Dessert Buffets

Appears in
The Elements of Dessert
The Elements of Dessert

By Francisco Migoya

Published 2012

  • About

While the term buffet may or may not have a negative connotation because of its association with the “all-you-can-eat” establishment, there simply is no other term for this style of service. What does this style of service entail? It is food that is placed on display for the customers to help themselves at their discretion.

The food will often be completely finished and ready to eat; on some occasions there are “action stations,” in which a cook (or chef) will put the finishing touches on a product, finish cooking an item, cut an item to order, or completely cook an item in front of the customer. A classic example of an action station is the omelet station. Having said that, it is important to remark that this style of service is mostly used in hotels, on cruises, and at banquet/catering halls, and to a much lesser degree in some types of restaurants.