Review The Buffet - Auckland

Absolutely stunning KBBQ restaurant! We came here as the ones in the city were all booked and we are very happy we did. The food was amazing, the grills were in table and no foil or paper to mess about with. The staff were so quick with replacing the grills. Huge selection of meat and seafood including raw marinated crab. There was a dessert station with ice cream and coffee and a full bar. The price was $49pp and flavoured soju at $16 per bottle. 10/10 recommend.

This place is soooo good!! We had an early dinner here and had the best food. This buffet place has a huge variety of food and all of it is so yum. the seating area is nice and comfy and staff are speedy and welcoming. This buffet place has a barbecue as well that you can cook your meat on. The only downside is the price as it is $49 per person. Other than that everything is amazing and really clean too.

Been to this place many times in last 3-4years. Due to the cost of leaving, the quality of food has been declining. Most loved signature shrimps has gone, which is a big lost for all of us. Children 8-12 costs 35 is overpriced from my point. Adults 49 is okay, however most of us thinks we should have more high end beef and pork. Instead of all types of meats you could have in a 35pp bbq buffet. Do hope we could see some changes in future. We love this place where we enjoyed well made quality food.

The best Korean BBQ I have had in town so far!! They have nice interior and really clean atmosphere! Didn't feel oily at all. Love their side dishes even wanna ask if I can buy some lol. Around 7-8 meat choices, more then 20+ side dishes and hot dishes choices, 5-6 dessert and sweets at the back. One of the definitely be back restaurants! Will be better to get a reservation beforehand.

One of the best Korean BBQ buffets in Auckland if not in NZ. Should try this restaurant if you are interested in Korean food. $49 per person rate is not something everyone can afford I think.

randomly found this place the other night, thought just give it a go. In my opinion, korean BBQ is all linked with smoky and noisy dinning environment, everytime, you comr back with smelly clothes. But it is totally different at this place. the deco is much higher standard, clean, quiet, dish arrangement is comfortable, not crowded, nice ambient lightings. There are way more choices of side dishes than most korean bbq places.The flavours are more gentel than the regulars, which I found more acceptable for locals. Meat selection is a bit small, but the meat is fresh, not much sea food, but it was ok for me. A good range of snacks and desserts too. By the way, very clean toilets, which is a great indicator of how clean their kitchen would be like. It shows the owner is very focused the cleaness at very detailed level, huge bonus. The owner is very friendly. He told us the restaurant has been years, which is surprising, it is a bit pity, its location is not in a dinning complex with more public exposure. Honestly, I believe it deserves higher popularity. loved the place, price is reasonable, food is nice, clean and quiet place for gathering eith friends and family. Highly recommended to try it out if you like korean food.

It may be the best KBBQ we have had in Auckland so far. Amazing food and ambience with the more modern interior. Everything is tidy and clean. There was a good selection of cooked food and meat, desserts and drinks. The ventilation system also seemed the best out of many KBBQ places we have tried. We went in quite late so not too many people were there but the service was nice and staff were super attentive. We will come again!

Good Korean buffet bbq . I recommended

One of the better Korean BBQ buffets in Auckland. The meat quality is quite good, same goes with the side dishes. I was surprised as there are some side dishes you wouldn't find at other BBQ places (spicy rice cake, soba, and even marinated crab). Only slight disappointment is the small dessert selection. It's pretty pricey but worth it for the quality. If you're familiar with Korean food, this restaurant should not disappoint.

Stopped in for a impromptu dinner with my partner to avoid the rush hour traffic. Set up was lovely as where the staff who explianed how the sittings worked and advised as long as we can finish by 7.20pm then its all go!! The tables are well set up with cookers in the middle , They have a large range of cooked and raw food to cook at you table along with Tice and sauces. $39pp but wednesdays the ladys dine for $29 The Manager was very friendly and the staff very attentive

A new Korean buffet restaurant in Albany. The restaurant has a very high ceiling which make the indoor BBQ not so smoky amd smelly. Good variety of food. May be more fruits and dessert will be even better.

Late review because we were there way back on Mother's Day, but it was a pretty good choice for the Korean BBQ and side dish varieties to give our 어머니 and family a decent selection without having to worry about the dishes and cleanup haha. Now, it wasn't the largest of buffet bars, which means it gets crowded quick and they can only out so much out, but asking for bbq meats at your table is where you'll probably get the bulk of it. The place overall felt a little more upscale than casual too which made it stand out a bit.

Great meat quality. Limited variety of foods. $49 p.p. is not cheap but reflecting the quality.

The best Korean buffet I had in north shore, they even offer the raw crab and raw beef! Huge variety of yummy side and cold dishes, will visit again.

Delightful dinner with beef cuts that's not too common even in Korea. Really enjoyed every hot and cold dishes as well as the bbq meats!

I went to a few Korean BBQ buffet before in Auckland. This place is little bit expensive compared to other Korean buffet but This place is the best so far. (No smoky, clean and good quality)

Oh my what a fabulous, inviting, lovely buffet this is! If you are looking for a good meal with lots of variety this is the place to go! Me and my partner were blown away by absolutely everything this buffet had to offer. Food was delicious, healthy and exciting! Good range of Korean foods! I have nothing bad to say about it :) Oh and the self service coffee was the best I've ever had! The buffet was clean, tidy, warm and the staff were AMAZING! Fast service, cleaned plates away quick and were very friendly. Thank you so much for your hospitality! You are all so wonderful! Compliments to the chef and staff :) We will be back!

Good experience and good-quality Korean dishes! Love to having Korean dishes rather than eating bbq.

After seeing their website and Facebook pictures I was very very disappointed when I went for dinner with my family. Food was empty, the pictures on your website make it seem like there is tons of food but there is hardly any and they don’t replace food on time, you have to wait around for it. Not worth the money, will not pay that much to eat there again. Put your prices down to $20 cos definitely not worth $40 to dine there.

Visited The Buffet off a recommendation from a friend but wasn't overly impressed. Friendly staff but options not as good as other Korean BBQ's around the North Shore and more expensive than others too.

There is not enough food, pretty empty bowls... and the owner is so in a hurry to send us out. It's not worth the price you pay.I will never recommend this place to anyone.<br/><br/>It's expensive with very less food. The photos that you see on their website is all fake.

Booked table for two. Went to restaurant on time and one of the staff was about to take us to table that was free. Then the owner came and stopped us and had chat with the staff and end up taking us to the corner table with big group table right next to us. We had to ask the big group table to move a little to go out for food. The worst experience ever. I dont usually leave review but this restaurant is must not go spot. If you want to waste your money the i recommen you.

Maybe they made enough money so they don’t have to run the restaurant properly. It got so worse! <br/> What kinda buffet this place is, 90% trays are empty. Let the staff and owner or manager know that no food and still no food. Not worth it. Awful place.

