Buffet Vs Ala Carte

I want to start a debate on buffet vs ala carte. Some people prefer buffet as it allows them to try out a variety of dishes at a fixed and far lesser cost than if these dishes are ordered individually. It helps that the food is unlimited and is ready to eat when you walk-in. All good reasons to choose a buffet! Few people like me prefer ala carte over buffet. I can't claim to speak for all of them, but the reasons for my choice are
- I can order the foof I want to eat that day. Basically I decide what I eat.
- I can try and customise the food to my liking in terms of being more or less spicy. Atleast in some restaurants.
- Hopefully the dish is prepared after I order. Agreed it may be partly cooked already, but still better than buffet.
- I can eat light if I want without feeling guilty of not doing justice to the money spent (as in buffet)
Specifically I don't prefer buffet because
- Too many varieties leading to confusion in what to eat and resulting in over-eating
- Food is sort of bland as it is prepared to suit a wide variety of customer palates, including foriegners. I particularly don't like the non-veg food in buffet.
- Less time of conversation as people are too focussed to the dishes
So the only time I go for buffet is during team lunches or corporate events where-in buffet is the only viable option when taking into account the number of people, cost, time and people's choice of cuisines.
So what is your choice?