The Battle of All-You-Can-Eat Buffets Heats Up in Taipei: Dessert Lovers’ Paradise vs. Meat Lovers’ Haven

▲“Les Culinary” reportedly offers 70 kinds of desserts, sparking a craze. (Photo / Reporter Chen Zi-Yin)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

When the “Les Culinary” buffet restaurant from the Les Suites Hotels Group opened in September, boasting 70 types of desserts, it caused a sensation, with reservations fully booked through December. Meanwhile, the “Pin Hua Yuan” buffet from the Yunlan Tourism Group and the “Checkers” buffet, backed by Caesar Park Hotels, have also opened one after another, officially igniting the buffet war in Taipei.

All-you-can-eat buffets seem to hold an almost indescribable allure for Taiwanese people. Every year during travel expos, buffet vouchers from major hotels remain wildly popular. Perhaps sensing the business opportunity, hotel operators have all independently expanded by launching new brands—buffet restaurants separate from their hotel systems. The Yunlan Tourism Group announced earlier this year that it would introduce Taiwan’s largest buffet restaurant, “Pin Hua Yuan.” However, it was the Les Suites Hotels Group’s “Les Culinary” that opened first.

Like most buffet restaurants, “Les Culinary” offers a wide range of dishes, including desserts, cold cuts, hot meals, as well as Japanese sashimi and sushi, with about 130 dishes available daily. But what really caught everyone’s attention is the buffet’s over 70 dessert options, which perfectly cater to female diners and dessert enthusiasts. Since its opening, the place has been packed, with phone lines constantly busy. It’s said that dinner reservations are already fully booked through December.


▲“Pin Hua Yuan” roasts a single pig weighing over 100 jin every day. (Photo / Provided by Pin Hua Yuan)

“Pin Hua Yuan,” which began soft opening in November, covers an area of 1,200 ping and offers 680 seats, claiming to be the largest off-hotel buffet operated by a five-star Taiwanese tourism hotel group. “Pin Hua Yuan” features 24 open kitchens, including Chinese cuisine, Italian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Thai cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine, Indian cuisine, a live seafood section (where guests can personally catch their own seafood), and more. At the same time, over 90% of the dishes are prepared to order. But the most unique feature is its Mongolian barbecue all-you-can-eat option, along with a whole pig weighing over 100 jin roasted daily, plus more than 30 chickens and ducks used each day—truly a meat lover’s paradise.

As for “Checkers,” which began its soft opening on the 12th, facing strong competition, Caesar Park Hotels emphasize offering guests banquet-level cuisine while ensuring peace of mind in what they eat. In addition to open kitchens, Caesar Park Hotels has also invested 3 million NTD to build a brick pizza oven, allowing customers to enjoy freshly baked, authentic Italian pizzas.