Wuhan Steamboat City
Last year when I was in Bangkok, I found a really nice innovative steamboat restaurant in MBK. Innovative? Yes, it is. Everyone pays a flat price (can't recall the charge but about S$10 I think) and you get to eat-all-you-can in 1hr and 10mins. Yeah, they time you! I am given a ticket when I enter the restaurant and the time is stamped on it. This ticket needs to be presented at the cashier when paying.
Not only that, the restaurant has a belting system (like sushi bar) with plates of raw food on it. It moves the food around the restaurant and I can pick anything I like and cook it in the individual pot in front of me. How nice is that? Unlike the usual steamboat buffet which I have to walk to and fro the counter to pick my food, this comes to me.
With great food selection and tasty soup, the S$10 is well worth-it. And the 'timing management' is an excellent idea as it stops hogging. By the time I leave, there is a steady stream of queue but they know they will definitely get a seat no more than 1hr 10mins.
PS: Except for some cabbage snatchers who sat in front of me. They keep taking the cabbages and I have difficulties getting my hands on them. Arghhhh, I want cabbages!!!
Anyway, back to Wuhan.
I saw an advert about this new restaurant named Wuhan Steamboat City which has the same belting system. It is also a flat fare (I pay $29.90 I think) buffet except they do not restrict how long you can eat (ie. they don't time you).
It is located in a quiet corner on the 4th level of The Central. Appear quiet on a Friday night.
Once sat and peek at the food, I know this is no way comparable to the one in Bangkok. The dinner starts when the server brought some cooked dishes to my table. I rejected all except a plate of roast duck (4 pieces). It yucks. I only took a bite and spit it out. No duck taste but mouthful of pepper.
I started to pick the ingredients for my steamboat and cook. Hmmm, soup is bland and food looks ‘ill’ before it’s cooked. Clams are not fresh, cabbages with dark spots, fish and meat look last week (I didn’t even dare touch).
Verdict – Not worth trying. I will not go back.
