I visited a Telford buffet promising the world on a plate and found good flavours and great service

I've been in situations where I've been looking for somewhere to eat with people and we've struggled to find something that everyone agrees on, with someone not liking Chinese or a few people not up for Italian or Thai.

In those cases, an all-you-can-eat world buffet is a winner as you can either stick to what you know or be adventurous and try something outside your comfort zone.

I've been to a few places that have brought the best of Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, American and British cuisine to life, all for a good and fair price and within a comfortable and warm setting. 

So, when I was asked about trying out Umami World Kitchen Buffet Restaurant in Telford, I thought it would be nice to compare it to some of the other places I've been to before, like Ming Moon, Cosmo and Jimmy Spices, to see if it measured up.

The restaurant is located in Southwater in the town centre, between TGI Friday's and Wingers. It isn't hard to find, with a huge sign outside presenting itself to the world.

On entry, you're met with a marble effect bar and plenty of wood panels separating the restaurant from the bar, plus a very vivid and very pretty pink blossom tree which stretches out across the roof.

On being given your table, your server will outline the rules, which are simple: you have one hour and 30 minutes to enjoy as many plates as you like, while they also check for allergies and anything else that might take away from your enjoyment.

It's all done without being overly friendly or suffocating, with my server happily chatting about the food and even giving me a few suggestions of desserts I should try, with the chocolate fudge cake being particularly worth my time.

There's also a very detailed drinks menu, with classic cocktails and mocktails, several bottles of red, white and rose wine, draught beers and ciders, a lengthy spirit selection and, for the non-drinker or driver, a range of soft drinks.

Plumping for a big bottle of sparkling water (to cleanse the palate, but also because I'm driving) as my accompaniment to my meal, I decided to get started on the eating part and made my way over to the food area, passing plenty of full tables with people celebrating birthdays, out on dates or just catching up with friends on a busy Wednesday evening.

The layout of the restaurant helps give the place an open feeling, with plenty of space for people to walk with plates laden with goodies, while the tables were spaced out well enough to allow for comfort, apart from one table where a particular laugh went through me several times.

However, the proof is in the eating and upon passing the second partition wall, you are met with a colourful and, I will be honest, magnificent view of marble and copper, which had tray after tray of different food types on top.

The food area is separated into different regions and food types, starting on the far left with the dessert options, including a very sticky looking chocolate fountain.

Walking along, you can see salad options, sushi and other Japanese dishes, a Teppanyaki station for those wanting steak or squid cooked in front of them, as well as a very colourful and welcoming roast dinner section, with plump beef sitting near crispy Yorkshire puddings and carrots.

Head further along and you'll find the Italian area, with spaghetti Bolognese and mac and cheese alongside garlic bread and two types of Penne, plus the full Indian section with tubs of brightly coloured curries, naans, poppadoms and other treats, as well as two pots of Korean dishes featuring squid and white fish.

There's also a selection of Chinese dishes on that side and moving round to the next one, separated by a Mexican section filled with chicken fajita, chilli con carne and nachos, before finishing off with some more home-grown dishes like chicken nuggets and chicken wings.

The key to a buffet to go small and not overload at the start, so I settled for some Indian food, putting up lamb rogan josh and butter chicken, as well as Korean squid and pilau rice, and complementing it with a couple of naan bread.

As starters go, it was a good start, with rich flavours coming from the rogan josh, while the butter chicken was soft and succulent and the Korean squid was a delightful addition, full of zing and flavour. You also can't go wrong with pilau rice or naan bread, so off to a good start.

I went Chinese next, loading up with sweet and sour chicken and Hong Kong noodles, accompanied by French beans and, because I wanted to try them, spicy chicken bites and a spicy chicken wing.

Again, no complaints about the Chinese food as it was tasty and ticked all the boxes for me. Where the plate fell down was the two chicken options as I like spice and a bit of heat and that's what these were lacking, in my opinion.

They were nice, don't get me wrong, well cooked and crispy, but lacking in the spice I was expecting. Maybe I'm being picky, but if you're going to call it spicy, then make it so.

I did end up enjoying a bit of spice, however, when I went Italian and had spaghetti Bolognese, mac and cheese, penne arrabbiata and penne Alfredo and found the arrabbiata more than a bit potent, not that I'm complaining.

It was a nice plate as I love spaghetti Bolognese and pasta in general, so it was a worthy third plate, followed by a slightly less full plate of chilli, squid rings, char sui and beef in black bean sauce (I may have been getting a bit full by this point).

While the selection of the food is a little safe and playing to the majority crowd, it's still got enough variety to keep people interested, although I was a little disappointed with the dessert selection.

There were options on there, but I felt like there could more than just cakes on offer, such as jelly. However, what was there was nice, with the fudge cake being worth the recommendation.

Another small gripe is the ice cream machine, due to it only providing a small amount, but you can put your cone back in for a second helping.

Mixing a fudge cake with strawberry cheesecake and ice cream and a healthy portion of chocolate from the fountain was always going to spell the end for me and I had to sit for a few minutes and take stock on the amount I'd ingested.

I felt full, but not uncomfortable, and was pleased with the options on offer, as well as the friendly service and the nice restaurant. 

Umami World Kitchen Buffet Restaurant in Telford is a nice place to go for a nice and simple meal. Dinner costs £19.99 from Monday to Thursday, £20.99 on Friday and Sunday and £21.99 on Saturdays.

To find out more, go to the Umami website.

Rating: 8/10