A friend of mine was recently looking for an evening crab leg buffet to celebrate her birthday.

I told her she was out of luck, because the crab leg buffet was the province of weekend brunch buffets at Oahu’s luxury hotels.

Just one week later, I found out I was a liar, because in this post-COVID era, the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa had just relaunched The Buffet at Hyatt in a happy return to its pre-2020 glory … though with a new, decidedly Korean twist since chef Jae Lee from Seoul, South Ko rea, joined the company.

You can start with soju, a classic cocktail or one with a Korean twist, such as a makgeolli margarita.

From there, get ready to hit the varied food stations. There’s plenty of space to spread out, so even though the restaurant may be packed, it never feels crowded or like it’s a long wait to scoop up the likes of Goosepoint oysters, a variety of poke, custom sushi handrolls or those crab legs, which include steamed Alaskan crab legs and Dungeness crab claws.

The big new draw is a Korean barbecue station where guests can pick up pork belly, beef bulgogi and kalbi grilled on the spot, with all the accompaniments of a ssam bar for folding the meat into lettuce wraps.

As for the hot bar, an inter-national selection awaits. Of course, there are such Korean-inspired dishes as bibimbap and kimchi-and-bacon carbonara, but other inter-nationally inspired dishes include lechon and deep-fried gyoza.

I loved a dish of roasted kampachi seasoned with citrus, herbs and ponzu, as well as garlic shrimp and oysters galore. Really, there is so much good food here it makes me sad I cannot even begin to have it all. Pity my small opu as I eyed garlic shrimp on the hot bar and rib-eye grilled on the spot at the kalbi and ssam station.

I didn’t pay much attention to side dishes, but there is also a full array of salads to start you off, and don’t forget to save room for desserts that include fruit tartlets, tiramisu, crème caramel and a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit, sponge cake and brownies for dipping.

The Buffet at Hyatt

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa
2424 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-923-1234
Hours: 5-9:30 p.m. daily
Prices: $79 per person; $39 per child ages 6 to 12; 5 and younger free

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).