Boss lady (she hates that term) was going away on maternity leave… and we requested to go to Melba’s for the breakfast buffet! Yayy! I was being regaled with tales of yonder (last year where they ate so much they had to be wheeled back to work)…
So I wake up in the morning (not feeling at all like P Diddy)… and arrived at Langham Hotel at around 7.00am… this was so that we could eat for a full 2 hours before going into work (indeed, we did not have lunch that day… nor dinner)…
Greeted by the opulence and grand allure of the interior (remnants of Sheraton Towers) I eagerly bounded up the stairs with my fellow enthusiastic colleagues (Okay, it was just me and they stared)…
As we walked to our table (beautifully placed next to the river view), I could not help but be distracted by the range of food in the buffet area… indeed, it was only to one area I was longingly looking at…
The CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN!!!! at 7 a.m. in the morning, with ice-cream and chocolate and fruits… I could possibly quite feel like P Diddy this morning!!!
Other healthier people were much more excited by the wide ranging variety of fruit and yogurt on display… (I look at them piteously… fruit vs chocolate fountain?… *cough*losers*cough*)
As everyone hurried on to grab the freshest bread and pastries (another wide selection)… I eagerly walked around to take as many pictures as possible before the hoards of hotel guests arrived to mess everything up (I am a food Natzi.. hate me)…
The egg station was prepped as usual and you are able to place an order of any eggs (however you like it) with him…
This brought back memories to when I was about 11 or 12 years old and we stayed here (back when it was still Sheraton), and this was the coolest thing I experienced… I can still remember how gooey and creamy the egg, cheese and bacon omelette I had back then… sadly I can no longer find any hotels that do this well… 🙁
Melba’s also had a range of juices, cold cuts, cheeses and bowls of cereals. The only thing I did not like about this whole arrangement was that the cereals were exposed to air… (it’ll get soft and soggy!)
Anyways, back to my own greedy morning breakfast… I went with the usual bacon (minus eggs), mushrooms, sausages, spinach and hash brown..
I also tried their congee (a bit too watery and not enough stock) and the chinese donut (Yau Char Kwai) was a bit tough… tasted like the packet versions and wasn’t fresh (big dissapointment!)
And then on to desserts!… (A few of the others went the extra mile and took pancakes and ice-cream as well)… chocolate marshmallows, strawberries, rockmelon… anything that I could put through the chocolate fountain 😛
Was the buffet fun? Yes with a large group of colleagues or friends.
Was the buffet worth the $38? Not really. It was fun with the chocolate fountain, but I’ve had better morning buffets in other hotels (around the world)
Would I return? Possibly for the other buffet that Melba has (lunch/dinner), but certainly not for breakfast (not for that price at least).
*Disclaimer: All food ratings are purely based on my own experiences and how I feel about the service, food and quality
Food/ Cuisine: Buffet
Dining Style: Restaurant
Overall Food Rating (Based on the Dining style): 6/10
Restaurant ambiance: 7/10
Service/ Attitude: 6.5/10 (the wait staff weren’t very attentive to our large group and continuously failed to take away used dishes and cutlery and refill coffee/tea)
Value for money: 6/10
Address:
Langham Hotel
First floor
1 Southgate Avenue
Southbank VIC 3006
Tel:(03)1800 641 107
Website: http://www.melbarestaurant.com.au/
Email: [email protected]
Melba’s is open 7 days a week for
breakfast, lunch and dinner (visit their website for more info)
How to get there:
Omg- two hours of eating and no time for a nap before work! Oy vey!
I must admit that I never seem to get much value out of hotel buffet breakfasts. I can never eat very mcuh then anyway! Although a chocolate fountain might sway me! 😛
I think I may be one of those people that would have made 'ooooo' sounds at the fruit station hehehe $38 is a bit pricey for breakfast… is it the same price for dinner?
lol, sorry to always (well, twice) ask about the cost… can only affort so much on a uni student's budget :).
I've always loved Melba dinner buffets, didn't realise they also had breakfast buffets!! I guess I wouldn't rush to it based on your review, hehe.
I always find that a good hotel breakfast is the hardest thing to find – props on having a choc fountain for brekky though…
langham seems to be going through a rough patch at the moment… with all these not so good reviews =(. might give them a pass for a while.
Ren: I was all for the Siesta (got shot down!)
Lorraine: I concur!
Ames: Yeah, it seriously wasn't worth $38 (maybe half that price?)
Kim: I've heard many good things about their other buffets, I guess my expectation for the brekkie was way too high!
Chanel: Yeah the chocolate fountain was a WIN
Almost always ravenous: Lols… there are so many places on our growing list, you can give this one a miss.
Gawd, I would struggle to get somewhere by 7am – even with a buffet breakfast on offer! But then again, I'm not particularly excited by breakfasts!
The chocolate fountain is there at breakfast too? Well i suppose it would be hard for them to hide it!