Cuc Phuong Restaurant Breakfast Buffet (Ninh Binh, Vietnam)
Breakfast buffet at The Reed Hotel with Vietnamese favourites, fresh fruit, pastries, and made-to-order eggs, though longer stays reveal repetition. Breakfast became part of our daily routine while staying in Ninh Binh. We found ourselves getting creative, building our own banh mi, making Vietnamese coffee, and turning steamed buns into pork bao sandwiches. It wasn’t perfect, but it certainly kept breakfast interesting throughout our stay.
Breakfast is one of those little things that can make or break a hotel stay, especially when you’re spending several days in the same place. During our stay at The Reed Hotel in Ninh Binh, breakfast was served daily at Cuc Phuong Restaurant, and after six mornings of eating there, I felt I had a good understanding of what the buffet had to offer. It started off as an impressive spread, but by the end of our stay, my thoughts had changed slightly.
The restaurant itself is bright, spacious, and comfortable. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow plenty of natural light to flood the dining room, creating a pleasant atmosphere to ease into the day. The buffet stations are neatly organised, making it easy to browse before deciding what to eat, while the staff work hard to keep empty trays replenished and tables cleared.
A Great First Impression
On the first morning, the buffet looked fantastic. There was a generous spread featuring both Vietnamese and Western breakfast favourites. Fresh breads, pastries, tropical fruit, salads, hot dishes, dim sum, noodle soup, cereals, yoghurt, and drinks gave the impression that there would be plenty of variety throughout our stay.
For travellers staying only one or two nights, I think the buffet is perfectly adequate. There is enough choice to satisfy most people, and it’s certainly more extensive than many hotel breakfasts I’ve experienced.
Unfortunately, once you stay longer, you begin to realise that the menu changes very little from day to day.
The Hot Food Became Repetitive
The biggest issue wasn’t the lack of dishes but rather the similarity between them.
Each morning there would be braised pork belly, braised chicken, pork ribs, or another meat dish, but many of them tasted remarkably similar. They all shared a very similar soy-based braising flavour, so despite being different cuts of meat, they didn’t offer much variety after several mornings.
The bacon was another disappointment. Rather than crispy, smoky bacon, it was more like thin slices of simply fried pork. It wasn’t unpleasant, but if you’re expecting traditional breakfast bacon, you’ll probably find it a little underwhelming.
There were also sausages, French fries, roasted potatoes, spring rolls, steamed buns, and dim sum, although these too remained largely unchanged throughout our stay.
The Pho Station Was the Star
If there was one station I consistently enjoyed every morning, it was the pho.
The broth was flavourful without being overpowering, and having fresh herbs, spring onions, lime, and chillies available meant every bowl could be customised to your own taste. It became my go-to breakfast because it never failed to satisfy.
The made-to-order egg station was another highlight. Watching the chef prepare fried eggs fresh each morning was a nice touch and ensured they were always hot.
Some Areas Could Use More Attention
The salad station looked colourful but wasn’t always at its best. On several mornings, some of the dressings appeared to have been sitting there for quite some time, with dried edges around the bowls suggesting they hadn’t been refreshed recently.
The congee was comforting enough, but I felt it lacked the toppings that make Vietnamese congee enjoyable. Apart from a few basic garnishes, there wasn’t much available. Fried shallots, preserved vegetables, shredded chicken or century egg would have made it much more interesting.
The juice station also left a little to be desired. Several different juices were available, but they all tasted rather bland and watered down.
Fortunately, there were fresh kumquats and passion fruit at the fruit station. After the first morning, I started squeezing kumquats into my juice and adding fresh passion fruit, which instantly transformed the drinks into something much more refreshing.
Getting Creative with the Buffet
By the third day, we started treating the buffet almost like our own little kitchen.
Since banh mi wasn’t available, I grabbed one of the fresh mini baguettes, added sliced Vietnamese pork sausage, vegetables, and sauces, and made my own. It wasn’t exactly street food quality, but it certainly satisfied the craving.
We also decided to make our own Vietnamese coffee. Using the buffet coffee together with condensed milk, we managed to create something much closer to the authentic drink than simply drinking the coffee black.
One of my favourite creations came from combining the steamed bao buns with the braised pork. While some of the bao were excellent and beautifully soft, others were a little average, but using them to make our own pork bao sandwiches became one of the highlights of breakfast.
It was actually these little DIY creations that kept breakfast enjoyable during the second half of our stay.
Fresh Fruit and Bakery Selection
One area where the buffet excelled every morning was the fruit station.
There was an excellent selection including watermelon, dragon fruit, melon, guava, passion fruit, rambutan, longan and rose apples. Everything looked fresh and colourful, making it an easy choice after a heavier breakfast.
The bakery selection was also respectable, offering mini baguettes, croissants, Danish pastries, rolls, sliced breads, and cakes. While the selection remained fairly consistent, the quality was good enough to enjoy throughout the week.
Service and Atmosphere
One thing I couldn’t fault was the service.
The staff continuously refilled dishes, cleared plates promptly and maintained a clean dining area throughout breakfast service. Even during the busiest times, the restaurant never felt chaotic, and everyone remained friendly and efficient.
The bright dining room overlooking the hotel grounds also made breakfast a relaxing start before heading out to explore places like Trang An, Tam Coc and Mua Cave.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I’d rate the breakfast buffet at Cuc Phuong Restaurant as good rather than outstanding.
If you’re staying for one or two nights, you’ll probably be very happy with the selection. There is plenty to choose from, and the combination of Vietnamese and Western dishes caters to a wide range of tastes.
For longer stays, however, the lack of rotation becomes noticeable. The hot dishes begin to taste very similar, the juices could be more flavourful, and a few stations such as the salad dressings and congee toppings could certainly be improved.
That said, the excellent pho, fresh tropical fruit, made-to-order eggs, and good service ensured we never left hungry. In fact, creating our own banh mi, Vietnamese coffee, and pork bao sandwiches became part of the fun and added a personal touch to our breakfast routine. Sometimes the best way to enjoy a buffet isn’t simply taking what’s offered, but using a little imagination to create something that’s uniquely your own.
Cuc Phuong Restaurant
Address: The Reed Hotel, Dinh Dien Street, Dong Thanh Ward, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Phone: +84 229 3899 979
Website: https://thereedhotel.com.vn
