Whilst I do like a buffet, they are fraught with key decisions. There are some that look at it like a war (which it can be with your stomach) where you need to make clear decisions devoid of emotion, your brain needs to separate itself from your tastebuds and stomach if you are to get your money’s worth. And who doesn’t in some way want to get their money’s worth when they’re at a seafood buffet. And after a hard day’s Christmas sale shopping, food is inevitably on the mind.
Like any military operation I had a pre-training regime consisting of steamed vegetables for lunch. This was prevent any more weight gain after SIFF, Austria and Christmas get togethers (I was still trying to lose those kilos and they certainly don’t need any additional company).
I walk in and survey the situation, call it reconnaissance while Mr NQN parked the car. There was a lot of seafood including crab, yabbies, Crystal Bay prawns, those strangely prehistoric looking Balmain Bugs (which always look to me like they should be found fossilised), sushi, sashmi (yes sashimi! You don’t even have to make your own by leaving the rice behind from the sushi), a giant pan of paella, some hot food including Thai chicken cirry, steamed vegetables, roast beef and black bean mussels, plus a selection of salads, one served in a giant hollowed out Grana Padano cheese wheel. There’s also breads, cheeses and dried fruit and desserts which we have a separate stomach for.
We start with a glass of French Champagne, the Delamotte Blanc de Blanc 1999 champagne which is lovely and starting with a glass of sparkles always puts us in a good mood and there’s a fantastic quote from Madame de Pompadour in the menu which reads:
“Champagne is the only wine in the world that leaves women beautiful after drinking”
Perhaps that excludes beer goggles 
I prise open a prawn and it’s lovely and sweet and Crystal Bay prawns, with their softer shells are always sweet and delicious. It’s times like this that I know that Mr NQN likes being married to me (the constant waiting for food to be photographed balances against this) as I am a mean prawn peeler. I had read somewhere that expert prawn peelers can peel a prawn in 3 steps and without trying to sound boastful, I am a quick 3 step prawn peeler (twist off the head, remove the legs and then the shell with a swift motion). So he is happy when I peel his prawns for him.
Sashimi
The Peking Duck pancake station
The crab is meaty but a bit bland for me but the yabbies are beautifully sweet as are the Sydney Rock Oysters. The Peking Duck pancake station on Friday and Saturday nights churns out delicious Peking Duck pancakes-make sure you get one with the spring onion and hoi sin sauce as I first grabbed one without it and it was quite dry and not very exciting. I’d love it if there was a bit more skin and the duck was warmer though but considering that there’s no limit, I’m not complaining.
Lobster with champagne sauce
I try the paella which is quite good indeed and packed full of seafood although when I got my second helping towards the end of the night it had dried out a bit. I give the hot food a little try too and I liked the thai chicken curry but let’s be honest my eye was definitely on the Champagne Lobster which they grill to order. It’s covered with a champagne cream sauce and is rather good indeed as it is freshly grilled (there’s always room on my plate for lobster 
).
I gather a selection of the desserts which by now, look a bit cut up and hacked into due to the late hour. My mango topped coconut mousse cake is divine, like eating delicious air and the chocolate lollipops run a second favourite. “Would you like to try some of our a la carte menus” they ask and we take their recommendation of the Viennese Apple Strudel with Creme anglaise and vanilla ice cream and the Banana fritters in filo pastry. I know Mr NQN will adore the banana dessert and he does with banana fritter and chocolate inside a crisp, buttery filo package. It sits on a slice of banana bread and comes with a fabulous banana ice cream.
The Viennese apple strudel is delicious and I’m very happy to confirm that the pastry is just like the pastry used in the Daring Bakers Strudel recipe! The pastry chef Karl Biel is Austrian and this is very much like strudel that you get in Austria. Thoroughly stuffed, our white of surrender is slowly raised.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you feel that you get value for money at buffets?
NQN and MR NQN dined as guests of the Hotel Inter Continental
Cafe Opera
Inter Continental Hotel
117 Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9253 9000
Buffet price: $70 Sunday-Thursday for Seafood buffet; $95 Friday and Saturday for Seafood buffet with more selections
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26 Comments | Add your own
How glamorous is that room? Beautiful. And love the seafood; the lobster looks smashing and everything else looks so lush!
is it an all you can eat lobster? wow, this is my kind of seafood buffet. $70 is pretty reasonable if you get lobster. i’m always looking for the best seafood buffet in Sydney, any other suggestions?
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!
yum yum and yum…………….how lucky are you … please come to melbourne and do some foodie tour here…. would love to see what u think of melbourne food
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and Boxing Day!
What a fantastic looking buffet!
OH MY GOD. I would have died and gone to heaven if I was standing at Cafe Opera. All that yummy seafood. And the sashimi looks SO fresh. Even a station dedicated to Peking Duck. Now that’s good eating. I think I’d fly to Sydney JUST to visit this place. *drools* =)…
We stayed at the InterContinental a few years ago and had a great time. Shane loved the buffet. We went for the at 6:30pm, because we’re early eaters, and you get a discount which is a bonus.
I don’t eat seafood, besides fish and squid. But Shane does, so he got both our moneys worth.
I thought the dessert table was pretty special.
The best buffet I’ve ever had was at Daydream Island. It was amazing. They have different themed nights, but the seafood one was gooooooooooood.
Best of all they had an Adults Only room, where no kids were allowed. Do you know how great that is? Especially after you’ve spent all day trying to avoid them in the swimming pool.
