Cafe at the Hyatt Regency

In a crazy moment of genius, (but after being rejected from fully booked Nobu at Burswood), the idea of buffet gripped our conscience. From experience, you really can't fight that off.

Mass never-ending supply of quality food sounded like a better idea than I'm not full yet but I can't afford to order anymore that happens with A la Carte.

I took a short guilt trip when I realised I just had buffet the night before. Knowing I'd go on this guilt trip, packing more greed than guilt into my suitcase definitely helped ;) Buffet again for 2 consecutive nights! :D


I'm livin' the dream.

Sauce & spice condiments

An impressive array of bottles lined up and a colourful mix of peppers and spices are readily available for use. But as if the food isn't cooked well enough! I say skip trying to alter the taste and really savour the natural flavours in the food, enhanced by talented cooking technique.

Breadsticks & Crisps

The most prominent feature that lures attention has got to be this massive...bread fan thing. It earns so much points for presentation, so so important at a buffet. You are attracted to things that look good (food wise), and not so much a big bread fan, I wouldn't have given this a second glance if it didn't make such a bold statement. I stood in front of this staring at it, a little longer than what would be considered normal. Like some food pervert or something.


I just had to break off a piece and ruin the fan. In doing so the snap suggested how crisp the thin piece of bread was. Sprinkled with an abundance of sesame seeds amongst other seeds, it was a bit salty for my liking. That was ok though, as I don't think there should be a place for boring carbs like bread in the stomach at a buffet!

Seafood

The Hyatt buffet seafood spread made me very happy! Everything was topped up, tasty and probably the most important characteristic of seafood: FRESH! Juicy prawns, crab, natural oysters, mussels, big fat juicy scallops, smaller plump and bouncy prawns and smoked salmon that very nearly tasted like sashimi even.


Nothing tasted fishy or had the faintest smell of the ocean, just purely well cooked and perfectly prepared sea food.

Cold Section

Although not extensive in choice, quality makes up for it. I would have like to seen more, but alas beggers cannot always be choosers ;)

Extras

Cheeseboard with assortment of accompaniments, complementing the antipasto style.

Hot food/grill section

This is something unique to a buffet that gives an edge to this buffet. Having a BBQ plate with succulent meats cooking away in an open kitchen brings out the delicious smells of the whole process. And if you're patient enough, you could wait for the next batch of freshly cooked, still sizzling round of goodness straight off the barbeque. I became a meat stalker that night. Just a one off thing.


What they ARE missing is more grilled vegetables - which would seriously, like seriously, make this perfect.

Carvery station

Yes, most buffets do have a roast and carvery section but the latter section is usually abandoned and the personalised carving service you could have got, you can't get. There seemed to be a person permanently docked at the carvery station that night, catering to all meat eating machines.

Cold food selection

A closer inspection into the cold food selection reveals a variety of salads and small goods. Circling around the plate we start with pâté on the far right. I love processed meat mash and all but this was a bit bland plus a bit dry. Salami, roast pumpkin salad, cous cous, chickpea & mushroom salad, potato salad plus a few other savoury cuts of meat completes the cold section.

Hot food selection

Although the creamy vegetarian lasagna, woodfired pizza slices, sweet honey parsnip, crisp roast potato and fresh crusty bread slices deserves your respect, the one stand-out dish worth mentioning has to be the unbelievably tender, soft, lustful roast pork. I could see its softness when the knife met with the meat, and sticking to the description which I mostly hear about awesomely cooked meat - it just fell apart after I prodded it with my fork.


To me, this really outshone the other meats available. You could probably eat this with no teeth. I went for second serves. And then thirds. And then wished you could ask for takeaway containers at buffets.

Hot food selection #2

The other yummy meats that I gave less attention to were still pretty good. Freshly done steak, roast chicken, turkey and chicken breast meat and GRILLED SALMON!!! I could eat salmon everyday for the rest of my life, but I would probably change that to pork instead, if Hyatt was feeding me for the rest of my life :)

Seafood section

Just showing you the seafood presentation I mentioned earlier. Note that these pictures are in chronological order, meaning yep, we started with this, jumped to something else, came back to this, went to something else, ended with this.
It was way good to not keep coming back.

