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| - After having experienced the Carnival World Buffet disaster the night before, we were a tad bit leary of buffets.......BUT, we had these complimentary passes to any MGM resort buffet, the Aria being one of them, so we could not pass up a "freebie." Four of us ate an $80 meal for free. That's good enough for me.
I was a bit leary also because I had read others' reviews, and I wasn't so sure it was going to be anything decent. The Rio's World buffet was decent enough (for what I wanted), but there was just so much other BS that it was pretty unenjoyable for us. Here, at the Aria buffet, we were pleasantly surprised. I pretty much got cold foods like various kinds of ceviche, sushi, Thai salads, cold, poached whitefish, salmon spread. The ceviches, in particular, were quite tasty, if not spicy, but I really enjoyed them all. I didn't participate in their halved, ready to eat crab legs. I had enough the night before. I also couldn't muster up the desire to eat hot foods, then ultimately stuffing myself......so I didn't. Plus, I had to save room for Jean Phillipe's pastries.....oh, hell YAH !!! That was a MUST. Unfortunately, for me, a pastry snob and baker in my own right, they were good, but they were NOT amazing. Sorry, but they weren't. I tasted the banana caramel cake, and it was just banana cake. Couldn't taste caramel. The apple rum raisin pie was overpowered by the rum flavored raisins......wasn't a fan. The bread pudding was my favorite, that, I definitely liked. I also tasted their strawberry gelato.......quite delicious and packing a strong strawberry punch. The chocolate brownie was laced with too many walnuts......a turn-off for me. The pecan bar was decent, but the cappuccino dollop didn't work with it. Here's the other thing.......downstairs from the buffet is an actual shop of Jean Phillipe's pastries, and THOSE will dazzle your eyes. THOSE were amazing to look at, and while I didn't get to try any (too full !!!), I would like to think they were better than was presented upstairs at the buffet. I'd like to know why ALL of those items were not offered at the buffet. That was a bit disappointing to me. That being said, all too many times we have all discovered the oh so great looking food item LOOKS better than it tastes, so while I know to beware of the "looks can be deceiving" reality, I just don't know with the store displays...........those pastries are so impressive.
I would go back to this buffet again......maybe when I'm in a mood to try hot foods, perhaps more room in my stomach. However, I would probably hold out for the Jean Phillipe Patisserie downstairs......gotta try some of those next time !!!!! I think this place is 3.5 worthy, but all I can only select 3 on the scale.
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