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Travellers Guide to an All You Can Eat Buffet

Food is a big part of travelling and an all you can eat buffet can be your best friend, or worst nightmare. Use our travel tips on your next adventure.

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Vigo, Dessert, All you can eat Buffet

As we grow up our parents often tell us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I always thought it was because they want you to eat healthy and get all the recommended vitamins, nutrients and minerals to last all day at school.

How wrong I was. 

See I think the truth is that they were just secretly preparing us for when we started travelling. They knew that an all you can eat buffet at breakfast is the travellers best investment after visiting local markets.

All you can eat Buffet

 Photo credit

Travellers Guide to an All you can Eat Buffet

I love a good buffet when we are travelling. Sure there is a time and place for them because you may not get the local delicacies in a European style buffet. But usually when you are traveling to different countries they do vary so much from place to place.

Plus, if you are on a budget then a good breakfast buffet can set you up for the rest of the day.

My all time top 3 all you can eat buffets in no particular order are; a breakfast buffet in Olso, a dinner buffet at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and a breakfast buffet in Phuket.

All you can eat Buffet, Oslo, Vigeland Park

Oslo; Home to a good breakfast buffet and crazy statues

Maybe it’s the value for money, or maybe its just the fact you can stuff yourself with a huge variety of tasty food until you are at bursting point that makes a buffet appealing to me.

But over time I have realized there is a certain way to attack a buffet to get the best out of it.

When I went to my first all you can eat buffet I remember grabbing the first thing I saw, and filling up before I could even make it to the hot section.

Amateur hour.

Since then I have refined my skills and now like to think of myself as a buffet professional. And if you follow my expert travel tips below, I promise that the next time you meet an all you can eat buffet, you will leave satisfied and ready to get on with your next adventure.

The walk through

DO NOT start piling your plate sky high at the nearest buffet table.

After finding a seat, stand up and take a couple of minutes to scope out the lay of the land. Find out exactly what is being served. There is nothing worse than hitting bursting point and discovering a whole new section you never knew existed.

Vigo, Dessert, All you can eat Buffet

You don’t want to miss out on the desserts section

Get a table

It sounds obvious, but make sure you get a table BEFORE you get your food.

While we were at a breakfast buffet in Oslo we were amazed at the number of people who would get their plate of food before finding a table. They had to wander around aimlessly trying to find a seat while their food was getting cold! Rookie mistake.

Limit the carbs

I know breads, chips and pasta can look tasty. They are hard to resist and bread has been known to be my downfall at an all you can eat buffet because I love trying out all the different types.

But carbs will fill you up more than anything else in the buffet. It is why why they sneakily put them near the entrance! Avoid them and save room for the other tasty treats on offer.

Bread all you can eat

Don’t fill up on just bread (Photo).

Limit your fluids

Freshly squeezed orange juice, fizzy drinks and ice cold will tempt you to the dark side. But stay away from the fluids as they to will fill you up.

I’m not saying dehydrate yourself, but just try and limit yourself to one glass while you are there.

Juice, Barcelona, All you can eat Buffet

Don’t fill up on freshly squeezed juice

The Sampler

This could be one of the most important rules of all and I promise it is the hardest to master!

Only take a spoonful size portion of everything you like the look of. NO BIGGER! This will allow you to try as many things as possible. And if you don’t like something you won’t be wasting a bucket load of food. There is nothing we hate more than saying food go to waste!

Plus if you really love something you can go back and get another spoonful, or two.

Stagger your trips

This is one of my favorite things to do at a buffet.

If you are travelling as a couple, or in a group of friends then don’t all go up at the same time. Instead try to stagger your trips. This way you can listen to your friends recommendations of what options are the tastiest. You can also act as each others eyes and ears, so when a fresh dish comes out you will be the first to know and ready to pounce.

You only have 20 minutes

We watch a lot of Man vs. Food, and Adam (the host) always explains that it generally takes your brain 20 minutes to register that you are full.

So while you will regret it about 30 minutes after you start an all you can eat buffet, I figure you have 20 minutes to fit as much in as you can before your brain catches up.

Going back for one more plate is usually a bad idea

Need I say more? If you are full, don’t push it! The shame in wandering around sightseeing with the top two buttons undone on your jeans is sometimes too much.

Tell us your favourite All you can eat Buffet in the comments!

Adela is one half of the New Zealand Adventure Couple who have been travelling since 2009. She loves the outdoors and has a real passion for Snowboarding, Mountain Biking and Surfing (apart from being scared of sharks). She loves food and writes all our food posts. Consider following us via RSS Feed, Twitter, Facebook and subscribe to our Newsletter.

Europe

Paris on a Budget: Best Cheap Eats in Paris

While Paris used to be regarded as an expensive city, you can now enjoy Paris on a Budget. Use our guide to find the Best Cheap Eats in Paris.

