Red Hot World Buffet

Red Hot World Buffet. The Marmite of the Leeds restaurant scene, it divides opinion nearly as much as it divides and conquers the world’s cuisines in its gargantuan buffet. I’ve heard some rave about it, enamoured by the bounty of choice and sheer volume of food on offer, whereas I’ve known more die-hard foodies to turn their noses up at its mere concept, never mind daring to set foot within its four walls.

Me? I’ll be honest, it’s never really appealed to me. Right or wrong, I’ve perceived it as being of an inferior quality, so I’ve always favoured the jewels of the city’s burgeoning independent food scene, jewels that never fail to delight me. But I’m always happy to be proved wrong, so when The Culture Vulture invited me to review it on their behalf, I put my judgement to one side to see what it had to offer.

The elusive ‘they’ always recount just how important first impressions are, and in Red Hot’s case they weren’t bad at all. Within seconds of entering we were greeted warmly and shown the direction of the dining room located below street level, where our table was waiting.

As we descended into Red Hot’s subterranean lair, I had flashbacks of when it used to be a rather dodgy bar and nightclub that I used to frequent all-too-often in my student days. I know, I know, don’t judge me. To be fair, it’s seen quite the transformation from the sticky underworld that I’d rather forget! Yes, it’s very kitsch, with lashings of red paint and a novelty airport-themed décor, but it was much better than the dank and decidedly iffy club that used to occupy its space!

Emerging from an ‘airport tunnel’, we had finally reached our destination and I was shocked. A huge cavernous dining room unfolded, heaving with patrons who clung to every available inch of space so that barely a table was left unoccupied. It may be somewhere I’ve never considered dining at before, but I seemed to be in the minority with this opinion. It wasn’t just students either, but a real mix of people dining out for a variety of occasions. Maybe I’d judged Red Hot too soon…

Seated and drinks ordered, we were left to study the ‘instruction manual’ before us, emblazoned with the promise of a ‘food lover’s fantasy’. Let’s see, shall we.

I’m a stickler for sad details like lovely fonts and striking branding, so the food snob in me instantly reared its ugly head when I went to visit the buffet. Food was labelled using an inconsistent mix of fonts (including,*gasp*, Comic Sans!), on tacky orange paper that set the tone (in my head at least) for the quality of the food I was to encounter. Dishes representing most corners of the globe etched every surface of the enormous buffet, but familiar fail-safes such as Greek salad were marred by rather cheerless looking ingredients (soggy iceberg, anyone?). I also spied unfortunate instances of mislabelling, with one such ‘vegetarian’ curry containing what looked like a half gnawed chicken leg, unceremoniously sticking out as if to signal an SOS.

The promise of a ‘food lover’s fantasy’ was starting to seem rather ironic. By the time I’d hunter-gathered my first helping, my plate looked the product of a very confused, clueless chef, and although the combinations were entirely my choosing, the individual components didn’t fill me with confidence that this meal would be the taste sensation I normally seek.

Myself and my OH sampled as much as we physically could (in the interests of drawing a fair conclusion, of course!) and there were actually some rather pleasant surprises hiding in the midst of our unusual looking plates. The ‘stuffed kulcha’, a soft indian flatbread with a potato filling, was a particular favourite, as was a delectably squidgy chocolate brownie. I also couldn’t fault the waiting staff, who achieved that delicate balance of providing an attentive service without being overbearing.

Whilst Red Hot definitely exceeded my expectations, there was a gaping hole in the experience that confirmed that this just wasn’t the restaurant for me. By focusing on huge variety in even huger quantities, Red Hot invariably misses out on the elements that can make dining out so special. I missed the theatre and occasion of going out for dinner, which starts with the study of a carefully constructed menu imbued with a chef’s passion and creativity. I missed the build-up of suspense as you wait for your food to arrive, during which you take time to admire the intricacies of the haven you’ve entered, a haven infused with the personality of a team passionately dedicated to creating an unforgettable foodie experience. I missed that moment where a masterpiece is placed before you and its tantalising aromas begin to tease you, until you can wait no longer to take your first bite. And I missed that moment immediately after where everything around you just stops, as you absorb the mouth-watering flavours crafted by chefs with inspirational flair and expertise.

Yes, this may sound over the top, but this is my raison d’être for dining out, and I missed this at Red Hot. But of course it was missing – that’s not what Red Hot’s about and it makes no claims to be anything like this. You don’t go to Red Hot for romance, occasion and a finely tuned menu of local and sustainable produce with a story. You go for a massive variety of all-you-can-eat food, which may not be the best food you’ve ever tasted in your life, but it’s certainly not bad. Red Hot’s proposition is clear, it is what it is and it does it pretty well. I may not be the sort of diner that Red Hot is aimed at, but as was evident from our visit, there’s plenty who would disagree with me!

So, the overall verdict? It’s definitely not for me, but I can see the appeal and it honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The service was great, staff were very friendly and there were LOTS of happy punters. You can’t say fairer than that.