It seems that we’re out of luck today when we walk into La Gerbe D’Or, Paddington. The chef de partie has just left so we can’t get any cooked food, only what is in the display cases. Owner for 24 years Frank Francois is also missing in action. Ok so out of luck is probably incorrect. I’m still looking at some delicious quiches and pies as well as rillettes and terrines, baguettes and cakes galore. I’m lunching today with Teena and baby Annabel Ines who has decided to be an angel and sleep.

It’s swelteringly hot inside even with the gigantic fan being deceptively ineffective so we brave the relative coolness of the outside chairs with a semblance of a breeze. We order some of the Terrine de Canard (Duck Terrine),  Rillette du Porc (pork rillette) with some baguette slices and a Pissaladiere. We’d decide on sweets a bit later.

Platter $17.90

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Cafe Mix display

I don’t often do buffets. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of them – there’s something so gloriously medieval and Roman about a cornucopian spread of food. It’s just that I just cannot eat enough of it to satisfy that I’ve gotten my money’s worth with many buffets priced at the $60+ range. However there are exceptions to this rule and wave the We Love Sydney card which gives us half price buffet at Cafe Mix at the Shangri-La hotel and say the magic word “Lobster” and I am at the ready. For the magical price of $68 for two on Fridays and $85 for two on Saturdays, you can eat lobsters and seafood to your heart’s content. My friends and family are generally good buffet eaters, and by good I mean good at extracting their money’s worth and enjoying themselves at one.

My friend in High School’s parents loved buffets and I’d always be invited along. We’d sit in their lounge room prior to going out and the mum would announce that she hadn’t eaten all day* and was ravenous in anticipation of the buffet. Her dad used to wear the special pants (not quite maternity pants but loose waisted pants) for the occasion and when we’d get there, they’d request the table closest to the seafood. It was usually prawns (they never went to a buffet without at least prawns) and they’d clear the supply of prawns carrying away plates of the stuff. My friend and I were a little embarrassed but little did we realise that they’d set the tone to how I approach buffets nowadays.

My husband is what you might call a  buffet amateur. This doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been to many, he has but he always gets chided by friends and family for selecting what he feels like eating instead of what might give him his money’s worth. My dad is the same. He’ll get a plate with some slices of roast pork, some potatoes and some pasta salad and be happy with that, forgetting that he has just paid $60 for that plate. My mum will literally tear her hair out at him. When we go to buffets, it’s an almost competitive experience but with a  difference, everyone wants you to do well.

Pork Roast with crackling separated for easy access-yes crackling, food of the gods!

Pretraining

One thing that I asterisked was my friend’s mum’s comment that she hadn’t eaten all day. I think this is a mistake. I find that my stomach “shrinks” if this happens. Some say that eating breads and pastries however ensures that you will be hungry, protein less so.  So despite all natural instincts to eat less carbs, eat more (the opposite of what you’d do when you have a big event coming up and want to look your best). Take it from the word of competitive eaters.

While there

Ask for a table near your favourite foods in the buffet (and no I don’t mean dessert!). Not only does this assist in your endeavour but when the best foods are replenished you’ll be the first to know. Thankfully at Cafe Mix, this wasn’t an issue except for with the fruit salad. The seafood was readily and steadily refilled.

Survey the buffet before digging in. No matter how pretty the desserts look (and they usually look very appealing and colourful) ignore them. Didn’t you know that there is a separate compartment for desserts anyway called the Dessert Tank? Have a look at everything that is offered in a buffet. Pretend you’re on The Price Is Right and price them.

Filling up on drink will reduce stomach space so say no to drinks or only order some still water and merely sip it. I never finish my drink, ever, even when I’m not at a buffet. I have my stomach space reserved for food.

Cafe Mix is divided into 6 sections: a seafood section (with lobster, prawns, balmain bugs, oysters and crab), a Western mix section (roasts, vegetables, breads and potatoes), a Japan Mix section (miso soup and assorted sushi rolls and salmon nigiri), a China Mix section (steamed buns, chicken wings, stir fries, fried rice), an Indian Mix section (pappadums, saffron rice, curries) and the dessert section.

Having a look at the buffet and doing my research online, from the range offered today I categorised the food into 3 sections in terms of value:

Top ranking foods

Lobster: aside from Abalone (which you’ll never get at a buffet, this is the prize pick)

• Seafood: Lobster, crab and balmain bugs
• Seafood: Oysters
• Seafood: Prawns
• Seafood: Mussels and others

Necessary evils

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After our delicious journey back in time at the Oceanic Cafe where we emerged to the sights and sounds of 2009, Queen Viv could sense my excitement and suggested that we follow up our meal at Oceanic with a visit to New York restaurant in Kings Cross at a later date. A similar concept to the Oceanic Cafe, New York restaurant is a restaurant serving traditional Australian/English meals at very reasonable prices to a loyal community. I was more than happy to, the only problem was that they were closed over Christmas until January 19th (I only found out the opening date as the owner happened to answer the phone while he was there). I rang up on the 19th to book a table for 4 the Saturday after only to be told by the friendly owner Paul “Oh darling, we  don’t take reservations” and then he asked my name and I answered “Lorraine” and he said “OK Lorraine, I look forward to meeting you!”. Wow, friendly folk indeed!

We’re supposed to meet Queen Viv and Miss America at 7pm this Saturday night but we are late-by half an hour (arrgh since when did Kings Cross become a 1hour parking only zone?). Queen Viv calls us to ask where we are-the maitre’d is enquiring about our lateness. Of course we don’t realise why. It’s because the New York restaurant closes at 8pm! On Kellet Street in Kings Cross, it’s located between two brothels.

Rushing in, we order quickly. I go straight to the Chef’s specialties where I order the crumbed lamb cutlets, my husband orders the chicken schnitzel and Queen Viv and Miss America both order the beef sausages. There is a note which makes us grin: “Minimum order $3.50″. For good measure we also get a glass of orange cordial for 70c and an entree bowl of soup for 80c. Items are divided into old fashioned sections such as “Cold Collations” and there’s even an oyster section with the cheapest item being Light Gold Toast for 40c.

We look around. There are groups of mostly men, of various ages although mostly senior citizens. One is so enamoured of his chop that he picks up the whole thing (about the size of a plate) and eats it with his hands. There’s also younger men, including two fashionable young men and one dashingly handsome guy. A real mix that has us intrigued. As it’s busy some of the men share a table and exchange greetings.

We scarcely have time to observe our fellow diners as everything arrives quickly. We ask Jeff the maitre’d if it is ok to take photos-he is intimidating looking with his tattoos but he smiles broadly and spreads his hands out and says “Of course, no problems at all” and tells us that we are free to take any photos we like and that fellow diners won’t mind at all. In fact it’s most hospitable reaction we’ve had. He tells us that the New York restaurant has been around for about 50 years, and at this location for 17 years.

Orange Cordial 70c

Vegetable soup 80c

Crumbed Lamb cutlets $10

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