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paris woman smiling eating the french pastry macar 2021 08 28 23 14 41 utc 2

Although Paris has a reputation for being one of the most expensive cities globally, the rumors are now unfounded. In 2012, Paris dropped ten places in the Mercer cost of living survey. And with the Euro looking weak, now is probably a good time to find cheap flights and discover the city of love on a budget.

Eating in Paris can catch a lot of tourists out. Avoid the expensive restaurants serving fancy dishes like salmon wellington and snooty maître d’s on the Champs Elysees and follow our guide for the best cheap eats in Paris.  Spend less on food and possibly splurge on friendly hotels in Paris instead!

girl eating croissant in paris 2021 08 26 18 36 43 utc 1

Girl eating croissant in Paris

Best Cheap Eats in Paris

Best Cheap eats in Paris, Eiffel Tower at Night, Paris

Head to the Marais

Famous for its selection of ethnic eateries, the trendy Marais area of Paris is perfect for picking up a quick snack.

Check out L’As du Falafel, where you can grab a flatbread bursting with golden fried balls of falafel, smothered in hummus and accompanied with red cabbage. For €4 to take away, you can’t argue with that. Simply head to Chez Hanna down the street for equally tasty food at similarly low prices if it’s too busy.

Best eats in Paris, The Louvre, Paris

Enjoy an Oriental baguette.

Vietnamese food is popular in France, and nowhere can you see the fusion of two cultures more clearly than at Saigon Sandwich in the Belleville district of Paris.  Their specialty, banh mi, is light and crusty French baguette filled with flavors of South East Asia.

There are only a few options (poulet, boeuf, Maison, and unique), but for €3 ago, you could happily sample them all.

Find French food on the cheap.

Believe it or not, there are some restaurants specializing in French cuisine that won’t see you stumbling into your overdraft. Les Temps des Cerises is one of them.

Described by Yelp as a “Dive Bar,” nothing could be further from the truth.  Run by a cooperative, it attracts a distinctly bohemian crowd. The menu is small, but the food is prepared from ingredients that sing with freshness and high quality.

View from the top of Arc de Triomphe

Eat like a local celebrity …

Rumour has it that Pierre Herme, one of Paris’s most celebrated pastry chefs, visits the Belleville restaurant Le Baratin. The prices are surprisingly low for the delicious Argentinian fare.

Time Out Magazine recommends the tuna carpaccio with cherries or the spicy basque lamb. Pop in at lunchtime for the prixe fix menu. At €18 for three courses it’s hard to complain.

… or eat like a local office worker

Bistro Victoires is a favorite amongst Paris’s locals. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, and the wine list leaves a lot to be desired, but when you sit down to enjoy some of the best steak frites in Paris, all else will be forgiven.

Portion sizes are enormous, and the waiters often remind patrons that if they order a starter, they won’t be able to tackle the main course. Despite being a famous location steps away from the Palais Royal, it still manages to be a hidden gem.

Champs-Elysees Sunset

What are your tips for finding the best cheap eats in Paris?

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Asia

Devouring seafood at the Fethiye Fish Market

The Fethiye fish market is the place where you will find the best restaurants in Fethiye. As well as the tastiest, freshest and cheapest seafood too.

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Restaurants in Fethiye

The Fethiye Fish Market is the perfect place to stock up on fresh seafood. Located in the picturesque harbor, the market offers a wide variety of fish, ranging from common favorites like tuna and salmon to more exotic options like swordfish and lobster. In addition to being a great place to buy seafood, the market is also a popular tourist destination.

Visitors can enjoy watching the fishermen unload their catch, bargaining for the best prices, and sampling some of the fresher-than-fresh seafood on offer. Whether you’re a local looking for a great deal on dinner or a tourist searching for a unique experience, the Fethiye Fish Market is definitely worth a visit.

Seafood and local markets. Two things that we love to devour and explore when we are traveling. Combine the two into one evening at the Fethiye Fish Market, and you have us salivating at the very thought.

Trip Advisor Fethiye

Eating at the Fethiye Fish Market

While we were in Turkey last year for ANZAC Day and our epic Busabout Sail Turkey cruise, we found one of the best restaurants we have ever been to.

We are always on the lookout for excellent food when we travel. And when a recommendation is handed to you from a local at your accommodation, you should listen. Our Fethiye Guesthouse hostel told us that the freshest, tastiest, and cheapest seafood in Fethiye was to be found at the local Fethiye fish market.

We didn’t need much convincing.

Fethiye Fish Markets

We were ready for a giant meal after a crazy and unique Hamam Turkish bath with semi-naked Turkish men.

But finding the local fish markets in Fethiye is just the beginning.

Walking the streets of Fethiye, you wouldn’t realize that tucked away in one of the squares is a fish market. From the outside, the square looks like a regular block of shops. Jewelers, tour companies, and local supermarkets sit side-by-side, hiding the gem inside.