Dessert selection

My dining companion seriously considered skipping out on dessert. I widened my eyes and practically barked at them. "NO, YOU MUST HAVE DESSERT. ARE YOU CRAZY? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" In hindsight I was a crazy woman with control issues since it seriously isn't my business when it comes to what a person decides to do with their appetite. But really, dessert is compulsory and is a whole course on its own. Were they nuts? It's probably cause they hadn't seen the whole station dedicated to dessert.


Mango cheesecake, petite berry custard tarts, fruit cake, a passionfruity cream layered cake, thick and rich chocolate sponge with heavy chocolate icing and cream and a chocolate log with dainty iced Christmas trees. Dusted with icing sugar, it's a perfect snowy scene depicting the Christmas spirit.
Uh huh, this post is about 4 months overdue.

Plum Tart

A perfect circular baked plum tart encased in a shortbread-like crust pastry captures my attention. It's shiny, golden, wonderfully caramelised, and looking so...undamaged, a very rare occurence at buffets. Everything is demolished for the sake of it.


However, looks can be deceiving and although really citrusy and tangy, the tang of the plums are a bit too overboard for me. The sourness cut through the sweetness a bit too much and caused many "squishy" facial expressions like so >.<

Dessert decorations

And as if your dessert isn't sweet enough, or you just feel like playing with colourful things, these jars of chocolate specks, smarties, jellybeans and peanut M&M's come in handy!

Waffles corner

A very enticing waffle station awaits your request, if the other desserts aren't enough. Doesn't matter either way, cause freshly made waffles are a must have. A heavy duty waffle maker pops out hot, crisp waffles that you can overload with lashings of cream, stewed fruits, butter, syrups and sauces.


You can and should go crazy with the toppings, as you'll probably have more fun messing with waffle decorations than eating it. I know I did. Easily amused.

Dessert selection #2

And a big dish of creme brulee, complete with a crackly layer of hard caramel on top. I very nearly became one of those annoying people at buffets who take the top layers off stuff and leave behind the base. Like apple crumble...potato bakes...creme brulees.......................
but nahhh I didn't :)

Desserts!

I had a big grin on my face coming back from the dessert station with a plate full of this. The lady at the dessert station thoroughly explained what each dessert was while I was excitedly gawping at everything, not taking in much of what she said. I did appreciate the efforts though!


She suggested which ones to try and I did not object, however my excitement was probably too obvious and after a few suggestions she paused and said, "would you just like me to get you one of everything?" HA! I practically must have been salivating liberally all over myself or something.

Dessert shot glasses :)

Being lazy wise and conserving my energy, I attempted to bring my whole party of desserts back to my table all at once. The staff very kindly suggested that I should probably come back to fetch the rest of my precious little shot glasses. I did this, and ended up going back to the dessert station another 3 times :$ This sweet overload made me feel like such a fatty afterwards.


Strategically placing the dessert station right at the front entrance is a form of seduction, and serves as a BIG reminder to SAVE STOMACH FOR DESSERT! The cabinet display is impressive, featuring glasses of sweet temptations. Running from L to R is a rich coconut pudding, an Eton Mess spin-off with strawberries, meringue and cream, a traditional Tiramisu, jelly and custard layers, passionfruit pannacotta, mango pudding and various jelly shots. Serving them in cup form makes it simple to plunge a spoon right to the base, cutting through all the layers and ensuring that consuming the swirl of flavours together is possible.


This is like dessert tapas. So many shots - glasses AND amount of photos I snapped :D Lined them up and took them all within a few minutes. This is by far the most amount of shots I've taken :P Leaves you on a high instead of a headache and throwing up on the street (to which some cool people would actually prefer).
A big sugar hangover definitely beats a shitty alcoholic hangover by far.

Gingerbread House #1

Sadly, these were not edible. Well, maybe they were, but we couldn't touch.
Can't blame Hansel & Gretel, this was hard to resist.

Gingerbread House #2

But for purposes of display, these were awesomely made and very fitting with the festive eating season!

Gingerbread House #2 - side view

Festivity decorations

Yeah I know I'm 4 months late, but you could also take it as I'm 8 months ahead of schedule and wishing you Christmas greetings very early in advance :)
Because I'm organised like that!


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With prestigious food awards proudly adorning the hotel's walls, you'd expect no less from a buffet that has been a consecutive Gold plate award winner for buffet dining for 09', 10' and 11'. To gain continuous attention like that is impressive, and Cafe at the Hyatt masters its food, service and atmosphere aspects to a top notch. A very warm, inviting and relaxed atmosphere is created by contemporary decor in the restaurant.


