When I brought Sam with me for a birthday buffet at Kuishin Bo, he was mentioning to me about this catchy jingle by Kuishin Bo. Since I have not heard about Kuishin Bo before, I had no idea that they existed for over 10 years in Singapore since 2001.
In 2002, they had a catchy TV commercial which features their very own jingle that goes, ‘Dong Dong Dong 1,2,3, We are Kuishin Bo”.
This form of marketing strategy is really effective because now when I think of a Japanese Buffet restaurant, I will think of Kuishin Bo. Guess what? They offer more than 150 varieties of food!
Besides this Japanese Food Paradise offers really decent Japanese food and other seasonal items. I am not surprised why business in this restaurant is thriving as it is usually packed with diners on weekends. It is hard to get a table on Saturdays especially so I highly recommend that you make a reservation in advance via their website.
Kuishin Bo Buffet Line
Their buffet line features Japanese all-time popular dishes like sushi, sashimi, tempura, teppanyaki, Kami Nabe (paper steamboat), cha soba, udon and a range of desserts from mochi, fruits to ice cream. Nonetheless, most diners usually go there for their seafood specials like Zuwaigani (Hokkaido Snow crabs), mussels, clams and scallops. If you are into fresh seafood, it is totally worth the price to be satisfying your seafood cravings there.
But do note that the snow crabs are offered during dinner time only. If I had known, I would have come for their buffet dinner instead! During dinner hours, do keep an ear out for their iconic ‘dong dong’ bell as they will be offering hourly “specials” of limited quantities, such as Japanese desserts, lobsters and more.
In fact, most of the diners were probably just there for their seafood. We saw them piling them plates with heaps of seafood! I guess that’s how you can make your money’s worth.
Ohanami Fair (5 March – 3 June)
In addition to the permanent buffet line which features the all-time Japanese favourites, they also have a special buffet section featuring special seasonal dishes. Their spring buffet line, Ohanami fair, offers 15 new spring and Sakura-inspired dishes. Some of the buffet highlights include the Sakura Sansai Soba, Sakura Ebi Shio Yakisoba and Sakura Ebi Kakiage.
However, we didn’t get to try all of them because we were drawn to their main buffet section. There were so many varieties of Japanese food to choose from and we were definitely spoilt for choice! From their great quality sushi to sashimi and tempura, the food standard is generally quite good and I can’t complain.
How long is the buffet line and what it is like?
Sushi and Sashimi Section
Kid’s Section
This is the kids’ section for the little ones to grab some popcorn and make their own bowl of Japanese Ice Kacang, Kakigori. The height of the buffet table is made lower so that the young ones can reach out for healthy fruit-infused water, popcorn and some ice desserts.
Drinks Section
They have soft drinks, coffees, teas and even a Milo drink dispenser. Not every buffet restaurant serves Milo by the way. And not many restaurants actually offer a variety of beverages. So thumbs up for that, Kuishin Bo!
Kami Nabe (Japanese Paper Hot pot)
Make sure you try one of these mini paper hot pots while you are there. The broths provided are really tasty and the hot broth does help to whet your appetite.
More Soups
In this section, you can fill up your bowls with miso soup and porridge. But I do recommend that you try their Japanese hotpots first before diving into this section.
Tempura section
This is another section not to be missed! I like that they also provide all sorts of condiments to go along with their delicious tempuras.
Hot food section
After trying their sushi, tempuras and hotpot, you can try their other hot dishes like curry and other hot savoury dishes.
Eat only what you can stomach
To avoid food wastage, they do charge for every kg of food left on your plate. So be sure to take only what you can stomach! Go slow and just enjoy the variety of food. What I like about buffets is the wide variety of food which you can choose from! So to sample the variety of food, just take a little at a time and savour. If you enjoy a particular dish, then go for a second round.
Desserts
They have a dessert section featuring delicate Japanese pastries like mochi. There is also a fruit and salad section next to it. For my health-conscious friends, this is where you would like to hang out.
Fruits Section
Salad Bar
Chocolate Fondue Station
As with many other buffet restaurants, there will be this towering chocolate fondue pot stationed right at the dessert section. To be honest, I wish buffet restaurants could be more innovative with their dessert offerings. Wouldn’t a Sakura Pink chocolate fondue be awesome?
Unfortunately, both of us did not really enjoy the desserts as the cakes and mochi are too sweet for our liking. There is a soft-serve ice cream machine as well but the ice cream is way too sugary. It would be great if they could make their desserts a little less sinful so that we can at least out of the restaurant without much guilt.
My Verdict on Kuishin-bo
Nonetheless, Kuishin Bo is still a Japanese food paradise with its wide variety of offerings. The restaurant setting is also very family-friendly as well. There have large common tables for family gatherings.
Have you been to this family-friendly Japanese Buffet restaurant before? Let me know what are your thoughts!