I have been to the buffet a few times, and it was always been ok. But today, it was piss poor! Please explain why you would run a buffet and let food run out to the point where people would literally stand by the food counter waiting for food. <br/>I had a really decent chat to a guy for about 10 min while waiting for hot food to be replenished but obvious the food wasn’t coming! When my wife asked the staff why there was no food? Their only reply was that it was “they are coming”. <br/>In total I had the time to look at my watch they took about 45 min to replace a very small portion of their cooked food.<br/>Also the plates weren’t taken away and the grill was only changed once.... so they weren’t cooking food or cleaning tables, why do they bother opening a buffet?<br/><br/>Highly recommended if you feel like paying 40 bucks to sit there and grill only frozen meat!

Awesome place 🥰 Amazing food!

I had a nice experience dining here with my family and relative.<br/><br/>I can't see any ducts for smoke but it was not smokey around the BBQ plate on the table.<br/><br/>I was happy to see some tempura and baby sushi.<br/><br/>If your stomach gets tired from a variety of food, it can be soothed with rice porridge.<br/><br/>The staff were efficient and helpful.

This is probably the best Korean buffet even considering its the most expensive. I love the huge range of authentic korean side dishes and how fresh they are. They dont just taste insanely sweet or of MSG, but real homestyle cooking. The range of fresh meat is awesome as well as the array of allsorted cooked dishes. I like their korean rice drink and fresh fruit even though its only apples/oranges, i feel its just enough after eating all the yummy dishes. I go here regularly and never been disappointed.

Excellent service! Highly recommend you book in before arriving as it is quite a busy little spot, totally see why though. We did a walk in just as they opened so we were lucky enough to get a table. Staff were awesome! The food was so fresh and so much to choose from. Worth a visit you will not be disappointed

There is a good variety of cooked options but not that big of a bbq meat section. However, the food is pretty good.

The food here is ok, but they dont refill the food often which means half the time theres half or no food in a lot of the trays. They also start cleaning up around 830pm which means theres basically no food left by 845pm (AND they give no notice that they are cleaning up for anyone who wants more food). They gave us notice that they will be closing 5minutes before 9pm which makes me wonder why they would have opening hours until 930pm ?

Really great selection of salads and pre made options, super fresh too and Flavours are amazing! There were about 5 different ranges of kimchi options too! <br/><br/>The meat selection is good but would be better if they had lamb options and marinated meats too. Apart from that it’s really good !<br/><br/>Super clean restaurant and staff are friendly and they top up fast on food that is low!

This place is always crowded and would best to call and make booking. Place is nice and clean. There are quite a plenty of choice of food with big range of salad and seafood. However, there are not too many range of meat, and the meats are just average.

Good quality of meat and Korean food. But very slow sushi refilled especially salmon. and most plates are cracked.. Inside restaurant is very clean and well maintained. Good place for family as well as friends.

Food: they keep taking away what I used to enjoyed. Rice drink does not have rice in it. Variety is limited and can get restricted after first visit. Price is on slightly higher side but please put price up and keep good menus. <br/><br/>Atmosphere/Interior: modern.<br/><br/>Service: not much service or attention given.<br/><br/>Parking: plenty

We really enjoyed the meal as there was a large selection of food and the place “appeared” very clean. However at the end of our meal we witnessed one of the staff pick out (deep fried prawns and chicken) food left over by other customers at the table beside us with his hands and return it to the kitchen. Note these were from plates which have been eaten off and were clearly left overs and we saw him do this a few times. Leaving all the plates on the table while he picked out food and returned it to the kitchen. One doesn’t have to have a big imagination to know why they would do this. We are horrified and will never return again. We also advised the manager/owner. It’s is disgusting.

Recommended. Great food and friendly staff. <br/><br/>Food 4.5/5<br/>Services 5/5<br/>Ambience 5/5<br/><br/>We went there for a family gathering. Enjoyed the dinner. <br/><br/>

The restaurant looks very nice and clean, fresh food but not much variety to cook food on the grill.<br/>Wasn't even allowe to cook vegetable which I had to eat raw garlic and onions.<br/>

After trying one dak hanmari in Takapuna. We are really interested in Korean BBQ so we decide to come the buffet. The decoration and atomsphere is definitely good. There is a wild choices of cooked dishes and kimchi. The bbq meat is good quality but compare to the other store it is not that much choices. But we still enjoy every minute last night. Oh the brownie is highly recomended! IF you like good dining atomsphere and want to try different korean food you must come here. IF you are a meat lover and one dak hanmari is more suitable

Nice place to have Korean BBQ buffet. I prefer this place than other Korean BBQ places because the smell doesn't stick to my clothes after we leave the restaurant. My boyfriend also says it's the cleanest Korean BBQ place that he has ever visited in Auckland. The owner is very friendly. The ambience is also a plus for this restaurant. I love how they have soooo many kinds of salds & ready-to-eat dishes too. The price is expectedly higher than other restaurant but realy worths the money you spend I think. Highly recommended!!!

Diverse range of food and pretty decent too. Very well set up with electric grills on each table for bbq. Constant stream of fresh food comes out of the kitchen so the food doesn’t just sit around collecting dust.<br/><br/>Food: 4.5/5<br/>Ambience: 4/5<br/>Staff: 4/5<br/>Service: 4/5

There are electronic grills included on each table, which creates less smoke and smell. The grill is surprisingly strong heat-wise as well which means the meat is cooked quicker than some other Korean BBQ places that use gas burners. For the meat we went all out on the beef and pork belly that night. There are a variety of food available as buffet – Korean soups, seafood, soba noodles, deep fries, mix of veges (“namul”) and other side dishes. The dessert is simple – a couple of selections of slices, oranges and my fave crystalised kumara (“matang”). <br/><br/>One downside I noticed from the food is that the raw fish on the nigiri (both salmon and snapper) are a little dry, and the spicy rice cakes are left out on a non-heated plate which doesn’t look appealing.<br/><br/>Vibe is slightly more elegant than other cheaper Korean BBQ places, with semi private booths available as well.<br/><br/>Service is great when you’re in the premises (Might need to work on their phone communication service skills). Price may seem high to some people but considering the variety of food (including meat) it’s not too bad and definitely worth a try!

Above average ambience.<br/>Not many meat selections, all in small dices.<br/>Lots of side dish, some were tasty.<br/>But everything is in a small portion.

Great service and more sides than your usual Keorean Buffet. Not many meat selections (steak and bacon) and no oysters like advertised. Bacon strips when cooked went white...never seen this before and decided not to eat. Nice venue and staff but for the price of $39 would not re visit

Busy place with good viraety of food. Parking outside was an ease. Lots of freshly made side dishes and main dishes. Good choice of meat for bbq marinated or non marinated with good tasty sauces as well. Not smoky inside unlike in other Korean BBQ places. The place looks cosy and service is good and people are very polite. Empty dishes were refilled super quickly. The place looks clean. Will be back.

Very nice vibes, clean and tidy especially for a Korean BBQ. The meat is fresh and the BBQ is non stick so it was easy to cook on. They have a nice selection of authentic drinks. The other food was quite good. I liked the fried chicken, it was tender but was a bit salty. The beef tartar was very nice, my favourite side dish there. Only downside is that it's a bit expensive at 39$ per person.

