1. Dining recently at the Med Restaurant in the Westin Grande Sukhumvit Hotel I was struck by the differences I’ve noticed in many buffet restaurants in Bangkok over the past 12 years. Indeed, even in this restaurant which was a buffet place all those years ago before it turned into a Thai restaurant for several years that didn’t really work out. Now it’s back to its roots only it has changed its philosophy. As with many others of its kind, the Med now has focused more on providing freshly cooked food in addition to the pre-cooked buffet staples that it serves. And with an emphasis on food from the Mediterranean this restaurant has another interesting facet to it. Combining both of these points is the large live cooking station featuring Italian food, both pastas and pizza. Italy’s food is, of course, heavily influenced by what are considered typically Mediterranean ingredients like olive oil, tomatoes and garlic which are also considered to be healthy, another aim of the Med. The black fettucine that I was served with a fresh, coarse tomato sauce with mushrooms was an example of the type of dish the Med wants to serve and it was tasty as well as healthy. You will also find a large assortment of fresh salad items here along with some prepared salads, smoked fish and plenty of sushi and sashimi items to start your meal. A couple of daily soups help start you off as well. Then there are the traditional buffet items in serving dishes which vary daily and run the gamut from seafood to beef and pork to poultry. There are even a couple of Indian dishes offered regularly and some vegetables cooked in a variety of ways. There’s also a carving station that was serving a leg of lamb the day that I was there. The lamb was delicious, if not the most healthy item on offer, but it was worth the calories. On other days you’ll find things like roast beef, roast pork, prime rib and ham. In addition to the buffet every day there is also an ala carte menu that features a wide array of international dishes, many of which have Mediterranean influences. On Sundays there’s a special Chinese seafood buffet which takes the place of a brunch. For both its buffet offerings and its ala carte menu the Med is a place that offers decent value for money, a wide selection, some interesting Mediterranean items and a healthy, fresh cooked philosophy. It’s worth paying a visit for these reasons and more.