Highlights of the all-you-can-eat buffet table
BEFORE the rise of hipster cafes and the organic, celebrity restaurant, there was one food craze that had everyone lining up in Australia.
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BEFORE the rise of hipster cafes and the organic, celebrity restaurant, there was one food craze that had everyone lining up in Australia: all-you-can-eat.
News that Sizzler would be closing a number of its struggling restaurants last week sparked an outpouring of nostalgia for this Aussie rite of passage.
Many might want those memories to remain in deep freeze, alongside that long buried Macca’s ice cream birthday cake, but you’ve got to admit, it was good while it lasted.
Here is a highlights reel of what might just be the culinary trend that defined the 90s:
PIZZA HUT: THE WORKS
Part of the fun of this place was being able to enter the cosy (it was always dimly lit) restaurant with the pointed red roof. Of course there was pizza but the main event was the dessert bar with soft serve ice cream that rivalled Sizzler. While it didn’t have as many sprinkle options, those mini marshmallows and jelly cubes couldn’t be beat. And there was also a mousse moment.
Some might have skipped the salad bar here but how could you go past that neatly chopped iceberg lettuce and thousand island dressing? Also, am I the only one who was partial to those dried bacon bits? One colleague says they were known as “dog biscuits” among her friends. I say they were crunchy deliciousness.
CHINESE SMORGASBORD
Commonly found at the local RSL or bowling club, you could also always count on the bain-marie to deliver the goods. This is where you could get your fill of Singapore noodles (come on, when was the last time you ordered this al la carte?) and a selection of all the hits: sweet and sour pork, beef and black bean, sate chicken, Mongolian lamb and crispy (if you were lucky) spring rolls. No need to feel guilty about not eating “real” Chinese food here.
SMORGY’S
OK, you had to be in Victoria circa 1990 to experience the volcanic goodness of these restaurants. Hungry patrons walked through a fake volcano entrance at most of the venues, which were also decked out in a jungle theme. Strangely enough, apparently the best thing on the menu was the make-your-own doughnut machine. As one colleague says: “Dozens of 10-year-olds standing around a dodgy doughnut-making machine, drowning them in as much sugar as they wanted. Nothing could go wrong.” In an ironic twist, the Smorgy’s at Bundoora burnt down in 2013.
THE CASINO/HOTEL BUFFET
This could be a mix of sophisticated fare, or a place for a cheap feed on a big Saturday night. Melbourne’s Crown Casino was reportedly a great place to line the stomach. But if you did manage to find yourself at the adult’s table, the correct ratio to follow here was half seafood/half everything else. Because yeah, you’re probably paying for it.
SIZZLER
The undisputed king of all-you-can-eat, possibly because you came for the cheese toast. So basically the rest of the buffet was a very large accompaniment to toast.
RELATED: Recipe for cheese bread!
The best of the rest was the pumpkin soup. After this you could almost skip straight to the dessert.
And let’s keep in mind that working the soft serve machine was a competitive sport here. It was a simpler time. People didn’t judge you if you came back to the table with a mountain of ice cream covered in weird sprinkles and left half of it uneaten. Viva la buffet.
What was your favourite all-you-can-eat experience? Comment below.
Originally published as Highlights of the all-you-can-eat buffet table