Crave, Aloft Bangkok's main restaurant, recently reopened with a tempting seafood dinner buffet at an affordable price of B750 per person. The restaurant with modern/industrial aesthetic feels spacious, thanks to the very high ceiling and large windows that offers diners a view from the eighth floor.
If you're starving, grab yourself a plate of seafood on ice featuring mussels, oysters and blue crab along with various condiments. On an adjacent grill station, a good selection of more seafood awaits, if you're not in a hurry. You can have the likes of grilled seabass, salmon, white shrimp, rock lobster, river prawn or blue crab. All you need to do is tell the chef what you want and wait for it to be served at your table.
The mussels impressed me with their plumpness while the grilled prawns were just right. Spotted Babylon snails had a crunchy texture and the oysters I ate with chilli paste, fried shallots and spicy dressing on top, aka the Thai way, burst with flavours in my mouth. There are so many condiments you can enjoy with the seafood and, duh, good ol' nam jim see-food goes great with everything.
If you want a bit of surf and turf, Crave also offers a carving station where you can find lamb, chicken and more fish. Slathered with aromatic gravy, the lamb is tender and its skin is crispy. I still get that unique lamb smell but it isn't too much that it becomes a turn-off.
If you don't feel right not eating rice, help yourself to a few favourite Thai dishes on offer from green curry, seafood curry and tom yum. Other items on the savoury side include cold cuts, Thai and Western hot dishes, salads, made-to-order pasta and more. Do save some room for dessert, though, as Crave has an entire corner dedicated to them. They are obviously not an afterthought.
End your bingeing session on a sweet note with the likes of Passion fruit panna cotta, creme brulee in kanom tuay dishes, and sago pearls topped with coconut cream and ripe mangoes. There is a crepe station and ice cream station to further satiate your sweet tooth.
Given the vast variety on offer, Crave's seafood dinner buffet gives good value for your B750. You'll be spoilt for choice here. The seafood dinner buffet is available from Fridays to Sundays from 6-10pm. The price is net and includes free-flow soft drinks.
Aloft Bangkok, Sukhumvit 11, BTS Nana Exit 3/ book your seat online at bit.ly/3he617H, 02-207-7000.