An aspect that gives this place all the credit it deserves is really the immaculate service. It's the finer details that make the experience so much more (or less) enjoyable. Plates are cleared away promptly, you get attention immediately when you want it. All the food counters are interactive, have helpful staff who actually seem like they enjoy their job and actually like people, unlike the distasteful connotations that are attached to Perth's hospitality scene where some staff have swallowed dynamite and can explode and kill customers at any second.


Each of the chefs behind the counters are proud of their work and what they do, and don't hesitate to offer explanations to food noobs (i.e. me. That's why this blog might suck). One even gave me a lengthy explanation on parsnip after seeing me studying and looking very confused at a weirdly shaped honey roasted one. Staff actually acknowledge which course you're at during your 10 course buffet meal. Passing a staff on the way to the dessert station then coming back to see my dirty cutlery replaced with dessert spoons was VERY impressive indeed :D
Along with a neatly folded napkin. Every. Time. You. Return. To. Your. Seat. Respect!


The damage that was done was $150 between 2 people, which can usually kill me in one hit. I very nearly vomited at the price and considered bailing at first but I'm glad I stayed and nearly vomited from eating so much good food instead. You really could sit and munch away for ages without realising how much you've eaten, or the time. An hour after we were meant to meet up with friends, we had just started on dessert. Oops!


Yes we unintentionally dogged the plans we had for after dinner. But when asked to "get our priorities right", I think we have. Because when it comes to buffets, nothing else compares.

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(08) 9225 1239

Breakfast
Weekdays: 6am - 10am
Weekends: 6.30am - 10.30am

Lunch
Daily: 12pm - 2pm

Afternoon Tea
Weekends: 3pm - 5pm

Dinner
Daily: 6pm - 10pm

http://www.perth.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/Cafe.html
or
http://www.caferestaurant.com.au/index.html

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Seoul Buffet Korean BBQ & Steamboat

So how much room do you leave in your stomach for buffet?
A bottomless pit would be desirable, but the next best alternative is a very empty stomach.
My brain and appetite switches to wild mode and my poor tummy deals with weight gain as a result. And by the end, I swear I'll treat buffets with caution and never overeat again...


UNTIL THE NEXT BUFFET!

Meat Corner

This is a vegetarian's nightmare and a carnivore's dream, desire and ecstasy all in one. I'm happy to say it is an ongoing dream for as long as you stay at the restaurant as these trays are constantly replenished with endless supplies of meat meat meat!


There is ox tongue, there is pork belly, there is liberally marinated cuts of beef, chicken and pork everywhere, ready at your disposal and all with heavy, liberal use of marinades.


Then there is a splash of random greenery among a sea of reds, pinks and bloody meaty tones. A single tray of lettuce, looking lost and oddly out of place.

Meat & seafood corner

Fish fillets and octopuses adorn the other corner, along with about 5 different sauces to choose from to smother your meat with. Korean BBQ is big on sauce, I am big on sauce. We are a perfect match. Naturally!


Chilli sauce, chilli paste, some sauce resembling satay, a sweet soy-type sauce, and the oh-so-delicious! sesame oil and salt concoction that is more of a perfect match with Korean BBQ than me. Meaning its pretty damn perfect!

Seafood and vegetable corner

I deem this the healthier corner, which showcases more steamboat-ey type ingredients, but it never stops how you decide to cook them cause now you are your own Masterchef.
And also your own judge.

UFOs

Despite how fancy or the effort these take to keep food hot, they don't even come close to keeping food remotely warm. They do shield food from the various fruit flies I spotted that were hovering around the uncovered buffet meat/vegetable section though. Because who isn't attracted to meat!

Cooked ready-to-eat food

Unveiling the large round shiny covers is an assortment of cooked foods including fried-but-now-soft gyoza, toppoki (excuse me if I'm wrong) - stir fry rice cake in a bitey sauce, spring rolls, beef bulgogi and some marinated chicken dish among other Korean staples.


The buffet section features a small salad section featuring your standard bean sprout salads, seaweed salads, marinated potato salad and the one of course it's there kimchi. All of them are simple but that's exactly why they're good, light accompaniments to an otherwise heavy carnivorous dinner of meat, meat and meat. I even think my beansprout to meat ratio consumed was close to 1:1! I ate my veggies :) There's my good deed for the day!

