Secret Diner: Buffet King, Metro Centre

The popular Oriental restaurant Buffet King in Gateshead’s Metro Centre is described as a ‘perfect and cost effective dining choice’, so two friends and I went along to see if Buffet King really is the King of buffets.

Good points:

1. There is a lovely, buzzing atmosphere within the dining area, which is both alive and soothing.
2. There is a wide variety of Oriental food, with noodles, rice, chicken and ribs that sits nicely with a nourishing, colourful salad.
3. A real ora of the Oriental-style based restaurant is there as most staff are Chinese and the decor also fits reasonably well.

Bad points:

1. They do not serve duck pancakes until 6pm, which is not ideal if you are a lunchtime diner.
2. The desert station is the smallest and lacks in variety, serving only fruit jelly and vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.
3. There is a small room by the desert station that appears to isolate diners from the main body of the buffet.

Customer service 3.5/5

I was quite taken aback as I have previously used Buffet King while out with my family and you are always asked to pay at the end of your meal, just like in every other buffets around the UK. Except, visiting with my teenage friends was very different, they made us pay first, before we even got our drinks, let alone began to load our plates. Of course, some teenagers are completely brainless and will probably walk out without paying, and if this is the case, they still should not tar all teens with the same brush. Asides from this, the staff were helpful throughout and kept on top of taking away our cutlery and plates when we were finished with our meal.

Value for money 2/5

While the meal was up to a high standard, the entry fee for the weekend lunchtime buffet weighs costs a slightly overpriced £8.50. Almost ten pounds for a Saturday lunch is over the top, especially as the drinks cost just over £2. Buffet King is not priced well and the drinks are far too expensive, you could probably order a Chinese takeaway cheaper, only you’d be eating from home.

We suggest

1. The beef in black bean sauce is mouth-wateringly good, one of my favourite things from Buffet King.
2. The chicken wings from the restaurant have lots of meat on them and the chicken falls off of the bone.
3. The special fried rice is the best rice Buffet King have on offer and is also the most popular, with diced vegetables and prawns included, it really is delicious.