15 cheap buffets in Singapore under $15++ to eat your fill at (2019)
PUBLISHED ONJune 13, 2019 9:33 AMByEugenia Liew
In Singapore, most of all-you-can-eat buffets cost upwards of $30++, which is pretty pricey. Sure, they may serve expensive seafood, but really, how many Alaskan king crab legs can you eat?! If you have the appetite of a viking, then lucky you. But for small eaters like myself, it's hard to justify blowing that kind of money on a buffet. Most times, I can stuff myself silly ordering a la carte and still pay the same (or less).
But when the buffet price is under $20 (a reasonable amount I'm willing to pay for a "restaurant meal"), it's a different story because I may actually be able to eat my money's worth. Here are 15 affordable buffets under $15++.
15 CHEAP BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE (UNDER $15++)
Most of the indicated prices are for the ultimate off-peak time slot, weekday lunch.
| Restaurant | Type of buffet / cuisine | Prices from |
| Al Jasra (halal) | Prata | $7.90 nett |
| iSteamboat | Porridge | $8.80++ |
| Greenleaf Cafe | South Indian vegetarian | $12 nett |
| Moghul Mahal | North Indian | $12 nett |
| Quality Hotel | Porridge | $12.80++ |
| Manle | Porridge | $12.90+ |
| Shabu Sai | Japanese hotpot | $12.99++ |
| Oppa BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14++ |
| Crystal Cafe | Porridge | $14.80++ |
| Pot Addiction | Hotpot | $14.90++ |
| Ssikkek Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| Daessiksin Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| I’m Kim Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| Makan@Jen | Hotel semi-buffet | $14.90++ |
| Rumah Rasa (Bay Hotel Singapore) (halal) | Hotel semi-buffet | $15 nett |
As expected, you won't find international spreads at this price point. Most of these feature "cheap" foods like porridge, prata and the likes. So in that sense, the most "worth it" of the above options are the ones serving Korean BBQ and steamboat buffets because they serve meat.
CHEAP INDIAN BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE UNDER $15++
| Restaurant | Type of buffet / cuisine | Prices from |
| Al Jasra (halal) | Prata | $7.90 |
| Greenleaf Cafe | South Indian vegetarian | $12 |
| Moghul Mahal Restaurant | North Indian | $12 |
I guess it makes sense that Indian restaurants are able to offer affordable buffet prices - the cuisine features a glorious selection of carbs (pratas, naans, chapatis and more!) and rarely includes expensive ingredients like seafood. These are the absolute cheapest of the lot.
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AL JASRA (HALAL) - $7.90 FOR PRATA BUFFET, OPEN 24/7
Nutrition-wise, it probably doesn't make that much sense, but if you love carbs as much I do, you'll be delighted to know that Al Jasra serves unlimited prata for an insanely cheap price tag of $7.90.
GREENLEAF CAFE - $12 FOR SOUTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN LUNCH BUFFET
Greenleaf Cafe calls itself Singapore's only "herbal vegetarian" restaurant. In addition to being meat-free, the dishes feature natural ingredients and spices because as their HungryGoWhere profile states, they have "social responsibilities" to serve "a vegetarian diet that reduces the risk for chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer including colon, breast, prostate, stomach, lung and oesophageal cancer".
Eh, I don't know if this stuff can fight cancer, but at $12 nett for the weekday lunch buffet, it's worth a shot lah, hor?
MOGHUL MAHAL - $12 FOR NORTH INDIAN LUNCH BUFFET
Prefer North to South Indian cuisine? Then head to Moghul Mahal, which serves a North Indian spread for their weekday lunch buffets ($12 nett). I've personally never been there, but from the looks of the photos on its website, the place looks quite posh - you can book the restaurant for functions, and in one of the rooms, there's even a pool table!
CHEAP PORRIDGE BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE UNDER $15++
| Restaurant | Type of buffet / cuisine | Prices from |
| iSteamboat | Porridge | $8.80++ |
| Quality Hotel | Porridge | $12.80++ |
| Manle | Porridge | $12.90+ |
| Crystal Cafe | Porridge | $14.80++ |
Most people wouldn't think of spending on a porridge buffet - because porridge cheap mah - but if you think about it, it's quite shiok to be able to add as many "liao" as you want to your Teochew mui right?
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ISTEAMBOAT AT MARINA SQUARE - $8.80++ FOR DAILY LUNCH BUFFET
Once upon a time, iSteamboat was called Hotpot Culture, and yup - you remember right - it was suspended for serving a salted vegetable dish with a dead rat in it.
But four years have passed and they haven't been in the news for anything dodgy since then, so I think it's about time to forgive and forget. Under its new brand iSteamboat, the restaurant serves the cheapest porridge buffet in Singapore ($8.80++) that actually includes drinks, ice-cream and other carbs too.
QUALITY HOTEL - $12.80++ FOR LATE-NIGHT PORRIDGE BUFFET
Quality Hotel is known for their porridge buffets as well, but the best way to get the most bang for your buck is to go there after 10.30pm.
