Cruise Buffet @ Michigan Cruise, Lake Biwa, Shiga

 

This may not be the first time I had a meal on a body of water, but this is definitely one of the more memorable ones. And since we are approaching to Halloween, why not have something to fit the theme? 

All aboard....

During a weekend trip with friends from work, I had the great fortune to ride on the Michigan cruise on the iconic Lake Biwa, called Biwako in Japanese. It is the largest freshwater lake in all of Japan and is the home of many amazing sights. And if you would like to experience the lake from the inside, there is no better way than the Michigan cruise. So how does this cruise course get into the blog? Well, because there is a built-in restaurant on the cruise ship, that's why. And for lunch, it was the buffet for us. 

Fancy

We were seated on the middle deck which was elaborately set up with wooden furnishing and since it's the end of October, Halloween ornaments. Being 1.30pm, I was already starving and when the staff start to wheel out the food, I was more than ready. With my appetite ready to strike, I was pleasantly surprised by the spread that was offered. 

I am so ready

It consists mostly of Western food, which is not too bad, considering the theme of the venue is an American-style steamboat. With a wide variety of salads, meat dishes, and desserts galore, this seems to be the beginning of a great and gluttonous lunch. My appetite was ready for this. 

Off to a good start.

On my first plate, I helped myself to some pulled pork, a pumpkin mash, seafood mac and cheese, and some various cold meats and salads. The one that really left me satisfied was the seafood mac and cheese, as it was very similar to the fish pie I had back when I was studying in England. And as the temperature is slowly going down, something warming like this was really welcoming. It was really good. 

From another angle. Just so much food!

But of course, since it is a buffet, I did not just limit myself to one plate. On the next round, I was able to get myself a corn dog, various roasted veggies, some meatloaf, and another helping of mac and cheese. The meatloaf was surprisingly good and it has been a while since I had meatloaf in general. Granted, the portions were cut up and cooked for a second time, which lead to another layer of crunchiness to the overall dish. As you may all figure out by now, I am a serious fan of varying textures. 

My dentist would not be impressed. 

The desserts were pretty decent too. The one that I liked the most was the pie, which was buttery, flaky, and just pure awesome. From a visual standpoint though, the chocolate chip cookie was a real stand-out. Having that with a hot cup of coffee was a great way to end the meal. 

Some of the many decorations available. 

Patrons can either get the normal tickets and order from the bar, or feast on the buffet that is served on another deck.  The 90-minute ride comes at a meaty 3000 yen, while the buffet will cost an additional 3000 yen more. It is definitely not cheap, but it was really worth it. And the views of the lake really justified the price tag. So if you are interested in giving this a go, it is advisable to look online and book your tickets that way. Also, there are only limited times when the cruise happens so it is best to do some research beforehand. So if you are keen on giving this a try, the website to reserve is as below:

https://www.biwakokisen.co.jp/en/