My favorite korean bbq buffet！lots of choices of food drink and dessert. Also have different promotions on Tues. Wed. Thurs.. Staffs always nice and friendly. Envirarement are pretty hygiene

Came here for dinner with my family before. Bbq meat was really delicious. Service was also good and ambience is really nice too. Food top up constantly. Recommend for those who like bbq buffet like me 😁👌👐

We came here as my other half's work was having thier Xmas lunch here.  There was so many of us that we took up the majority of the tables in the restaurant. Bad aspect of this was that they ran short of plates actually sitting out by the buffet for you to take for your food so you had to ask eventually when you needed one. Good thing about it being so busy was that they cleared the tables of any dirty plates very quickly, but not return so fast... The selection of food to choose from was really good , both cold and already cooked,and though plates could be lacking there was always ample food to choose from when you went up for 2nd's or 3rd's...etc.. A couple of grills , as there is, per table is good enough for a full table of people  The atmosphere is good within ,plenty of parking outside and it is kid friendly if you have them. Amongst all the Korean BBQ places i have been into in Auckland i would reccomend this one first.  There may be better out there, just i have not been to them yet. Enjoy!!

This place is always crowded. There is always a short wait. The food is okay. The grill stays moving. There is a good variety of foods to choose from. The sushi bar and salad bar is pretty nice.

Best Korean bbq buffet I've been. There's not a lot of choices for the bbq meats. But there are heaps of cooked foods, salads etc. Some of them are too spicy. But mostly nice and tasty. Marinated beef tartar(Raw beef) is the best. Staffs are not friendly at all, but they take empty plates immediately. It would be better if there are more choices of desserts. At least ice cream!

I was thoroughly disappointed at the standard of the buffet. The food was okay but at any given time half the food were not there and the 'top-up' was very slow. There was a certain food which made its first appearance after 30 minutes of being there. The chef was nice enough to ask each table if there was anything that they wanted. However, will not be returning anything soon.

It’s definitely one of the higher end Korean BBQ restaurants in Auckland. The restaurant is very clean, all the tables,chairs and floor are not greasy looking ! The cooked food section has an extensive collection of the traditional Korean side dishes , other mains include sweet n sour prawn , pancakes, deep fried chicken etc. Everything is fresh and flavorful. The only downside is the desert selection. It would be nice to have the traditional red bean soup or a decent coffee after the meal 🤔

Great service in the waiters are truly attentive to every need. It's always quiet and relaxing.  Loved the red wine sauce on the steak and potatoes were crispy and yummy. Best buffet ever. This place is a must go

I like the hot dishes and the kimchi. The meat is fresh. And the service and environment is better than one Chicken. and I think I will visit again.

What a wonderful place to eat lots of food at once! Fresh meat and delicious korean food at all.<br/>2hours is enough to enjoy korean food there.<br/>

Coming here exactly last Sunday on friend’s birthday party. We booked the whole private room to celebrate.<br/>Foods were just okay, lacked variety of BBQ meat sauce.<br/><br/>Staff are VERY RUDE. 10 mins before they close their buffet area, she asked if we would like to grab anything from buffet area, i asked if there is any more salmon as i had taken only few and had been waiting for them to topup again. The staff only looked at my eyes, she ignored my question (although 13 of us heard my question). Seems that we as customer only may ANSWER the staff question. Not allowed to ask any question. <br/><br/>Empty plates are put on the unused baby chair nearby door where EVERY staff passed by they saw it, but no one taking the plates until we go. Plates are all stacked quite high, no waiters were cleaning it from our dining room. Totally disappointed with the service. Never ever come anymore.

This week I visited the place to celebrate my brother’s graduation and I have to say we weren’t very pleased. The photos on zomato are quite misleading since we didn’t see many of the food on here (oysters, colourful sushi rolls, the variety of desserts). Please delete the photos if you’re not serving them anymore. <br/><br/>Also, we came in for the session that starts at 7:30pm when a staff suddenly came to our table at 8:30pm saying they’re closing the kitchen so there won’t be any new food refilled... First of all, I’m frustrated that they didn’t tell us in advance. Secondly, what kind of buffet restaurant does this? Since I like to take my time to enjoy the food and actually talk with people, an hour was not enough and had to leave the restaurant unsatisfied. Not sure if they expect customers to compete with each other and gorge within the time limit or something (had to really compete for the tiny nigiri sushi which disappears in minutes they come out from the kitchen). <br/><br/>This was my second time here and I remember none of these were an issue a few years back. I’m not sure what happened since, but please come back to your old management. Otherwise, I can surely say I will not be paying another visit. Hope they do something constructive out of this feedback because I really hope there was a decent Korean buffet in Auckland.

This is honestly my favourite korean bbq buffet. It has so many different hot dishes as well as a generous raw meat selection. They also have this sweet tea that may not be to everyones tastes but I really love it. The staff are really attentive and clear your used plates efficiently.

First time here and it was an instant hit with my family and myself.<br/><br/>Customer service is quick and they were super helpful and accommodating. Our tables grill wasnt working so we got relocated and they were very apologetic about it.<br/><br/>Food was awesome, they always topped up !! So there was alot of food.<br/><br/>All in all super amazing night ! Enjoyed the authentic korean food and the ambience of the place was super famiy orientated and casual. Just a real lovely chill atmosphere. Money well spent! Will be back!<br/><br/>

First time to this restaurant and we are already trying to find a reason to go back as soon as we can. The owner showed us all the food areas and explained about his butchery and the meats were awesome. All the salads and sushi were so fresh. My daughter loves k pop and she knew all the songs that were playing. The staff were extremely attentive and kind. Very clean and modern. Thanks for having us. Well worth the money spent.

Best Korean restaurant ever!<br/>Food was delicious and the service was so good!<br/>Our son dropped the spoon accidentally and the waitress brought the new one immediately.<br/>Food was refilled right away and the taste was authentic Korean.<br/>Totally going back!

One of the better Korean BBQs in Auckland. Clean restaurant with a decent variety of food to choose from. All ingredients are of a high quality, with already cooked foods to raw meats to cook on the bbq platters. <br/>At $40pp I would say definitely worth it. <br/><br/>Even though it was packed basically from the moment it opened, the wait staff were all very attentive and cleared empty plates very often. <br/><br/>Overall decent experience and will visit again! <br/>

Been here so many times, I do love them, they’ve got a great environment, above average cooked food and nice barbecue, but I think they can really improve on their service and the quality of their selections consider it’s $39 per person!! Their choices have decreased every time I visit again especially the dessert options which is so sad to see!! The existing options of cooked foods are okay and u’ll definitely find something that suits your taste, but nothing really stand out, and you get bored after 2 or 3 plates..Considering the price, they could’ve done a lot better. Service was always friendly from staff but sometimes they have dinner sessions, they inform you when you book, but last time we were there, they asked us to leave around 7:30 even when the restaurant is quite empty. That was really bad experience for all of us, and I’m sure most people would not like to have a time limit even if u don’t need that long to eat. We just simply enjoyed the vibe of chatting around the bbq station with the nice smell of food around. :(

The place is awesome with a great atmosphere. There is a great variety of food, the food is spectacular. Would highly this place to everyone well worth the price<br/>

Best Korean BBQ buffet in Auckland. Not a cheap price but definitely worth it. All the food here including the sides and the meats for bbq are high quality. Would visit on days I want to get full with nice food :)

One of the best Korean BBQs I have been to in Auckland. Flash nicely decorated modern Korean bbq with good friendly service. A whole variety of cooked and fermented food to try. Must go to done Korean BBQ.