Usually (during dinner time), the buffet prices are $24.80++ to $26.80++. But after 10.30pm, the price is halved.
On Monday to Thursday, the supper porridge buffet (10.30pm to 12.30am) is $12.80++, while on Friday & weekends, it is $14.80++.
MANLE - $12.90+ FOR WEEKDAY TEOCHEW PORRIDGE BUFFET LUNCH
Manle is opened by the people responsible for everyone's favourite cheap Western food chain, Astons. As you can tell, prices are kept equally affordable, which is always welcome news for us.
For $12.90+, you can pair your porridge with over 30 dishes. Both outlets are at reasonably accessible as they're at malls (City Square and Downtown East).
CRYSTAL CAFE - $14.80++ FOR TAIWAN PORRIDGE BUFFET LUNCH
If you're bored of the usual Teochew mui, switch things up a bit and go for a Taiwanese porridge buffet instead. At Crystal Cafe, you can have your fill of braised pork and beancurd dishes for just $14.80++.
The buffet lunch is 12pm to 2.30pm on weekdays, but is extended until 4pm on weekends.
CHEAP KOREAN BBQ & STEAMBOAT BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE UNDER $15++
| Restaurant | Type of buffet / cuisine | Prices from |
| Oppa BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14++ |
| Pot Addiction | Steamboat | $14.90++ |
| Ssikkek Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| Daessiksin Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| I’m Kim Korean BBQ | Korean BBQ | $14.90++ |
| Shabu Sai | Japanese steamboat | $14.99++ |
I absolutely love KBBQ & hotpot buffets. And it's always a hit when I suggest them for gatherings because as mentioned above, people know they can load up on meat dishes, which typically cost more.
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OPPA BBQ - $14++ FOR KOREAN BBQ BUFFET LUNCH
Oppa BBQ is the cheapest Korean BBQ buffet, offering a weekday lunch buffets at $14++. All other times, it is $24++, which is significantly more. The chilli seasoning is hit with the crowds, so make sure you try the marinated meats.
SSIKKEK KOREAN BBQ, DAESSIKSIN KOREAN BBQ & I'M KIM KOREAN BBQ - $14.90++ FOR KOREAN BBQ BUFFET LUNCH
The KBBQ scene seems pretty competitive, because these three restaurants all offer the same weekday lunch buffet price ($14.90++).
Ssikkek and Daessiksin are big chains with 14 restaurants in total, so if you have intense cravings and need K-food pronto, one of them will probably be near enough to satiate your hunger.
I'm Kim Korean BBQ is located at the SOTA building, which is a few minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT. I've been there a few times and from what I remember, it's always quite crowded with students. Go at your own risk.
POT ADDICTION - $14.90++ FOR CHINESE HOTPOT BUFFET LUNCH
I've never been to Pot Addiction in Sembawang, but I doubt you can go wrong with hot, bubbling, MSG-laden Chinese hotpot.
Pot Addiction serves just that, at $14.90++ during the weekday lunch time slot. Other times, it is $22.90++ to $24.90++. Interestingly, their children pricing goes by height, not age. Children under 0.8m tall dine free.
SHABU SAI - $12.99++ FOR JAPANESE HOTPOT BUFFET LUNCH
Shabu Sai is my personal favourite Japanese hotpot buffet, because their sukiyaki soup base is one of the tastiest I've tried so far. The others are usually too sweet.
I'm guilty of paying a premium to dine there during prime time slots ($19.99++ to $24.99++) simply because I cannot make it for their weekday lunch buffets. I wish I could though - at $12.99++ (Eastpoint outlet) & $14.99++ (all other outlets, except Eastpoint and Orchard Central), it is really a steal.
CHEAP HOTEL BUFFETS IN SINGAPORE UNDER $15++
| Restaurant | Type of buffet / cuisine | Prices from |
| Makan@Jen | Hotel semi-buffet | $14.90++ |
| Rumah Rasa (Bay Hotel Singapore) (halal) | Hotel semi-buffet | $15 |
Surprise, surprise - it is possible to have a hotel buffet for under $20! They may not be a full lunch spread (they're semi-buffets), but you still get the luxe hotel dining experience.
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RUMAH RASA (BAY HOTEL SINGAPORE) (HALAL) - $15++ FOR SEMI-BUFFET LUNCH
So Bay Hotel is not quite 5-star, but the restaurant Rumah Rasa is surely fancy enough for the very reasonable price tag.
For $15 nett, the semi-buffet lunch includes 1 main course, and free-flow appetisers, soups and desserts. The main course choices include Pasta Belado, Bebek Penyet and Nasi Goreng Kampong Jawa (Indonesian fare).
MAKAN@JEN - $14.90++ FOR SEMI-BUFFET LUNCH
Of course, being situated within a hotel right at the heart of Orchard Road, you can't expect a full buffet to cost under $20 at Makan@Jen. As with Rumah Rasa, you only get 1 main course for the $14.90++ price, but free-flow desserts and appetisers.
That's more than reasonable - at most eateries downtown, a main course alone will cost you that much (or more).
This article was first published in MoneySmart.