Growing up on Cantonese food, I'm a huge fan of family-style dining; I'm used to our kitchen table groaning from the weight of a lavish spread of food. I can insert some meaningful waffle about the joys of bonding when sharing the dishes amongst ourselves but we all know it's because I want my dish... And some of yours too. I'm impossibly indecisive and whittling down an exhaustive list of choices to just the one is a disastrous affair...
...Which is why my mood is always better if a buffet is included in the day's menu.
Buffet food is notoriously associated with limp chicken balls, curry swimming in its own pool of grease and sauces with unidentified floating objects in. The idea of a healthy buffet had never even crossed my mind so you can only imagine my excitement when I found Foodilic quietly parked on a busy North Street in Brighton.
The decor is clean-cut, simple and reflects the concept of the restaurant. The window display of overflowing towers of salads, high pillars of wholegrains and brimming pot of hot soup is enough to draw your eyes in. If that isn't enough, a tempting exclaim of 'Eat As Much As You Like for £6.45/Takeaway Box for £5' on a pastel-adorned blackboard inviting you inside its humble abode will.
Shall we go in?
Whether you're dealing with a salad-fearing boyfriend, a vastly vegan group or a bunch of meat-eating pals, Foodilic will cater for all stomachs. There's a rich abundance of choices to suit most dietary requirements and for those who are vegetarian, vegan and/or gluten-free. Everything is clearly marked under the title of the dish along with a full list of ingredients, handy for those who wish to avoid any hidden encounters with an offending object.
My personal favourites were the:
Spinach and mushroom soup (soup of the day)
Spinach, pesto and walnut salad (still dream about this)
Kale salad with blanched almonds
Melt-in-yer-mouth beef casserole
Green beans and mange tout with an orange dressing
Roasted butternut squash
I saw others make hills of fragrant cous cous, mop up the remaining juices from the chicken coq au vin with a crusted bread roll and spoon heaving amounts of mayo chicken and apple salad onto their plates.
Once you're done with your main meal, there's also a selection of desserts and juices too. Note, these aren't included in the £6.45 price but I spied a raw walnut chocolate cake that I'll get my hands on next time.
Shortly after our meal, we dragged our full tums over to Small Batch for another sit down and a steaming cup of coffee reminiscing of our stomach's past.
We visited the North Street branch but if buffets aren't for you and you'd rather order a full sized portion of something, there's another Foodilic round the corner on a Western road.
To all Londoners, no fear, you can have a bite over at Pentonville Road (King's Cross) - I hear there's a special 50% off selected items from 7-9pm every evening too.
If you fancy a healthy alternative to your standard sandwich and crisps at lunch, I'd definitely recommend popping into Foodilic to try a bit o' everything. Not only is it filling but you'll be doing your body a whole world of good too.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and recreate that spinach, walnut and pesto salad...
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