I mentioned in my last post that my Christmas dinner this year was a brunch buffet at Mantra.

I’ve mentioned Mantra buffets before (albeit a long while ago). When I heard we were going here on Christmas Day I was unreasonably excited, and couldn’t wait to see what they would have on offer. Surely not turkey?

Well, there WAS turkey, and Brussels sprouts, and stuffing, plus beef, gammon, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. Then there was the seafood: crab legs, rock lobster, prawns, sushi and sashimi; the array of salads, breads and cheeses; the Thai hot and cold specialties, the crispy pork, the fresh-baked pizza, the fruit and the desserts… an endless amount of glorious food.

It is so hard to choose and there are so many things I had no room for. Top tastes included a pomelo and prawn salad, tuna carpaccio, and of course the desserts.

They even had some pretty decent croissant-doughnut hybrids, plus mini mince pies you can see nestling in spoons at the base of the photo above. The chocolate fountains were particular popular with other diners.

I am such a sucker for buffets, and it isn’t the volume, it’s the variety. Mantra made a wonderful effort and we even got crackers, with the best cracker gifts I’ve ever had!

And yes, I did have turkey. A tiny bit. In a salad.