Khao Kun Mookata Buffet — Restaurant in George Town

Budget eat-all-you-can hotpot in Penang. I applaud them for this good business model, and now able to open a few branches in Penang.

I have had this a few times and I find it acceptable for us (we are all early middle aged men and can't eat a lot like those days). And this won't break the bank as well. Only 29.90++ per pax.

The ingredients selection is very good for the price. Got prawns, bamboo clams, mussels, assorted original / marinated meat. To be honest, there are a few marinated meat which I like a lot. Thinly sliced pork is also available. But they are all very fatty portions of the pork belly, only suitable for bbq. The cooked dishes are available here as well. The Thai bbq pork was my favourite. They also have fried belacan chicken, Korean fried chicken, nestum fried chicken, fried wonton and etc. after sitting out for awhile, they became dry and less crispy.

The thai dipping sauce is good. I love the green chilly.

There are also dessert stations where you can make your own ice kacang, few tubs of ice cream to choose from as well.

Service is good, the staff are responsive and efficient. Just raise your hand, they will change the aluminium foil for you. They also will automatically top up the soup for you. Refilling of ingredients is very fast also. That is very good. Throughout my 1.5 hours there. The prawns and meat are almost always full.

This place attracts more young people between age 16-30. And most of them really can get their money's worth. Wonder how the boss still makes money. Hahaa.

The downside here is the super duper hot ambiance. Since it's indoor, and there is no cross ventilation. The heat is trapped inside despite multiple industrial exhaust fans trying to suck the heat out. It's oily, smoky and sweaty inside. Pity the workers having to work at such environment. Parking is limited around here. The road is already narrow, so roadside parking is impossible. Just park further and walk. You will need the walk back to the car after the heavy meal.

Reservation is a must as the 530pm / 6pm slot is always occupied.

Will I come back?...

I have no words. THE WORST DINING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD.

First of all, upon arrival, parking is extremely unaccessible. Since this place was at a residential area, unless you want to park next to steep drains or in front of someone’s house, there is no way that you can safely park your vehicle. Mind you, there are also many stray dogs roaming around the nearby road.

Secondly, the atmosphere was super stuffy and smoky. The ventilation was not sufficient and the fans do not help at all, except for blowing the smoke right into your face. My eyes were watering and it was difficult to breathe.

Do not even get me started on the food quality. For RM29.90 per pax, you may think that having unlimited access to the buffet would be worth. Well you are wrong, as the foods not only look stale but also taste as if they were unrefrigerated leftovers. They also do not replace the foil for you automatically even though it was literally matte black in colour. Many of the grilled meats turned out too smoky and emitted so much smoke that I wondered if it violated the country’s environmental laws. The soup did not taste Thai at all. It was almost like a buttery water concoction.

Not only did we smell like burnt barbecue on the way out, but my sister also had bad stomach pains due to the hygiene and food quality. In no universe is it possible for a functional healthy human to make something so inedible.

If I had one wish it would be for this restaurant to drastically improve their management and menu, or for it to just close down for public...

Worst dining experience ever!!!! I wish I can give negative stars!

First of all, there is literally no safe parking space unless you want to park in front of some one houses at the residential area.

Second, before you get into the “restaurant”, you will see two big vent fans that is full of dust and black in color(dust and dirt). Looking at that, you know that you are getting into a place that is non hygienic for your next hour of dining.

Once you get into the place (I refuse to call it restaurant), it is so stuffy and full of smoke. It is extremely warm! Everything is so mess up! The cashier has no time for you, the waiter often taking the very hot coal pot walking around.

The food quality. Oh god! Food is all over the floor and they kept the fridge open! This place is full of uneducated diners which they put used utensils back to the place where it put clean utensils. The staff just turn a blind eyes even after I told them about it!

The food is not fresh at all and I feel like it is left over unfridged for a few days! During the dining, be prepared of the coal ashes getting into your eyes. Also, they won’t change the foil for you even if it is charcoal black!

Next, the toilet. It is disaster. The floor is wet and the basin is filled with dirty water. Not to mention, they just block the kitchen and the toilet with just a divider. It is extremely unhygienic.

I really hope the MOH or any of the relevant government agencies make a spot check in...