Held in the spacious and airy Penguin Restaurant the weekly buffet meal is the perfect way to wile away a few hours and grow a few dress sizes. The room itself is large and filled with light with a wall of windows looking out over a bright green lawn and blue bay beyond it. Every table is delicately arranged with a light green table cloth and simple white china whilst the various decorations and paintings, the largest being a one-walled mural of jackass penguins thus giving the restaurant its namesake, give the whole room a nautical theme.

But enough of that! Along two walls of the restaurant are two long tables with white table cloths and these are the most important things in the room; this is where the food is. Heaped high with tasty treats are platters upon platters of food; fish, meat, seafood, vegetables and puddings, so much that it’s virtually impossible to try every dish! Starter choices include an array of cold meats and fish, raw, smoked and cooked, any form of salad you can imagine, from fresh tomatoes and feta to pasta salad to potatoes and mayonnaise, to three bean salad to coleslaw, and, The Buchter News’s personal favourite, an oriental platter complete with miniature spring rolls.

The options for main dishes are equally as extensive; budding foodies can choose their own cut of meat from a sizzling hot pan and choices include chicken, Kessler, beef (which is fantastically salty), lamb and pork. For the most part the meat is delicious, tender and well flavoured but come too late to the buffet and you may find some of it a little dry as it lies out on the cooker. To accompany your meat there is rice, potato wedges and several stews which will leave you full to bursting. However it has to be said that this buffet only has limited options for vegetarians as, as with almost anywhere in southern Africa, the main meal focus is on the meat.

Whatever you do don’t eat too much for your first two courses because the selection of deserts at the Nest Hotel buffet is so good it is one of the few things in life that can actually be described as sumptuous. As most of you know I have I horrendous sweet tooth and it always fills my heart with joy when I see the dessert table, laden with lovely sweet things. Depending on whether you’re in the mood for cake or tart there is a dish that will suit you and in addition there is always a large bowl of fresh fruit salad. My personal favourite is the Nests chocolate mousse; gloriously thick, rich and creamy it’s like taking little spoonfuls of calorie-rich heaven, HAVE THIS!

The Sunday buffet at the Penguin Restaurant runs from 12.30- 2pm every weekend, costing N$85 not including drinks. Please be aware that dish options will vary from week to week.

If you would like to put our taste buds to the test and be reviewed by The Buchter News please contact us on info@buchternews.com