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Maybe its just me, but I have always found Indian buffets definitely inferior to ordering an item off the menu. Additionally, even pre-Covid, I was leery based on basic sanitation measures. I've seen some gross stuff in a buffet line!!
OBTW, if any of you Indian food fans come down to New Bern for a visit, I recommend most strongly The Bay Leaf restaurant. I've eaten Indian all over the world and this restaurant, in lil' ol' New Bern, is clearly world class.
Came for the buffet recommendations, left with the tired COVID arguments. Cool. Mask/anti-mask, Science/anti-science....let's keep it on topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LLN
Maybe its just me, but I have always found Indian buffets definitely inferior to ordering an item off the menu.
I generally agree with you but when it comes to Indian food, for me, the best way to try something is on a buffet. I do love Indian food but even reading the descriptions I hesitate to try anything because I'm not accustomed to combinations of bases and spices.
Just because they didn't have a dumbass sign up like Big Al's doesn't mean they weren't flaunting science. A buffet restaurant open last October during the pandemic? Flaunting science. It's an infectious disease. They made it easier for disease to spread. Yep, I take issue with that. I am absolutely fine if 100% of this forum disagrees with me. Unfortunately it seems to be the American way that it's all sorts of survival of the fittest and me, me, me, and there isn't the sense of actions for the common good that exist elsewhere.
Definitely prefer to continue to go to the other restaurants that DID get it.
I didn't say I agreed with what they did, I'm distracted by science most of the time myself. But they used proper social distancing with regards to seating, required masks while on the buffet line and had a server dishing out the food who was allegedly tested regularly for COVID-19 (a friend shared this with me).
I definitely was not willing to rely on the "survival of the fittest" method as a navigational guide this past year, but as a long time risk professional I've always been willing to take calculated risks where it makes sense. That's why I continued to go grocery shopping and would happily dine somewhere with an outdoor seating option. It's also why we were willing to travel to Seattle to visit our son last November while following all of the trusted guidance along the way.
But sure, punish establishments that did what they felt necessary to stay open, even though they were fully compliant with the regulations.
I'm not understanding the issue with a buffet restaurant versus a non-buffet restaurant. COVID is a respiratory disease. Its passed from person to person via droplets from human lungs, not via food. I can understand being OCD about having close contact with people, but it escapes me as to the reason a buffet restaurant is more of an issue than a non-buffet.
OBTW, if any of you Indian food fans come down to New Bern for a visit, I recommend most strongly The Bay Leaf restaurant. I've eaten Indian all over the world and this restaurant, in lil' ol' New Bern, is clearly world class.
This place is on my list of NC restaurants to visit so glad to hear good things about it.
Buffets might make people nervous, but the real issue is not people touching the serving spoons, trays, etc. COVID-19 is not transmitted through buffets or food. Being near people at the buffet who are COVID-19+ can be an issue, but not the food or surfaces at the buffet itself.
Just because they didn't have a dumbass sign up like Big Al's doesn't mean they weren't flaunting science. A buffet restaurant open last October during the pandemic? Flaunting science. It's an infectious disease. They made it easier for disease to spread. Yep, I take issue with that. I am absolutely fine if 100% of this forum disagrees with me. Unfortunately it seems to be the American way that it's all sorts of survival of the fittest and me, me, me, and there isn't the sense of actions for the common good that exist elsewhere.
Definitely prefer to continue to go to the other restaurants that DID get it.
I tend to agree with your mentality on this, but:
1. It's not that it was "NOT OK", it was "not OK with you", (which is perfectly fine)
2. If they were following all the CDC guidelines and could still run a buffet, then how is it more risky than (say) going to Food Lion?
I've not been to Dharani since pre-pandemic, but if they were enforcing social distancing, had sneeze-guards, made people use gloves, etc. Then it just comes down to perception. Having worked in a restaurant for years, I'll be the first to say a well-managed buffet is no less safe than having cooks prepare food for the same number of people. The cooks might be 'out of site', but they are still humans, they don't have sneeze guards in kitchens, they typically can't social distance, and I can assure you that your typical kitchen worker is statistically more likely to party hard in their off-hours, certainly more-so than your average buffet eater.
All I'm saying is that a lot of what I see is based on perception. I respect and follow the science. (Another example: All my friends who refused to go to restaurants (and criticised others who did) were perfectly happy to gather weekly and grill out in their back yard, and sit around the campfire all winter. Is that really any less risky than going to a 25% capacity restaurant?)
Neither Kathmandu in Cary, nor Royal India in Raleigh are doing buffet. Also, I just confirmed that Dharani IS doing lunch buffet, as well as Sitar in Durham. Those are the only two restaurants I know of.
Last edited by fvbuddy; 07-14-2021 at 10:53 AM..
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