This is one of the Worse service restaurant in Auckland. We were Shouted at by the Manager to leave because their staff is waiting for us to leave at 9:10 pm were their business hour stated closing time is at 9:30 pm. Charged us 17 adult instead of 16 adult. Never coming back here again!

This is Korean BBQ buffet and has great side dishes. When i come here i usually eat side dishes more than meat.. haha love to come here again.

Probably the best korean bbq buffet in AKL... price is spenny but fairly fairly reflects the quality and range of the food available... well worth the drive from Manukau :)

I think it's one of the best Korean buffet in Auckland? I didn't really get to try their bbq as I am always busy eating their side dishes & hot foods. A good place to drink along too all you have to do is keep drinking while all type of Asian foods are just waiting for you lol

Outstanding food and excellent service ! The buffet was constantly being re filled and dirty plates were cleared straight away. There’s enough space to sit comfortably. Family friendly environment.

Sooo good I think it's the best bbq in north shore wow ao amazing and price isn't that bad too<br/><br/>There's plenty of parking spaces tooooo wooooow

My partner and I visited this awesome location in busy Saturday night. We came all the way from Mount Eden to Albany for this restaurant and we were so happy to do that. One of the best Asian restaurant we’ve ever been. Clean and friendly environment. Definitely go again. Keep it up guys

Interior was good however Customer service was horrible. food was not great to achieve expectation even i paid 40 dollars per person. owner should have communication skill against customer. Ruin my Sunday night. I would not recommend this place at all and i will never come back for this place.

In my opinion, the best overall Korean BBQ experience. The most stand-out aspect of this place is the variety of food. Not only are the cuts of pork and beef delicious, the sheer number of dishes available is quite outstanding. There's so many different types of fusion asian food which gets to a point where it outshines the meat. This is the place I would recommend people to go if they've haven't tried Korean BBQ before. Only thing is that it's a bit pricey but we'll worth it. They run specials on Tuesdays pay for 3 people, 4th eats for free.

A bit worried after reading these negative comments left recently but still decide to try it. Not so busy on a Thursday night and it is definitely the best ambience among these Korean bbq buffet restaurants in Auckland. They have good varieties of cooked food and it tastes pretty good, however the bbq meat selection are quite disappointing for me (they do not have marinated beef rib>

Nice atmosphere and great food but they could improve on their customer service<br/>I love Korean side dishes, so I enjoyed their banchan as they had an enormous selection of these.<br/>Because there was a wide variety of banchan, my initial worry was that the taste was going to be mediocre. But to my surprise they all tasted really good. i honestly liked every single thing I tried.<br/><br/>Not sure whether it was just the day and time we went but there wasn't much meat selection. I was a bit disappointed that they also didn't have any seafood selection for bbq, there was no prawns or squid.. :( I'm assuming it was just bad timing as it was also very busy that day.<br/><br/>Other than that, we all enjoyed our meals and will definitely come back!

Nicely renovated restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere. <br/><br/>The quality of meats and side dishes are way better than your average Korean buffets. Worth the $40pp imo.<br/><br/>Only downside is that there aren't any seafood options. No salmon sushi, oysters, prawns :(<br/><br/>Overall I would visit again in the near future though. <br/>

Food fresh, clean environment. Business hour 5-7pm we dine an hour owner keep asking us are you finish. Don't feel comfort when someone behind telling not to take more than 2pcs of sushi, cakes. Hey this is Buffet ya... people want to be free, relax, enjoy not under pressure!

Love this place, hubby and I always go here when we're up from Rotorua. Food is always fresh and lots of selection. Staff are friendly and decent prices. Will definitely be back.

We had a birthday with roughly 20 people and what a great night food was great and service I would recommend this place to anyone Wow!!!!<br/>Food Quality: 5/5<br/><br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/><br/>Environment: 4/5<br/><br/>Wait time: 4/5

Have been here on a number of occasions now and have had an excellent experience every time. Went last week for a family dinner, we were promptly seated and the food was freshly prepared and delicious as always! Even a great selection of food that my kids loved, not to mention that the quality of the meat is great. Good service, plates were cleared quickly when they were empty and was lovely to see that the manager remembered us from our previous two visits. Will definitely keep coming back for a great meal

Came here three times. The last two times the workers and boss rushed us to finish up & was taking away plates and cutlery for us to leave ASAP. Super rude considering we said we will be a while.

VERY UNSATISFIED EXPERIENCE, when we pay at the counter, we were over charged, after re-calculated, the manager chaged the price, the prices was still not right compare with what they advertised on their website, and we were told the price has gone up, and kids also need to pay....<br/>Service is very average, taste is the worst compare with other Korean BBQ, such as One Dak $28 pp, or Totoya $26 pp.

Food was good. I liked the dishes they already made rather than the barbecue parts. Atmosphere was good with ambient music. Servers are kind. I have a very high standard about hygiene. All things were clean enough.

Worst buffet I’ve ever been to. They don’t have as many options and the options that they do have they only serve a small amount and are never fast enough to refill. They definitely need to offer more sides and more desserts. Wouldn’t dine here again!

We've been to different Korean buffets in Auckland all over the years, and never written any bad comments for any restaurants. It was the most horrible dinner experience ever on a Chinese New Year Day been to The Buffet.     <br/><br/>Firstly, the boss got no manner at all(very rude actually), please get yourself trained well, and then start running a restaurant.  You should get a sign or notice on your front door or website to tell customers you do have time limit for the buffet in advance, not until the last minute and jump to the table to tell the customers you only have ten minutes left to finish the meal.     <br/><br/>Secondly, The food selections are limited, especially for meat lovers, and the meat are not well marinated.     <br/><br/>Thirdly, it is also easy to tell some foods are not fresh.  By the way, they don't provide lettuce, but they do provide side dishes which are easily can purchase from the supermarket.    <br/><br/>Both service and food are not worth the price for $39, very disappointed and unhappy experience, never visit there again.  We are fully understood why the restaurant is so empty after we visited it.

Read a lot of good reviews. Wasn’t too impressed to be honest. Had a booking but still had to wait for a bit once we arrived. The meat was bland. No sauce, seasoning or flavour to it. Didn’t get to try much of the ready made hot food as it was empty both times we went up. It’s very busy and the food goes fast so you have to stand and wait for more. Wasn’t any veggies to cook with the meat apart from broccoli. Very average. Not worth $40.

Great selection, quick refills, waiters very prompt to clear plates. <br/>I would say the quality and selection is definitely worth it for the price.

Korean BBQ buffet with the largest selection of food in Auckland. The variety and quality of their side dish is second to none. Their meat selection isn’t bad but lacks galbi and chicken. You cook your meat with an electric barbecue instead of charcoal like all BBQ buffet.<br/>If you enjoy a reasonable BBQ (especially thin pork with excellent ssamjang) with authentic side dishes and don’t mind paying a premium price this is THE place to go. <br/>Probably the best environment for a korean barbecue buffet too, if you care about that like I do. Good service also. <br/>I visit this place several times a year.