It isn’t until you walk through one of the four arched entrances into the open-aired courtyard that the Fethiye fish market is revealed in all its glory.

Restaurants in Fethiye

Fethiye Fish Market

As you step from under the awnings, your mind begins to piece together the scene in front of your eyes.

Surrounding the square are tables covered with white linen and sparkling dinner sets—each lit from above with paper lanterns.

In the middle of the square sits a brightly lit stand with local fishers jostling together, selling their fresh bounty from that day’s expedition on the Aegean Sea. Each fisher takes up a small shelf of shaved ice piled high with squid, fish, mussels, and prawns.

Fethiye Restaurants

The seafood stand in the middle is where all the action is.

Seeing the confusion spreading across our faces, we were approached by one of the English-speaking waiters. He quickly explained that we were to select and pay for our dinner from any fishermen. They would prepare our seafood to our liking, whether prawns with shells off, chopped calamari, or whole snapper.

We would then bring our bounty in plastic bags back to the restaurant of our choice, where for a measly 6 – 8 Turkish Lira (US$4 – 5), they would cook our seafood. Included in the price was all-you-can-eat salad and bread—a bargain.

Restaurants in Fethiye, Fethiye Fish Market, Fethiye Restaurants, Trip Advisor Fethiye

Strolling around the stand several times, we were waved in with friendly smiles and broken English.

While the fishers were all competing, they were all friends. The mixed banter between them as they enticed us to their stalls was good-natured, and there was a lot of it.

With so many options, it was hard to decide on what we wanted to eat. We were eyeing the sailor-style mussels But as a sucker for calamari, that was immediately diced and thrown into our bag. As well as king prawns, a side of quickly filleted fish, and a couple of pieces of tender salmon.

Restaurants in Fethiye

Handing our bags of fresh seafood over to our waiter, we began downing the local Turkish beer, Efes, and watching as other locals and tourists joined the crowds in the square.

It wasn’t long before we were tucking into our meals. Each plate was perfectly cooked to our specific liking. Each morsel is as succulent as the next. And with 8 of us in our group, there was a lot of sharing and mixing of meals as we all wanted to try what others had.

The Fethiye fish market was the perfect way to finish another incredible day in Fethiye.

What do you think of the Fethiye fish market? Sound amazing?!

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Food

Myka™ Voice-Enabled Recipe Cooking Book App Turns An iPhone Into A Personal Sous Chef

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recipe cooking book app

Looking for a recipe cooking book app that can understand you? Look no further than the Myka AI-powered recipe builder app. This hands-free, voice-activated cookbook app converts your speech into a recipe on your iPhone.

Never forget a recipe or measurement again with this app by your side. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just getting started in the kitchen, this app is perfect for documenting each step of your culinary creation. So go ahead and give it a try – your next masterpiece awaits!

I don’t know about you, but I love whipping up a meal or two (or three) when the mood strikes me. The only problem is, sometimes I’m not exactly sure what to make. That’s where cookbooks come in handy – they provide a wide range of recipes for all sorts of occasions.

But what happens if you’re not near your cookbook? Or if you want to get creative and make something new? Well, that’s where Myka comes in. Myka is an app that transforms your iPhone into a virtual cookbook.

This helpful tool is perfect for chefs of all skill levels who want to experiment with new recipes or simply perfect their existing ones. With the recipe builder app, you can easily add, remove or change ingredients to suit your taste. So whether you’re looking for a new challenge in the kitchen or just want to have some fun with your food, the recipe builder app is the perfect tool for you.

If you’re anything like me, you love to cook. But sometimes, it can be hard to remember all the steps and ingredients for your favorite recipes. That’s where our recipe builder app comes in!

The app uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to convert your speech into a recipe, step by step. So whether you’re a professional chef or just a home cook, our app is perfect for you. Plus, it’s hands-free so you can continue cooking while we document everything for you.

If you’re like most people, you have a few recipe books lying around the house. But let’s be honest: who has the time to flip through all of them when you’re trying to cook a meal? That’s where recipe builder comes in.

With recipe builder, you can create, save and organize your recipes all in one place. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just getting started in the kitchen, this app is perfect for anyone who wants to streamline their cooking process.

Plus, recipe builder makes it easy to share your recipes with friends and family. So if you’re looking for a way to impress your dinner guests, this is it!

This app offers everything you need to create delicious recipes, including a recipe search engine, a meal planner, and a grocery list feature. Plus, with Chef’s user-friendly interface, you’ll be able to build beautiful recipe books that you can share with friends and family. So what are you waiting for?

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Meet Cole and Adela

Cole and AdelaWe have been wearing out our jandals (Kiwi for flip-flops) on our travel adventures around the world since 2009. We think our blog is thought provoking and a little witty. But we have been proven wrong before. Find out more about us here...

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