Having written this blog for over 13 years (unlucky for some?), there are certain press visits that I remember more than others and one of those is the night that I got to spend with Chef Ken Hom at Cosmo to celebrate the launch of his book; My Stir Fried Life. The obvious highlight was getting to meet someone as revered in his field as Ken. It was also my first visit to Cosmo World Buffet and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. I popped back in this weekend to see if it is still as good.
Cosmo is a buffet style all you can eat restaurant with different cuisines on offer, from Indian and Chinese, to Italian and a traditional roast. There is something for the whole family and the beauty of dining in this way is you can satisfy your whole party. Kids can top up their plates with a random array of goodies, and the adults too if that takes their fancy!
We started with some drinks and the sun was cracking the flags in Manchester so we opted for some spritzes. The Hugo was pretty good and hit the spot. Included in the price of the meal is bottomless soft drinks, and there is a great range including the Manchester staple (don’t at me!) fizzy Vimto. The inclusion of drinks is such a great idea as you can just take what you want without worrying about the final cost.
Thankfully hydrated, we hit the World Buffet with a selection of Chinese starters. They tasted hot and fresh, with lots of variety and various vegetarian options too.
Not that it has ever affected my choice, but it was Sunday so it seemed sacrilege not to try the carvery! The turkey was lovely and juicy, something a lot of carvery places get so wrong. I can’t tell you how many times I have chosen turkey for it to be stupidly dry. That was definitely not the case here. There is a lovely selection of hot vegetables, mini Yorkshire puddings and a delicious gravy to drown it all in. My only complaint is that there wasn’t more potato option. There was mashed potato but no roasties.
My date enjoyed more Chinese dishes for the main, with sweet and sour chicken with noodles. It looked good and there were no complaints. So far so good!
The chocolate fondue was very tempting for dessert, as was the bottomless ice cream, but I couldn’t avoid the hot chocolate brownies with custard. Such a classic and it really hit the spot. There was lots of other choices with miniature versions of all your favourites, or a more healthy fruit salad.
We admitted defeat and left with full bellies and a desire to return to attempt to try everything. With prices starting from £19.99, it would be foolish not to.
You can book your table on the Cosmo Manchester website.
I was invited to dine as a guest and was not asked to pay.
No Comments