Nice setup! dessert and drinks were bomb. Food was abit disappointing to be quite honest! there was no rice I kept going back to see if it had been refilled as i did inform a staff member about it also meat tasted bland no flavour and I was also expecting there to be some lettuce or cabbage for meat wraps being a Korean bbq buffet place also need more sauces... but overall AVERAGE.

THE BEST KOREAN BBQ BUFFET IN AUCKLAND<br/><br/>It's been a few years now, and the service and quality has not declined. The owner saves your number and remembers your name every time you call! <br/><br/>That level of service in incredible. The meat selection is top notch, dishes that stand out are the spicy raw crabs, sweet drinks, pork belly, fried chicken and intestines!<br/><br/>Food Quality: 5/5<br/><br/>Food Quantity: 5/5<br/><br/>Environment: 4/5<br/><br/>Wait time: 4/5<br/><br/>Price Range: $40pp

My Second time in The Buffet. Ambiance is nice. Love the variety of the meat & veggies. Good food but limited dessert choices. And banana cake is a bit dry.

<br/>Umm, nice restaurant, but okay service, okay food, over priced.<br/><br/>Well presented food, but not good quality, nor great options especially given the price.<br/><br/>I'd go somewhere for a $25 Korean bbq and get better food.<br/><br/>Won't be returning.

It’s not as good as before for my last visit. Not too much choice for BBQ, compare with other Korea BBQ, it’s not too worth. Deep fried chicken wing has changed taste

went a few months ago and it was an all round great experience. The service was awesome, they were all very friendly and helpful. The food was amazing and the price is definitely worth it.

Found this place here on Zomato and got intrigued so I took my partner to this place today for lunch. It was a long drive for us since we live in Pakuranga but it was definitely worth it. For $39, you will be able to eat all the meat you want and other cooked food. The thinly sliced beef was my favorite among the meat selection and the spicy fried prawns were my favorite among the cooked selection. The service was great. I would advise to book a reservation because it can get crowded fast. Good thing we got there really early and had the 1st batch of food. The manager or maybe owner was really nice to us and assisted us immediately. He kept checking on us in case we needed something. The dirty plates were taken by the servers regularly as well. I dropped by H-Mart before going in the restaurant and found out that the butcher in that market is the same one providing the restuarant. Definitely going to recommend this place to all my friends and hope to come back soon.

This Korean BBQ Buffet is one of the best ive been to. i would give it a 4.5 but the price was abit too much. but the quality is better than any other ive been to. the fresh meat are well cut. The best part of this buffet was the side menus, they are really really good! alot of varieties and for once not that horrible. As a Buffet i dont look at service cause its hard to maintain good service at a busy place.

Great Korean food and reasonable price too. Many authentic Korean food that cannot find on other Korean restaurants in New Zealand, like Spicy raw crabs etc. Wish there were more desserts options tho.

Food was great and there was a lot of variety, strongly recommend going here, it's worth the money and the meat is very good quality, definitely going here again :)<br/>

Nothing is worthwhile unless u like shit.<br/>If u dont order soft drink,beer or wine, u get shit<br/>face.<br/>Water is full of sugar, u get full suddenly after a little sip.

Food was nice and the service was great.<br/><br/>Only let down was the dessert...with only brownie and lollie cake effectivley on offer,.<br/>All the effort going into dinner they may have thought<br/>Dessert was not that important...however a nice dessert would have really finished the whole experience off nicely such as a cake or some house icecream?<br/><br/>Definatley worth a try however most likely we will be back

If you want to have a cheat day and would like to go for Korean bbq buffet, I suggest you come and eat in this buffet restaurant! They have a wide selection of meats that are really fresh! The other menus were great as well. I particularly loved the different kimchis, korean fried chicken, and a lot more. Service was great! They top up foods regularly so you wouldn't ran out of them. One suggestion I'd like to make is that I would have loved it if there were more options for soup and if it was served more warmer. The soup that I chose was warm but not as hot as I'd like. No bother though - I'd still come back again to eat here. 👍🏻

Went on a Sunday evening with family (5 adults and 2 rowdy kids!) They take reservations for 5pm or 7pm sittings but kindly allowed us to dine from 6 - 8pm as we couldn't make it by 5. Firstly, food is great for a Korean BBQ buffet! The it food and side dishes were varied and delicious, highlights being the Beef Tartare and the Spicy Raw Crab. I like how they only put small portions out at a time (constantly being refilled) so it's fresh and tidy. The raw meats were standard KBBQ fare. Ambience is definitely classier than the average Asian buffet experience - service was professional and with a smile even though the kids were very excited to be cooking their own food. Heaps of parking in front of the building. Only let down is the dessert which is at a minimal (flavour and variety)

This place is pricy for a Korean BBQ but it's also the best Korean BBQ buffet I've ever been to. I've been to a Korean BBQ in Seoul, Korea and this place is pretty comparable. The one in Seoul wasn't a buffet but this place absolutely knocked it out of the park with the buffet selection. <br/>It had all my favourites: fried chicken (perfectly crispy and had the most amazing sauce), okonomiyaki, sushi, sashimi (not the most fresh but pretty good anyways), kimchi pancake, soba noodles and the best selection of pickles and kimchi. The white pickled radish is highly recommended to go with the pork belly. <br/>The meat is fresh and there's a wide selection too. The atmosphere is so much better than most Korean BBQ, it's a bit more high class and the lighting makes it feel a little bit more extra. The dessert bar wasn't the best but hey, who comes Korean BBQ for dessert? <br/>Apart from the price this place is a must go. They also do three for four on one day and a ladies night on another.

BEST KOREAN BUFFET IN ALL AUCKLAND! Don't be intimidated by their prices. It's all worth it!!! The owner owns his own butcher shop apparently so all the meat are fresh and tasty! Ambience is nice too. Totally a good experience overall! 😀

The place is amazing！Love Korean Buffet restaurant.<br/>So many choices for me. The price is a little expensive，but it deserves the price. The staff update food qucikly and yumyumyum

love love love this Korean restaurant!! It's the best Korean barbecue restaurant I've found in Auckland. The meat is fresh and good quality. Wide range of cooked and uncooked food and lots of Korean side dishes for an authentic experience. Service was great and we were served quickly. We had our Xmas staff do there and we reserved a room and we were not disappointed with size of the room or service. They also serve dessert and soups etc so you can have all your courses there. One downside is it's a big exy but totally worth it because of the quality. totally recommend it!

Situated in a large complex, this is a super popular option especially on Ladies Night :) the interior is spacious, with a grill on each table. The food is laid out on a long table down the middle, with a number of options of salads, hot plates and a large selection of meat for grill. There is also a small selection of desserts and drinks at the end. As far as buffets go, this was clean, top ups of food were quick, and service is polite but they can get very busy. We've been on a number of occasions and the standard has remained high, but they don't tend to change their dishes very much. Would recommend if you want to try K BBQ as well!