Hotplate

Then it's down to serious business when the gas burner is turned on and the hotplate is cranked. The hotplates are good cause they don't stick and the meat cooks fast but can burn fast if you're not fast. Everything on the hotplate (and the hotplate itself) first turns a delicious brown and then to a horrid black.


I learn that if you pick up the tongs and prod the meat first, you are pretty much assigned the role of designated cook for the night. I've learnt my lesson.

Happiness

There's something about cooking your own food at a restaurant that takes away the effort and replaces it with fun. Especially when you're in a not-very-well ventilated room, the aromas and sounds of sizzles and splatters fills your senses because they have nowhere to go. As such, they cling to your hair, your clothes, your nose...but really, isn't the scent of food just so attractive?! :P


I reckon a big plate of this would easily replace a big bowl of ice cream as this will make me feel better food. It's sweet and juicy and can melt in your mouth, everything that ice cream is capable of plus even more - IT SMELLS SO DARN GOOD. I couldn't ever get sick of this.


You are in control of everything here, cook everything just the way you like it. My kind of happiness is the kind that sizzles on a hotplate.

Steamboat

On the same table format is an inbuilt platform for a shallow steamboat dish, which you fill with your choice out of beef or chicken stock. My first time here involved some confusion, as you are given a metal jug of liquid when you are seated, and which I thought was stock - the very very very plain tasting type. Turns out it was indeed very very very plain tasting - water. Doh!


Fish cake, fish balls, noodles, veges, whatever you want to boil instead of throw on the barbeque but really, I reckon everything that goes in here tastes better barbequed anyway. Healthier this way, but really, you might as well give up even thinking of being healthy at Korean BBQ.

Meat reload

You'll find yourself getting a lottttttttttt of refills. I could probably drown in the amount of ox tongue I eat. The meats are sliced thinly (esp. ox tongue) and shrink a lot during their cooking process (definitely ox tongue) so you can tell yourself you're actually not eating THAT much (OX TONGUE!!!!!) :)
Some positive reinforcements does wonders for your guilt, but not so much on the waist.

Dessert

Not much of a dessert selection, but that's understandable at a Korean BBQ buffet where marinated meats are your entree, main AND dessert. If you have room for dessert, you have room for more meat and haven't eaten enough of it.


Having said that though, they have tubs of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream. These always run low but they have a very thoughtful sign saying new refills are certainly available. Even when I'm not a fan of conventional ice cream flavours, there's something about these that makes me eat about 5 scoops in one sitting.


There is also a big glass punch bowl of coconut milk with sago and watermelon dessert as well as a very convenient DIY coffee machine that spits out all your coffee and tea preferences. You can make everything yourself - really really handy for satisfying your Affogato cravings!


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If you judge a restaurant by how busy it looks, Seoul ticks all the boxes. It is ALWAYS rowdy, always bustling towards full capacity, staff are always kept busy, always full of smoke and fumes (a good sign in this circumstance!) and even with efficient staff trying to keep this to a minimal by constantly changing burning hotplates with smoke coming out of them, the rate at which us diners burn (or cook) meats is definitely faster.


Staff should be commended though, on how they scoot around and are extremely vigilant about blackening hotplates. Upon sitting down you are asked if you know how this whole Korean BBQ thing works, and to which I lied and said no once, how they run you through and introduce you to all the details is very impressive. We're always the last table standing sitting whenever we dine out, to which they had no problems with and just proceeded to clean around us instead of hinting at us to leave.


The layout of the tables and chairs is quite compact, and maneuvering through the chair and people maze is quite dangerous if you're balancing plates of meat mountains on your hands. The tables themselves are also quite low on space, needing to accommodate plates, bowls, chopsticks, cutlery, water jugs, cups, tongs, scissors, sauces, excess plates, yada yada yada. Everything is a bit squishy and cramped, first needing to navigate through people and furniture then needing to navigate through your own table.


But of course, it's quite fun to have your own cooking station. Meat not done enough? Chuck it back on the hotplate! Hot food gone cold? Chuck it back on the hotplate! Feel like chucking something on the hotplate? Chuck it on the hotplate! This is (my) ultimate freedom to be an (incompetent) Masterchef.


It's a buffet, you will most likely over eat, but with all that rich and tasty marinade caramelising on the hotplate, it's silly to expect any sense of self discipline.