Tommy says…

Name: Garden Buffet
Address: Level 1 – Star City, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009 – map
Website: Garden Buffet Restaurant  
Type: Buffet
Cuisine: European/Asian/international
Opening hours: 11:30-4:30, 5-9:30, 7 days

Enoch the Gambler (not his real name) recommended this restaurant hidden in the den of iniquity that is Star City Casino in Sydney. The buffet was surprisingly good. A good range of food, all of a fairly high quality. There are Asian stir fries and Indian curries, pasta, fish and chips, roast meats, a couple of casserole dishes. The seafood selection consisted of fresh prawns and sauteed mussels in shell. I always say that the roast beef is the best indicator of an all-you-can-eat buffet’s quality – and the beef here was great. Generally, despite my reluctance to set foot in a casino, I would go again.

(In Melbourne, I passed up the Crown casino buffet for the Hilton buffet – both were the same price ($65) and had the same top range food, but I thought the 5 star hotel would be better than the casino. The Hilton was not so impressive. Having been to the Star City buffet, I’m now quite keen to check out the Crown buffet the next time I’m in The Other City.)

Highlights:

• All-you-can drink soft drinks on tap, including an Orangina-Fanta hybrid product called “Refresh”, which I don’t remember seeing before.
• Skilfully prepared and well stocked dessert bar – a must for any good buffet.
• Sauteed beef shank with onion and red wine sauce
• Soup (with bread) was surprisingly nice
• Chocolate AND vanilla ice cream

Low lights

• It’s inside a casino
• Not only that, but you have to join the casino membership scheme to get a (big) discount, which means 1) stepping into the gaming floor and 2) spending 15 minutes registering. Though you do get a free $10 to squander on slots.
• Super busy, with a long line to just pay and sit down. Man at the door looked harassed and was impatient in directing us to queue up or stand aside
• The chocoalte ice cream looked disturbingly fecal in its shape

Conclusion: Nice food, good environment - once you get registered and manage to get inside

Food: 6/10
Service: 5/10
Ambience: 6/10
Value for money: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

Epilogue: a week later, I went back and spent my $10 free credit on the pokies. After being shown how to operate the complex piece of gaming technology by an old Chinese lady, I won $10 out of the $10 free credit. Free money!