Definitely one of the top Korean buffets in Auckland! There are loads of dishes to try as well as a variety of meat to choose from. Would definitely love to visit again.<br/>Food 5/5<br/>Service 4.5/5<br/>Ambience 5/5

been here.for dinner with family and friends. nice ....🤗🤗🤗🤗 lots of food choices and yumm yumm yumm....... will back soon... <br/> ...thankz

This was defiantly an interesting experience coming here. Not your usual buffet but if you love Asian food defiantly worth a try. The service was really good and full of people but not too full that they wasn't any food left. They kept topping up the foods and had lots of variety of different Asian cuisine that I personally hadn't tired before.

We had read a number of reviews of The Buffet in Albany and having not been to a Korean BBQ we decided to try it out a couple of weeks ago. We went for the later sitting at 1900hrs and when we arrived the place was pretty busy, mostly with family groups, but with a relaxed vibe. The host greeted us amicability and made us feel very welcome. The range of food available was good, but lacking some of what we had expected (for example, there were no rock oysters, goyozas, or cup cakes on offer), and the dishes were not replenished frequently enough. However, the food overall was very good with the fried chicken, tempura veges, baked kumara, self cooked meats, and brownies being stand outs. The young wait staff were too inattentive and should have ensured water was provided and replenished, and asked if refills were required for beers. Overall good value for money but would be even better if the issues above are addressed. Having tried our first Korean BBQ we are keen to repeat the experience.

My wife's birthday party is here for dinner, delicious food and good service.<br/><br/>Environment: 4.5/5 <br/>Food Quality: 5/5 <br/>Food Quantity: 5/5 <br/>Service: 4.5/5 <br/>Price $39pp。

This place was very nice, will come again!The food is good quality and the meat has alot of variety.Overall the places interior design is quite nice and the food is good.

It's great to come here for a special occasion. Everything was amazing and I wish I could eat more because everything was so good. I recommend you to go there in a hungry state because there's a lot to eat.

Amazing Korean BBQ buffet!Love everything especially beef sashimi! Perfect place to enjoy dinner with family and friends. Recommend to reserve a seat before arriving!

The Buffet must be amongst the best Korean buffet restaurant in Auckland - good choice & variety of food, including soup & dessert. High ceiling & electric grills help ventilation. Good number of wait staff helps tidiness of tables. Our favourite dishes included: spicy chicken strips, beef tartare, Tempura kumara & candy kumara (dessert).  (food - 4/5; Service - 4/5; Ambience - 3.5/5)

One of the best Korean style buffet in AKL, great atmosphere, nice staff. The food was excellent and tasty. I was surprised when I saw tokoyaki, but I forgot to take pics before finishing it. The beef for bbq is excellent and high quality, I have been to six buffet, which were all recommended by media or magazines, during four months, but I can say they have the best beef. Will come again : )

Been to this place three times now and the experience was all the same. Didn't want leave a review till now as I wanted to give them the benefit of doubt. <br/><br/>This place is quiet popular with everyone other than Koreans. The dishes ain't Korean authentic but I will let this one slide. You need to tailor the food according to the market - just like all the "authentic" Indian food around Auckland. <br/><br/>Food was ok. Probably 40 percent Korean and rest is mostly Japanese and western. <br/><br/>This places runs two sessions per night - 5 to 7 and 7 to closing time. If you can can book the first session, do not book the second session. The amount of food for second the session is very limited and the replenish rate is extremely delayed. The place even fails to replace the BBQ plate. We asked for our BBQ plate to be replaced and the response was "20 min wait, it is getting washed". This was not acceptable. We had to wait for another 20 minutes for some dish to be replenished - notably the thick pork belly and the chilli raw crabs. <br/><br/>30 minutes into the session and all four of us were circulating the buffet area with empty plates - nothing to eat other than some seaweeds and squids. This was the same to other customers.<br/><br/>I have added 1 extra point due to the staff. The staff weren't Particularly helpful but they were frantically working and running around like a headless chicken - retrieving plates and replenishing food that ain't exactly Korean food. <br/><br/>Summary - book the first session, stock up on what you want to eat right at the start, get the bbq board replaced as soon as possible before they run out, and say thanks to the hard working staff before you leave :)

First visit I gave this restaurant a 4 star, 3rd time visit, variety of side dishes had slowly reduced and some how disappointing, bbq section remained the same, not a lot of selections to choose from.

Fantastic first dining experience at The Buffet. Seon/Sean the manager was incredibly attentive and friendly & personally took myself & my partner around showing us how Korean BBQ works. It is well ventilated and has a wonderful modern decor and great lighting. Great range of meats, salads and side dishes and food was regularly stocked up.<br/>Will definitely be back again. Thank you The Buffet

A Korean 'eat-all-you-can' restaurant. Wide variety, good quality, fantastic service, reasonable price.<br/><br/>The selection consist of a good mix of raw food for you to grill and hot and cold cooked dishes. From seafood to meat and vegetables and soup items. If you're a meat lover, definitely give The Buffet a try. <br/><br/>Normal days: $39pp. Tuesday Special: Pay for 3 people, and fourth person eats for free. That's $29.24pp on Tuesdays.

Service 4/5<br/>Food 3.5/5<br/>Price 3/5<br/>Atmosphere 3/5<br/>Nice BBQ buffet restaurant in Albany<br/>

I've heard a lot of good feedback in regards to this restaurant buffet so I had to experience this and interpret from my perspective. My first time trying Korean style cuisine so far impressed with fresh raw food materials used to create unique style of signature dish foods. The Restaurant set up was elegant and modern.not over priced again excellent service overall.

One of the fancier Korean BBQ places that I have been to. This place is hidden away in Albany but was brought here by a friend. The selection of hot foods here is amazing and delicious. It has higher quality food than other places I've been to (including soba noodles and spicy prawns). The selection of raw food wasn't as big but the stuff they had was good especially the pork belly. The other interesting bit is that they don't use the standard gas stove with the metal plate like other places. It looks like they have an electric stove embedded in the table, which seemed less smokey so you don't smell like meat after wards.<br/><br/>They were efficient in clearing plates from tables and a nice selection of food.<br/><br/>It costs $39 pp but we went on a Tuesday so had a pay for 3 get one free deal. Bit more expensive compared to other places but the food explains why.

The buffet is a much better place than other Korean buffet restaurants in New Zealand. They offer many kinds of traditional Korean snacks what need longer time to cook. Generally, raw food material were fresh, taste was exactly same with original Korean, service was also nice.

First time to this restaurant and what a response was 100 percent and more a fantastic service from all staff, very unusual cooking in Centre of your table while conversing to your crowd, which you had the control of what you liked to cook and choices of basically anything....food a massive fresh looking range to choose from....well done to all, you will definitely see me and my family back again....

5.0 Fabulous staff, catered for us Non chopstick users,. Very helpful and fast service, food was excellent. Thank you will definitely be coming back.

We booked in over the phone, simple as, arrived abit early but the staff were excellent. Food was delish, atmosphere was owsim and if I didnt say the food waz yummy...the staff fast and very efficient...will recommend 10+

“very good service attitude” lol.Bad server and trash food.

