2, & 3.
I have a sweet tooth, so I’m kinda heavy on putting almost everything that a buffet restaurant can offer about their sweets, cakes and any type of dessert.
Now that you mentioned sweets, how do you wash all those down, if I may ask? Do you prefer black coffee or a strong black tea for that?
I’m a heavy black coffee drinker, no sugar or cream. I’ve been working in the BPO for more than 13 years, that how I got my training.
Oh, I see. Thank you! Black coffee does pair well with a lot of desserts. 🙂
I also adopt these strategies.
Thank you for stopping by!
This is so helpful. I was never a fan of buffets because I do not eat too much. But reading these tips makes me visit a buffet anytime soon! Haha!
Glad this helped you! 😉
I’m too old for this now. Gone are the days when I could go at least half a dozen times…and still have room for dessert. LOL!!!
It’s perfectly understandable. You really have to be wary of what you eat at your age; not too much salt, not too much sugar, etc. 🙂
I badly needed these. I love Eat-all-you-can deals but I sometimes eat more than what I want to eat thus unable to taste and miss out on the other dishes. I’m a sucker for maki and sushi so I tend to go back for more on those “department”. I’ll follow your strategies on my next visit. 🙂
Ah yes, the maki and sushi area! For that, I usually start with a few of those rice-filled rolls before getting sashimi slices (e.g. tuna, salmon, etc.) That way, my stomach contains at least some food — as they say, don’t consume raw seafood on an empty stomach!
Hope this helps you! 😀
Thanks, Monch. Have an amazing week ahead! 🙂