Definitely get value for money that is sure – but sometimes it is the quality that is not up to scratch. Though this buffet definitely looks quality
Unlimited lobster? No way! Im so going! =)
How lucky is Mr NQN to have his own dedicated prawn peeler
That food looks seriously good though I’m not sure I can face that much at least until NYE! Plain congee and salty duck egg for dinner tonight!
I usually avoid buffets now as I’ve found in recent years that I cannot stomach as much food as in my *ahem* younger years. I therefore don’t feel I get as much value these days, so I prefer to go à la carte for quality rather than quantity =)
i will seriously go here the next time i go to australia! this place looks AAAAmazing to say the least… and yes, it will be war and i will get my money’s worth.
nice! Quite various selection of food going on there.
I have not yet tried their buffet, gotta pay a visit while my friend still works there
I guess, when I feel like I need to eat alot at a buffet, the value isn’t that good. I don’t know yet which one is the best in Sydney.
Some of the hotels in Singapore have terrific buffets too – the Grand Hyatt and the Shangri La were sensational. I love the way they cook the food for you while you wait so it is utterly fresh.
This looks like one of the more worthwhile buffets! Lobster and peking duck pancakes – yum!
um, dang! Check out the seafood choices let alone desserts! I may have eaten way too much over xmas, but I’ll always have room for oysters babay!!
Wow this looks fabulous! Probably one of the best buffets I’ve ever seen! And it looks so fresh too
You have great timing. We were discussing where to go for dinner as we were all off work. Thank you kindly NQN!
i definitely don’t eat my worths at a buffet because a) i think my stomach has shrunk from all the dieting i do and b) being a vegetarian i’m limited to a few items at a buffet only id rather much eat at a normal restaurant but id have to say my fav (back when i was eating seafood days) buffet would be the shang gri la!
wow, looks great, damn i’m sooo jealous u get to eat foc (and fly foc too!) all the time..haha..was thinkin of tryign this place out when i saw the price tag at the end…its so expensive..i dun think it’d be worth the value in money..even if u ate alot..
wow!! love the interior!! buffet is good choice
cheers!!
Never seen so much seafood at a buffet before. I’ve never seen oysters offered at a buffet. My strategy is to grab my favorite dishes as quick as I can, and eat as much as I can before my stomach realizes it is holding more food it can handle. I hardly ever go to buffets anymore, so it’s kind of fun to read about it.
Lorraine, I’ve just had lunch but I’m salivating at these incredible photos! That is some lovely spread!
I haven’t had a buffet for awhile…this looks promising!
Hi joey-I know, the building is gorgeous
It was very bountiful! And we were so overjoyed to see sashimi 
Hi Simon-Yes it is (although we didn’t test whether there was a limit
). Hmmm what is a must? Lobster? Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you! 
Hi kelly-Hehe I’d love to! It’s been way too long since I visited Melbourne!
Hi Blond Duck-Why tahnjyou! I did, I hope you had a great one!
Hi SK_Yes it was very good!
Hi The Asian Pear-I know, I never see sashimi and always feel guilty making my own
I wish I could make my own pancakes, although probably a good thing I don’t cos I’d probably make the world’s biggest peking duck pancake 
Hi fat mum slim-Oh really? I had no idea there was a bonus but that’s a good idea
Haha I feel the same way. Mr NQN definitely eats what I don’t get in value! 
Hehe I can imagine an Adult’s only room could be a godsend! 
You are so funny! xxx
Hi Esz-Yes this is very true, it’s good to find both at a buffet!
Hi Brianna-Hehe you should!
Hi Moya-Hehe yes and I love doing it! Is that weird?
Ahh well your feast sounded fabulous!
Hi mlle délicieuse-Yes I just can’t do it like I used to! But I’ll try!
Hi Xai-Hehe that’s great!
I do love unlimited lobster!
Hi Yas-Yes I loved the peking duck pancakes and the lobster!
Oh yes good idea! 
Sounds like a fun question to try and answer huh! 
Hi Ellen-I remember the afternoon tea buffet at the Grand Hyatt-woah that was amazing! So I can only imagine the food buffet!
Hi Karen-Yes they were my favourites! Oh and the crystal bay prawns too
Hi Adrian-Hehe me too! Don’t leave me alone with oysters
Hi Brenda-Yes the seafood was nice and fresh (which is such a must)!
Hi Aubrey -Haha cool!
Yes being on holidays is so much fun!
Hi betty-Ahh of course! Yes it’s hard if you’re a vegetarian! I haven’t been there for years!
Hi chinesechic-It’s not always, just sometimes!
I think if you stuck to seafood, lobster and sashimi you might 
Hi nora-Hehe yes the interior is lovely isn’t it!
Hi Nooschi-Ahh it’s great stuff if your’e a seafood fiend like me hehe
Haha that’s an interesting strategy! I’ve never heard that one before. You’re so creative! 
Hi Faith-Hehe it was very delicious-if only I could have it tonight!
Hi food.4.two-I know I tend to go for a while between buffets!
Cool!
There is no buffet better than the Botanica Brasserie @ Sheraton on the Park! The selection is huge and very fresh. You’ve got to try it Lorraine. My boyfriend and I literally couldn’t move afterwards so it was lucky we had a room for the night.
The Corn Exchange @ Four Points Sheraton isn’t too bad either.
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