The restaurant is nicely decorated, the booths are very private yet you don't feel like you are without table service. The food is very good especially the cuts of meat available to BBQ. One of if not the best Korean Restaurants in Auckland.

We went to this place at 7:45pm on a Saturday night and were quickly allocated. But 45 minutes later the waitress came over and told us they were taking away the meet along with other food. I was a bit shocked as having been to so many Korean restaurants I had never seen one close this early let alone on a Saturday night. We ended up finished our meal before 9pm as they were closing the place down. Wasn't a very pleasing experience despite the varieties of food and good environment.

This is my favourite buffet place, I love their cold soba and meat selections. The price you paid is totally worthed. They also have ladies night

It starts with satisfaction but ends with disappointment. <br/>For the food, 4.0 out of 5.0.<br/>For the booking service, 4.0 out of 5.0.<br/>For the service at the end, 2.0 out of 5.0.<br/>I heard lots of positive comments on the buffet from my friends, so I have a high expectation of it. The price of the buffet is higher than other normal Korean buffet, and it worth it because of more variable choices of food. The food is fresh and they even provide salmon/prawn nigiri, although the salmon nigiri run out quickly and they don't bring new nigiri frequently. The meat is good as well, fresh and tranditional. The bbq is no much smoke so you can enjoy the food and environment.<br/>Recommend: salmon nigiri, prawn nigiri, kids love their fried rice & noodle soup, ox tongue, fried potato noodles with spinach, prawn with sweet and sour sauce.<br/>Not recommend: the pumpkin soup is too sweet.<br/>All good until the last minute.<br/>The story is- I called to make appointment around 5:30 to book a table within 15 minutes, and the waitress booked us in 5:30 session. We came and started our dinner at 5:45. At 7:15, there was a waiter to come and announce that we need to leave because there's another session after us, we need to leave soon. At that time, there're lots of vacant table in the restaurant but we understood that the buffet has time limit even though we didn't start from 5:30 as they booked. We told the waiter that we will finish and leave soon. Then the waiter just came back and took all the dishes away and ignore that I was still having the brownie slice on the plate. I have to say, the behavior of the waiter was too rude and I believe I won't come back here any more. The attitude of the staff presents the attitude of the restaurant, if you can't make your staff behave and respect your clients, then the clients won't satisfy about your service.<br/>Anyway, hope others won't be treated like this and they have special offer on Tuesday 3 adults+1 adults for free and on Wednesday ladies only pay 29 dollars.

For price it is not bad- one of the best korean buffets<br/>Wide range<br/>From sundae (korean pork intestine..know it sounds gross but is pretty tasty) to sashimi, salads, meats, fried chicken, you will find something you will love here<br/>Only downside is that there is not much authentic korean foods- all is very western inspired<br/>Nice but small selection of desserts as well<br/>Worth a try

Honestly this is my fave Korean BBQ place to go.. It's a really long drive from where I live but it's worth it. It's also very pricy but the amount of options and variety of food that have there is heaps and makes up for the price. I would recommend this place for anyone that loves their Korean BBQ cause it's my fave spot to go to!

Fresh food,Clean area and Original korean food taste.Must be try If you want taste REAL korean food. And many foreigner say pricey BBQ, there is The Buffet. Best korean food Restaurant in NZ.

After hearing so much good words about this place, we decided to give it a shot. When we arrived, we waited a while before someone come and acknowledged us. Even we made a booking in advance , we were still made to wait 15 mins before we got seated. There are people that came here without booking and they were able to be seated before us and at a more private less crowded area. The two of us got pushed to the corner and we had to share a table with a family of 8.<br/><br/>Anyway, it's almost twice as expensive as otter Korean BBQ places . The quality of meat is slightly better than most places. There are quite a few different varieties to choose from. The food were topped up regularly. <br/><br/>The place was nicely decorated and not as smoky as most Korean BBQ places. Staffs seems very busy all the time so don't expect any kind of service. The female waitress came and ask us questions several times during our meal. But she walked away before we even start talking, so until now we still had non idea what she was saying/asking. <br/><br/>Generally speaking, the place is all right. I would happily go back again since it's a better quality Korean BBQ than most other ones. But maybe l will only go there during week day instead of weekends next time , weekends way too busy .

It's not as cheap as other korean BBq places but it's by far the cleanest I have seen. Some weekdays they do specials such as Wednesday $29 for ladies. Nice place, lotsa selection of food to choose from. Nice place for a big group of people also.

First Impressions Last! Upon arrival we were greeted straight away with a very warm welcome by the owner himself. He was very attentive and generous as he placed our group in a private function room seen it was my mums birthday. Throughout the night he would pop in and out of the room to ask if everything was going well and cleared the plates from our table without us even noticing at times. The food is to die for. The meat selection is great - High Quality. Hot dishes were amazing, very tasty! Salad selection was also very tasty and very fresh. Dessert was good too especially the brownie and the honey puff bars were a hit with the kids. Will definitely go back and highly recommend to others - money well spent! Food 5/5, Service 5/5, Price 5/5, Toilet 2/5

I love a good Korean BBQ. But most out there aren't really very good in my opinion. This on the other hand is absolutely great. Lovely modern interiors and very attentive service. The trays are continuously being topped up by the kitchen and seafood/meat cuts were considerably better quality compared to most other Korean BBQ places. While the price is a bit steep, it was worth the money for me. The food too was great and not just Korean. There were some other Asian and European items on offer. The BBQ ovens/grills were clean and shiny too. Take some friends and have a BBQ night out with copious amounts of Soju (except the designated driver of course). If in Albany and looking for a good place to eat and spend time in, try this.  Food 4/5, Service 4/5, Price 3/5

Very nice foods but it will be even better if have some more options of food available (fresh salad/veges, seafood etc.). Restaurant is so clean and warmed services. Love the streamed rice punch

Came here with my wife and our one year-old for dinner, price is higher but you do get what you pay for, from the nice and clean environment, to the friendly and keen staff, to the quality of the food, it's all well above the market average. Plenty of parking spaces too. We were very happy and full, will be back again!

Came here with a few friends. It is a lot more expensive than other Korean Bbqs but you do get a better quality of meat. We were presented with some lovely beef that was cooked by the chefs and a small platter of oysters as well what ever we wanted from the buffet tables. <br/>The dessert selection was a bit disappointing variety wise. Bidvest passionfruit cheesecake and some rice bubble square thing.

I went to The Buffet in late October with some family members for a casual dinner. Overall, the experience was very pleasant and the meal was delicious and filling. We were very impressed with the range of dishes provided, they had a large range that suited many different tastes while providing an authentic Korean experience. For example, there was a spicy sea-food mix for those more accustomed to these tastes and charcoal-grilled chicken for the less adventurous. The meats and grills were also very impressive. The grill didn't smoke, as a previous reviewer noted, which was a pleasant surprise as we have had many uncomfortable experiences sitting through suffocating meals in restaurants clogged with smoke. The range of meats were also very extensive and there was something for everyone. Overall,the food tasted great and there wasn't anything in particular that I didn't like the taste of. It was replaced regularly ensuring that there were no shortages. However, I would like to note, as a previous reviewer said, that this restaurant is not extremely heavy on the desserts as many other restaurants are. However, the desserts provided were very nice, not being too rich. The range wasn't huge but this wasn't an issue as we had already eaten so much by that point. The two Korean beverages were also very refreshing. The service was polite and friendly, none of us had any issue with it. All the staff spoke fluent English and went about their work in an extremely efficient and considerate manner. As soon as we arrived, we were seated immediately, our drink orders were taken and we were given our complimentary oysters. The ambience was not particulary extraordinary but it was a very relaxing environment to have a meal in. I felt that we had a great meal and that this would be a very nice place to go to again in the future with friends or family.

