There's a relatively new buffet-style restaurant on the block and we at Glasgow Live were keen to sample all it claims to offer.
COSMO Authentic World Kitchen opened its doors at the St Enoch Centre earlier this year after we got a first look back in February.
Southsiders are a hop, skip and a jump away from its original Glasgow franchise in Silverburn Shopping Centre. But it's since landed in the city centre and, between its promises of a teppanyaki stand, towering chocolate fountain and robot waiters, we had to see what all the fuss was about.
What were our first impressions?
For a warm, sunny Tuesday evening (the summer solstice to be precise) the place was mobbed. We were taken aback at the number of large parties, couples and families young and old that were pursing the hot plates and swarming the soda stands.
The droves of diners was an encouraging sight and within seconds we were led to a table relatively close to the scran on offer. The restaurant stretches far back with a number of long tables, private booths and standard tables for smaller groups.
The decor was modern and, fittingly, didn't reflect one particular trend or theme. While a buffet never feels formal, the casual surroundings were friendly rather than frantic and waiters were quick to take drink orders and guide us over to the food area.
Also on shift were the joint's two robots; Bella and Hola. The pair move automatically alongside tables helping waiters pile and dish out plates and cutlery.
We're all for a bit of novelty factor here at Glasgow Live but in all honesty this felt like a gimmick and the 'real' staff were more than capable of running the floor themselves.
What did we eat?
Does it go without saying? A lot. While some 'world buffets' stick a few trays of pasta alongside what is predominantly Pan Asian cuisine, we felt COSMO had a good go at serving up dishes from as many corners of the world as £18.50 per adult allows.
We sampled some bits from the sushi station for starters which was perfectly palatable but the portions were small and it lacked variety. Moving on to mains, we first headed for the Chinese and Indian areas; piling our plates with fried rice, chow meins, curries, prawn crackers and plenty of green vegetables as we're all about balance...
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Standouts from round one were the tender Szechuan roast pork which was had the right amount of tang and spice as well as beef and black bean sauce which wasn't tough or gristly, as is often the case with some takeaways. Everything we tried was piping hot.
While we perused the teppanyaki stand, which boasted beef, salmon and king prawns, we were too impatient for course number two so explored more of the asian delicacies on offer. We rated the butter chicken with spiced onions on the side on a bed of pilau rice. Going more west, the chicken hot wings were firey but we felt the 'salt and chilli chips' could have had a little more heat and vegetables mixed in.
For dessert, we enjoyed sampling marshmallows from the chocolate fountain but had no room to try any of the cakes on offer. While the stand lacked nice presentation, we noted people constantly returning for more sweet treats which was promising.
What's the verdict?
Adults dining at COSMO have to fork out £18.50 for the privilege and we felt it was worth the money. COSMO chiefs don't promise glamour but looking at the purpose of buffets, cheap, convenient, variety that suits all palates - this joint ticks all the boxes.
While other buffet restaurants purely offer substance and forget the style, we think COSMO offers a little finesse while not pretending to be something that it's not. Children can dine for £8.50 midweek which is far more cost-effective than other dining options in the city centre.
Sat next to the VUE cinema, and alongside other new eateries at St Enoch, COSMO is a good option for a midweek night out that doesn't involve driving to outlying shopping centres and retail parks. We won't be rushing back to COSMO but will be recommending to large groups looking for a casual night out, post-work gatherings and pre-cinema gorges.
For more information and to book head to the COSMO website.
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