Reflecting the locals' love of culinary diversity and mindful concern for dining budget, Bangkok has always been a paradise for those looking for a good buffet meal.
Recently launched on the 6th floor of the two-month-old Nikko Hotel Bangkok is Oasis restaurant. Basically the 188-seater, which opens daily from morning to night, is an all-day-dining establishment with presentable à la carte menu. But at lunchtime on weekdays and also on Saturday it offers a uniquely lovely buffet lunch with a lovely price to match.
At 700 baht per person, diners are treated to a mouthwatering spread of dishes from various international cuisines in a crisp clean and cheery dining room blessed with natural light through expansive glass walls.
Portraying Japanese-styled subtle simplicity, food stations here aren't colossal nor phenomenal, but offering comprehensive enough a menu to satisfy your sense of gastronomic freedoms along with your taste buds.
Highlights here are of course the Japanese cuisine. You'll find a neat display of nigiri sushi and sushi rolls as well as kaisendon (rice topped with chopped assorted sashimi), karē raisu (rice topped with Japanese curry) and Italian pasta dishes with Japanese twist.
I loved the small bowl of kaisendon, which was made fresh to my order, with neatly-diced tuna, octopus, tamagoyaki (sweet omelette) and Japanese cucumber and a garnish of ikura (salmon roe) and ebiko (shrimp roe).
Also recommended to be had with the chubby-grained, glutenous-textured Japanese rice is the piping hot curry. That day's option of chicken curry was gratifying.
Another of the restaurant's speciality, squid-ink spaghetti with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) cream sauce and ikura, is offered from the à la minute pasta corner where you can also order other pasta dishes such as spaghetti aglio, carbonara and arrabiata.
From ready-to-eat sections, I was impressed by the super delicious vegetable lasagna, chicken teriyaki and yum thua phlu (spicy Thai salad of winged bean, prawn, coconut cream and crispy shallots). These dishes were so good I made repeat trips to the station for refills.
Other options from the hot dish counter were the likes of crab fried rice, stir-fried beef with shimeiji mushroom and oyster sauce, pan-fried sea bass with mango sauce, Thai red curry and assorted dim sum -- all proved delectable.
The restaurant's quality of carvery meat also amazed me. Its roast beef was one of the most tender, succulent and full of beefy taste I've ever found from a buffet line.
On the day that I visited the modest display of seafood on ice included oysters, mussels and tiger prawns to be enjoyed with various dipping sauces. On offer also is a decent repertoire of breads, cold cuts and cheese.
Oasis's all-you-can-eat collection of desserts was among the best in the city. You'll be indulged by high-quality Japanese-styled European pastries including cheesecake, rolled cake, tarts and brownies. Fluffy pancakes are made to order and went well with Hokkaido milk ice cream.
Those with appetite for Thai desserts are offered with kluay khai cheuam (caramelised banana with coconut cream topping), fuk thong gaeng buad (warm pumpkin simmered in sweet coconut milk), pumpkin custard, thong yip (egg yolk fudge cooked in syrup) and foi thong (candied egg yolk thread). All of them were authentically luscious.
Price is inclusive of water, juice, coffee and tea. Classic and signature cocktails as well as a nice collection of Japanese liquors are available at additional cost.