I went with my family and our family friends to The Buffet in late September and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there.<br/><br/>There was a considerable selection of raw meats for use on the grill that each table was equipped with. The grill didn't smoke unlike at some other buffets. There was typical fare of beef and pork from parts of the animals that you'd typically buy from Countdown but what caught my eye was the Asian delicacies of cow tongue and pig small intestines. Obviously this kind of meat isn't for everyone but I know people who would love to fill up on cow tongue.<br/><br/>The majority, however, of the buffet consists of ready-to-eat food. My favourites were (and there were other things available!):<br/>- The raw tuna, salmon and shrimp sushi. The raw fish was delicious and had a great texture.<br/><br/>- There were a few types of tempura but by far the shrimp was a favourite. It's great when dipped into their miso paste<br/><br/>- The lettuce/tomato/onion salad had three lovely dressings to choose from including pineapple vinaigrette (the one I chose and loved). There was another kiwifruit dressing. <br/><br/>- I had raw beef (marinated) for the first time and I was really surprised at how good it was. I've never had raw meat (apart from seafood) before but the marinade was done in a way that you couldn't really taste the rawness. I'm not sure if that's how raw meat is meant to taste, but it was delicious and I didn't get sick from eating it so it's all good!<br/><br/>As for the dessert, there were grapes and small (2x2cm) cubes of choc brownies, red bean paste cake, and cheesecake. One was passionfruit and the other was raspberry or something. Personally I thought that this serving size was just fine as I was already full from eating as much of the food as I could. Still, I had both types of cheesecake and the red bean cake and thought they were very yum. This is NOT a dessert-heavy buffet unlike most Western buffets such as Valentines so just be aware of that.<br/><br/>I had a bit of everything and the only thing that I didn't completely enjoy was the cinnamon punch as the flavour was too strong for me.<br/><br/>The food on the trays was replaced quite regularly. There was always a bit of everything remaining whenever I went to fill up my plate and I went about 5 times in total.<br/><br/>The service was fine by my standards - they seated us promptly, were very polite, cleared our used plates as we ate without us even noticing, and spoke fluent English. <br/><br/>The bottom line is that if you want to eat delicious Korean food, this is a great place to go. If you want to eat delicious Western food, maybe you shouldn't go to a Korean restaurant.

I went to The Buffet on Tawa Drive in Albany for my birthday on the recommendation made by a friend of my mother's. I do not write reviews, and in fact this is my first review I have ever written. However, my experience was so far below average standards that I feel compelled to write this, as a warning for other customers in risk of wasting their money by going to this buffet. <br/><br/>This is not a review about the service, in fact the staff there were polite and their level of customer service was adequate. This is a review about the atmosphere, and the range and quality of the food. <br/><br/>My mother and I went to The Buffet with the expectation of having oysters and lovely desserts—as per their photos in their gallery (on their website). These expectations are not high in regards to a buffet, in my opinion. I have been to many buffets that have trays of fresh oysters available for everyone, and a huge dessert section that can make you get diabetes just by looking at it (I say this as a good thing, this is what you want when you go to a buffet). Our whole experience of The Buffet did not meet these simple expectations, and even worse, while we are not heavily critical people, we were utterly disappointed with the whole experience. We both felt, as rational people, that charging $39 per person (so $78 for the total bill) for the food and experience they have on offer is immensely overpriced and totally "not" worth it. <br/><br/>We went to The Buffet just past 6:00PM. We walked in and were seated immediately. The first impression of the whole place is average—they have an industrial look with the layout, with concrete floors and walls. While this seemed quite unique at first, we quickly realised how cold the whole place was, literally. They have heaters by the tables that face in the opposite direction to where the booths/cubicles are (obviously they hadn't thought the placement through too much because we were freezing). The place is cold, not only in the literal sense but figuratively too. The industrial theme makes you feel disconnected and unwelcome. We were uncomfortable because we were cold, and also because we felt like we couldn't relax. Nonetheless, we ignored the discomfort and continued to look forward to the food (these expectations being set by our prior buffet experiences, as well as their photos on their website).<br/><br/>We had a slight hiccup about champagne because they only sell by the bottle, but we felt that this is "just" reasonable. <br/><br/>A waiter came by and gave us a plate with two oysters, and two slices of lemon. We were told "this is with compliments from us". We thanked the waiter, confused. We had yet to realise that this was the "only" oysters we would be eating. We had ONE oyster, each. That was it. We thought, "oh, well maybe there's more where the food is". Big mistake. The only seafood that was available was deep-fried, except for raw mini-octopi that could be grilled on the hotplate (each table has one). <br/><br/>We still soldiered on, thinking that the food that "was" available would still be good. There was not much choice at all. This was a huge disappointment and that's when we both started to feel ripped off. A few salads, a few Korean dishes, a few choices of meat that could be grilled. That was it. Oh, and a few pieces of sushi. We went back to our tables with our rather empty plates (as there was not much to choose from, and the amount of food in the warmers was so small we felt bad about taking heaps, so we took bite-sized portions only) and started eating. I am not exaggerating when I say that everything tasted bland and dry. Even more, the food that was meant to be hot was barely even luke warm. This was hugely disappointing. <br/><br/>After attempting to pretend that we were enjoying ourselves we admitted to each other that we were both horribly mortified with the experience up to that point. We still soldiered on, and decided to give the desserts a try. There were 3 things available. Passionfruit cheesecake, chocolate brownie, and grapes. There were also two Korean dessert beverages. And coffee. Their photos on the website are absolutely deceiving. We expected more range. Even worse, the cheesecake and brownie were cut to 2cmx2cmx2cm cubes. It did not feel substantial at all. We both agreed that the grapes were the best thing on their whole selection available. <br/><br/>We had our watery filtered coffee, our tiny cubes of cake, grapes, and we couldn't handle any more. We paid and left. Without a word to anyone about the service. This is because we were not asked how our meal was. I knew the waiter knew that if he asked me, I would explode. They knew we were beyond disappointed and approaching being offended. Even still, this was the only negative aspect to their service, they should have asked. <br/><br/>I paid $78. But in all honesty, I think I would have felt better burning that money (literally). At least burning it would have an entertainment factor to it. Overall, do not go to The Buffet. Ever.

A wonderful place for family and group, large clean dine area, lots of food to choose from, and not so smoky! Price is expensive than other BBQ place, but worth to go. They have a special lady's night on weekday ( I forgot which night is ).

I love their nice and modern interior. Food is very tasty. Kind wait staff. All food is refilled quite quickly. They make their desert themselves. Their meat is better quality than other bbq buffet.