to close out my staycation at shangri-la, i checked out the lunch buffet at b cafe, their ground floor restaurant. shonali and i had walked through the day before just to see what they had on offer, and as soon as i saw cold cuts, sushi, and fresh salad, i knew that’s where i would have lunch on sunday. i figured it would be a nice way to wrap up the weekend, and i was in the mood for food i don’t eat regularly while i’m in india.

at rs. 1,700 per person, it’s definitely pricey, but it’s no more than any other sunday buffet on offer around the city [in comparison, i paid rs. 2,000 for my buffet at the glass house in september]. and with the variety b cafe offers, it was definitely worth the splurge.

i am pretty strategic when it comes to buffets, so i chose to attack it one section at a time. i began at the make-your-own-chaat station, which was pretty exciting for me. i made my own version of sev puri with as much tamarind sauce as i wanted. it was pretty delicious, if i may say so myself.

along with the chaat i got myself some cold cuts and antipasti. they had pepperoni, salami, and salmon on offer, all of which i am unable to resist. i got a bit of cheese and then stocked up on some mushrooms, prawns, deviled eggs, and a piece of sausage. all were great, especially the salmon.

once i finished inhaling all of that, i made a beeline for the sushi and the fresh salad bar. the only non-veg roll on offer was a shrimp roll, and it was pretty delicious. i would have been happy with only sushi for my entire meal.

i also made myself a nice green salad with cucumber, baby corn, broccoli, corn, and jalapenos topped off with a honey mustard-like dressing. fresh salad is something i often crave in india, and the opportunity to make it exactly how i wanted was too good to pass up. i ate every last bite and would have licked my plate if i weren’t in such a fancy setting.

by this point i figured i should hit up the main courses to see what they had to offer. i walked around the main station to scope everything out before diving in. there was a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options ranging from thai to indian to continental. i ultimately decided on some roast potatoes, a pork bun, and two different beef dishes — one was a kerala-style beef curry, and the other was a goulash. all four items were great, and if forced i would probably say the potatoes or the goulash were my favourites of the bunch.

while wandering the main course stations i came across the build-your-own-taco bar. when i saw they had proper hard taco shells, i knew there was no way i could pass it up. i put in my order for a taco with ground beef, pico, salsa, and cheese, and it was ready just as i was finishing up with the other main dishes i had chosen. my taco was absolutely fantastic, and it made me extremely homesick for mexican food.

at some point two of the various managers separately noticed me eating on my own and began stopping by periodically to make sure i was alright and to see if i needed anything. they both struck up conversations, and about mid-way through my meal one showed up with a virgin mojito with orange juice for me. i guess since i hadn’t ordered anything other than water he figured i was thirsty, so he brought me this. it was better than i expected it to be, especially since i’m not a huge fan of mojitos [too much mint for my liking], but the experience of it was entertaining above all else. he was so proud when i responded that it tasted good.

at this point i had sampled pretty much everything i wanted to, but i wasn’t quite done eating yet, so i headed back for my favourites from the day — the antipasti and cold cuts pictured above, and another round of the shrimp roll. they were maybe a bit of overkill, but they were also ridiculously delicious and i wanted to get my money’s worth.

by now i was finally ready for dessert. as someone who loves her sweet treats, i have to say i was a little underwhelmed by the dessert table. the assortment of indian sweets was very diverse, but when it came to the rest there were a lot of fruity desserts as opposed to chocolate-based ones, so it wasn’t quite what i was looking for. it was good in a way, though, because it meant i was limited in my choices. i went with a brownie, gulab jamun and rasgolla, and a scoop of tender coconut ice cream after the dessert chef talked me into it. the rasgolla was hands-down my favourite.

not to be outdone by the guy who brought me the fake mojito, the food and beverage manager asked if i wanted a hot chocolate to wrap up my meal. i was on the verge of saying no, seeing as how it was in the upper 80s outside, but he mentioned that their hot chocolate is made from a special recipe designed by the french head chef of the cafe. how was i supposed to say no to that? since it was cold inside the dining room i figured what the heck, and it was really good. there was far too much of it considering how much i had already ingested, and it really needed some whipped cream to top it off, but it was a great way to bring my brunch outing and my weekend adventure to a close.

the details:

location: ground floor, shangri-la hotel. no 56-6b, palace road, abshot layout, vasanth nagar. bangalore – 560052.

landmark: next to mount carmel college.

serves non-veg: yes. chicken, beef, pork, fish. you name it, they serve it.

serves drinks: yes. i assume they are included in the price, but i didn’t feel like drinking so didn’t order anything.

wifi available? i’m not sure if they have wifi just for the restaurant, but the hotel has wifi.

what i ordered: one buffet, please and thank you.

my bill: around rs 2,000 after taxes and service charge. it definitely comes with a hefty price tag.

my zomato rating: 4 out of 5 // average rating is 3.5

to keep in mind: it’s a buffet, so you have to be strategic about making your way around it. also, there is usually a waiting list for the tacos, so put in your order and try something else while you’re waiting. same goes for the sushi.

will i go back? maybe for a special occasion, but i want to check out a few other places first.

do you enjoy a good sunday buffet? i am already plotting my next one!

xx