Editor’s Pick: Check out Tokyo’s Family-friendly buffet restaurants

By on February 25, 2017

LUXE DINING HAPUNA’S LAVISH INTERNATIONAL BUFFET

If the glamorous setting doesn’t take your breath away at the Luxe Dining Hapuna, the extensive selection of food will. With over 60 varieties of Japanese, Asian and Western dishes, this immensely popular “all-you-can eat” buffet is a taster’s paradise. Choose from crab legs, roast beef, tandoori chicken, sweet potato soba, stir-fried vegetables, cold salads, hot soups—traditional, international, original—this bountiful feast is sure to please any palate or picky eater in your party.

Where to begin? The choice is yours. You can start at any of the four buffet stations, including an open “satellite” kitchen where chefs are on hand to carve and cook entrees. If you are anything like me, you may be tempted to begin with the scrumptious desserts. Unlike other all-you-can-eat buffets, this set price includes an extensive selection of assorted pastries, cakes, éclairs, gelatin with fruit and specialty breads. However, resist the temptation for now. There’s plenty of food and plenty of time to enjoy it all.

Setting itself apart from other restaurants, the Luxe Dining Hapuna buffet does not have a time restriction (good news for slow eaters, talkative friends or hungry husbands). So, choose a station, grab a plate, get in line (the lines move quickly), and get ready for a non-stop selection. Each dish is thoughtfully labeled in English and there are assorted sauces to tailor food to your taste. As you walk around each station and discover more options, never fear! There are plenty of plates and bowls available (The big plates are a welcome sight for Westerners who aren’t used to small plates and even smaller portions).

At the Luxe Dining Hapuna buffet, you’ll enjoy a wide variety of flavors and foods, in an elegant yet casual atmosphere. The spacious bright interior, modern furnishings, open dining layout, and breathtaking glass pyramid ceiling make it a memorable and special experience (the wait list can be up to 2 months). In addition to this restaurant, the Shinagawa Prince Hotel also offers a wide array of entertainment options, including a bowling center, an aqua show stadium, a cinema complex, indoor tennis courts and karaoke. So, don’t feel guilty about going back for seconds—you can easily walk, bowl or sing away any extra calories.

Come casual. Come with friends. Come with families. But most important of all, come hungry.
Check out the Aqua Park and lunch buffet set deal.
Closest Sta: 2 mins. from Shinagawa Sta. (1F, New Tower of Shinagawa Prince Hotel. (03) 3440-1111. www.princejapan.com/ShinagawaPrinceHotel/index.asp


Barbacoa Grill (Brazilian)

Specializing in Brazilian churrasco barbeque, servers with a Latin flair carve slices of meat from their skewers of pepper sirloin, rump roast, and beef brisket. The salad bar is loaded up with veggie staples as well as Brazilian specialties like banana fritters and black bean and pork stew. Food keeps being offered until you flip a plastic card signaling “I give up.” Closest Sta: Omotesando, exit A3. Omotesando Square, TOKYU REIT, 4-3-24 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. (03) 3796-0571.

Shibuya Dining Punraku (Japanese)
Punraku is an elegant Japanese restaurant that offers a lunchtime buffet of 23 staples such as tempura, miso soup, vegetable dishes, meat and fish, fried rice and curry. Japanese desserts and a drink bar are also included. Smoke-free during lunch, it’s also great for vegetarians and large groups. Closest Sta: Shibuya. Q-Front Bldg. 8F (opp. Hachiko exit). (03) 5459-2601. www.punraku.com/punraku/pickup/index.html (Japanese only)

New Otani Hotel Garden Lounge (Western)
Savor your lunch while enjoying views of the hotel’s beautiful Japanese gardens and enjoy a stroll afterwards. The food is extremely family-friendly, even offering mini-hamburgers and French fries amidst the gourmet sandwiches, hot entrees, and luscious desserts. Closest Sta: Akasakamitsuke or Nagatacho. 4-4-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku. (03) 5226-0246. www.newotani.co.jp

Hoi An (Vietnamese)
Every weekend from 11am to 4:30pm this cozy Vietnamese restaurant offers a lunch buffet. The highlight here is wrapping your own salad rolls. Chicken curry and pork stir-fry are standard fare. Tropical juices and Vietnamese style coffee are also self-serve. Closest Sta: Seibu Shinjuku or Shinjuku (across the street from the Prince Hotel). Akari Bldg. 8F, 1-23-6, Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku-ku. (03) 3200-3745.

Hoshigaoka (Chinese)
On the weekends, this elegant Chinese restaurant offers a “order viking” special where you can sample all the dishes from their regular menu for a set price. From Peking duck to stewed abalone in cream sauce and chili giant prawns, the price reflects the extravagance of the cuisine. Adults: 8,500 yen, children (four to 12) 5,000 yen. Closest Sta: Akasaka Mitsuke, located on the second floor of the Akasaka Tokyu Hotel Plaza. (03) 3581-8517. www.akasakaplaza.com/shop/restaurant/hoshigaoka/index.html (Japanese)

About Tokyo families