Spoilt for choice: how to make the most of a breakfast buffet

The phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” might have been conceived as a tagline for a cereal brand, but I’m a firm believer in it. When I travel, the quality of the breakfast buffet is always one of my top factors to consider when choosing a hotel, right up there with the price and location.

I love hotel breakfast buffets, so much so that I will set the alarm to allow myself enough time to savour all my favourite staples, even after arriving in the middle of the night.

Let’s talk strategy. What and how much should you eat? There’s a fine line between overeating and eating just enough to be satisfied until dinnertime – a bonus for forking out an extra few dollars for rooms that include breakfast. You’ll save money, and time, by not having to stop for lunch and instead get to check out a couple of extra sights.

Where should you start? The first thing I always do after arriving at the buffet is walk around the different food stations, seek out the most interesting dishes and analyse the freshness of each item. I then check out the live cooking spots and, more importantly, calculate the time it might take to queue for them. From there, I’ll devise a plan of attack that’ll allow me to sample all the highlights, at the right time, in the right order, without wasting time or space. 

Which hotel has the best breakfast buffet? I was delighted by The Park Chennai on a recent trip. It had just the optimal buffet experience with its tantalising array of South Indian breakfast delicacies, such as fluffy idli rice cakes, string hoppers, crunchy vada fritters and steaming curries. Then, there was the live dosa station, where fresh, crispy crêpes made of fermented rice and lentils were served straight from the griddle. My personal favourite was the Mysore masala dosa, served with spicy potatoes and with a range of velvety chutneys on the side.

So stay away from that snooze button and start your day with abundance at the breakfast buffet. With so many combinations to try, you’ll never be bored – and that’s before you’ve even left your hotel. It’s the perfect way to fuel up for your journey, wherever it may take you.