A buffet is a good alternative when one feels tired of getting lost in menus. But, where do you find popular buffets with quality food? Here are some typical places local diners favor.

Beer and hotpot for 39 yuan (US$5) at Kaiwei Beer House

There used to be places where people could find buffets for 18 yuan about six months ago, like the Culiangfang (粗糧坊) in Luohu. But after the latest round of price hikes, the number of restaurants offering buffets below 30 yuan has fallen dramatically. Even the popular Jingdu Hotpot Buffet (京都自助火鍋) in Dongmen, which claims to charge only 28 yuan for food, is tricky in pricing, because patrons actually have to pay extra for the 20-yuan hotpot broth and drinks.

In this environment, Kaiwei Beer House, a chain restaurant based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, stands out for its comfortable surroundings, large variety of food and drinks and, most important of all, reasonable prices.

Kaiwei has made its name for two things: beer and beef. Beer at Kaiwei is self-made, fresh and popular. By paying 39 yuan for food plus four yuan for drinks, one can enjoy all the beef, lamb and seafood for hotpot as well as its famous self-made beer.

Although it's a typical Chinese hotpot restaurant, the place looks more like a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant, which makes it a decent place for friend gatherings.

Add: 2/F, Carrefour, Lujing Garden, 3018 Fuqiang Road, Futian District (福田區3018號綠景花園家樂福2樓)

Tel: 8829-1390

Vegetarian buffet at Dengping

One of the earliest vegetarian restaurants in the city, Dengping has built a name for quality vegetarian food. The vegetarian buffet at Dengping is worth trying either for vegetarian food lovers or those who are curious about the food and want to try something different.

The buffet is 38 yuan for lunch and 58 yuan for dinner. The biggest difference between lunch and dinner buffets is that in addition to Chinese-style vegetarian dishes, like Sichuan hotpot, diners can also try vegetable dishes in Japanese and Western styles at night.

The delicate food and cozy environment makeDengping a place for either private or business gatherings.

Add: 3/F, Junting Garden, Bao'an Road South, Luohu District (寶安南路駿庭名園3樓)

Tel: 2590-8588

Bargain hotel buffets

If you favor only hotel buffets, don't miss the one at Lushan Hotel. The bargain buffet might be the most popular for locals at the 20-year-old four-star hotel.

The buffet is priced at 88 yuan plus a 15 percent service charge. Although the price is not too high, it might not be attractive to some people. But, visiting the hotel on Tuesday, and Friday, diners can enjoy a buffet at half price, 44 yuan plus the 15 percent service charge. For 51 yuan, a diner can enjoy all the seafood, cakes and drinks on offer.

The most popular food at Lushan buffet includes oysters, salmon and red crabs cooked in Chaozhou style.

Don't forget to make reservations before you go, because the buffet is so popular that the restaurant is usually packed on half-price days.

Add: 66 Chunfeng Road, Luohu Distric (羅湖區春風路66號)

Tel: 8233-8888, ext. 8224

Another bargain buffet with higher food quality and better service and environment is at the Sunshine Hotel. As well as oysters and salmon, sushi and steak are also recommended. The hotel also serves snacks from Southeast Asia. The buffet at the Sunshine Hotel is 128 yuan on weekdays and 108 yuan at weekends. A ladies' night on Wednesdays serves an 88-yuan buffet for ladies. The hotel has a service charge of 15 percent.

Add: 1 Jiabing Road, Luohu District (嘉賓路1號)

Tel: 8223-3888

(Shenzhen Daily January 16, 2008)