Mahjong, St Kilda

There is just something about an All You Can Eat place that makes my heart flutter, adrenaline rush and lastly the devastating effect of a very heavy stomach. The first two feelings are awesome, but there is always the regrettable third that follows. But no matter how many times I have to roll out of a restaurant straight into a food coma that lasts till the morning after, I still love going to AYCE. 

I love AYCE for the variety, the choice to choose for free (this is obviously an illusion because you always pay, with money in the total price and with the pain and regret of overeating) and the challenge of eating more than the price you paid for the food (which is also an illusion since these AYCE restaurants are still running, and going from strength to strength thanks to people like me). 

Mahjong restaurant in St Kilda was a great find for us. The restaurant is clean, tastefully fitted, and service is quick. Food wise, there is a reasonable variety to choose from and the food are all made to order so they are fresh. 

There are dimsum items e.g. steamed dumplings; large plates e.g. steamed fish fillet in soy sauce, salt and pepper calamari; desserts e.g. banana fritters. Each table has a menu, you order which ones you would like to eat and the staff brings them out. The kitchen will prepare the appropriate portion size according to the number of people on the table in order to reduce waste. For example, a normal yumcha dish portion is 3 dumplings but if there were 4 people on the table the chef will steam 4 dumplings in one bamboo steamer to customize. 

Our favourite dishes were the salt and pepper calamari, peking duck wraps, pan fried dumplings, wontons in chilli oil, and tibetan chicken. There were three dessert dishes, and since I was not a dessert fan anyway, I did not find it lacking. My advice is to skip dessert and just enjoy the savoury dishes. 

Service starts at 12pm on Saturdays and goes for two sessions on Sundays from 11:30am for the first and 1:30pm for the second session. Ordering of food is limited to the first 90 minutes from arrival so do be mindful to order enough prior to the time limit so you can continue to eat and chat post 90 minutes. 

This restaurant is great for a leisurely lunch with friends and family over small dishes and wine, on a beautiful sunny day as the restaurant has distant views of green Albert Park and there is outdoor seating available. If not, it is also great for an overcast day when you can sit inside and still enjoy the food and the decor.