China Town/Cash Town

Just forget the credit cards

It seems that there’s a designated “China Town” in every major city you go to (or everyone I’ve gone to). It’s where you can find yourself transported into a world halfway across the globe in a few streets. Not that I’ve actually been that far east, but I’d like to imagine. The China Town in London is where the Chinese New Year is held, where you can go and be treated to a colourful display of dancers and parade floats. It’s also the go-to stop for eastern dishes, from restaurants to grocery stores. The secret, however, which isn’t really a secret at all, is that you need to go with cash. With cash you can get all-you-can eat for a steal in London and for some pretty decent food, too. There’s a few places I know that do it, but I have a favourite one that I’ve been to a few times now. Try going in with a debit card and you’ll find everywhere just as expensive as its neighbours (okay, a bit cheaper, but still).

In my favourite all-you-can-eat buffet, I know I can eat as much as I want and pay less than £10. I also know that they skirt as many rules as possible to make it work, and honestly? That’s okay. They don’t serve you water because it’s only a legal requirement if you serve alcohol. They don’t, however, pester you, cheap out on you, or in any other way make the meal unpleasant. You simply have a plate, you pay for it, and then you can go again and again (same plate). It’s a self-serve haven for when you’re absolutely starving but need to spread your money as far as it can go (#studentlife).

To find these places you have to look at the windows. They advertise their deals usually on paper taped to the inside of their shop windows. Happy eating!