On maximizing an All-You-Can-Eat buffet

So the other matter that has been absorbing me during the week in Dundee has been how you make the most of an all-you-can-eat buffet. Probably the biggest-attended event of the mission week was an evening at Jimmy Chung's - a full Chinese buffet with a talk from me based on 1 Timothy 1:15. (If you're wondering how to make a connection from such a context to that verse - well, you really have to WANT to see it!) As well as many stimulating conversations and questions that arose out of the talk, I was left pondering this: how do you get your money's-worth out of these sorts of places? I offer the following suggestions:

1. Don't eat too much, and don't eat too little in the run-up. You obviously don't want to go into the pray already weighed down from a large meal, but you also need to avoid the temptation of eat hardly anything as well. Going in having skipped lunch means your shrunk stomach will fill that much quicker.

2. Do some reconnaissance. Before wading in and loading up willy-nilly, take an exploratory tour of all that's on offer and start to plan a little. Worth having checked what all the mains (and desserts) are before starting to assault the crispy duck.

3. Less is more. Avoid the temptation to slap as much of everything as you can on the plate. There is lots of time so pace yourself. It's a marathon not a sprint. I find it best to limit myself to three foodstuffs per plate. Too many flavors on one plate leads to the culinary equivalent of white noise. Three at a time (plus rice) is plenty.

4. Ditch dessert. Chinese food has never been about dessert. Skip it. Max on the mains. Have a biscuit when you get home if you need something sweet. Have as much of the proper stuff as you can.

Any other wisdom?