So while it is the middle of fashion week and from experience, I know that this time of year you spend the majority of your time waiting in queues, rushing around with very little time for any kind of nourishment. So in spite of all that let me launch into my first HK food post! Wahey! So if you’re looking for an escape from the constant stream of fashion week posts (as amazing as they are) then you’ve found it…
So let’s get stuck in! While I was in HK, we booked ourselves a table at the buffet restaurant in the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Kowloon for one of their epic buffet lunches. Now the thing is, I’m not the hugest fan of buffet food. Specifically, it’s Chinese buffet’s I dislike most of all since it’s just take-out food and especially because my family are in catering too. Therefore, it’s not particularly exciting to me. However in HK, buffets are taken seriously. These are all housed in fancy hotels which makes it a whole different kind of experience.
Firstly, Shangri-La is pretty fancy, with pretty chandeliers, marble and plenty of gilding everywhere. Even the carpet in the lifts are changed DAILY. Just in case you forget what day it is of course, it’s a hard life!
Hailey and I before we tucked into our food…
The sheer amount of food on offer was crazy. Since we’re in HK, the food is mainly of the Asian variety with ample supply of Salads, Seafood, Sushi, Noodles and specialty Chinese dishes. There were at least 100 different types of options to choose from, with lots of busy staff constantly preparing the food.
Sushi lovers rejoice! You could have your fill of sashimi and sushi and also ask for custom hand-rolls. I was quite happy just filling up my plate here. My hand-roll was soft shell crab with fish roe which came on a stand and everything. Yummers!
Freshly grated Wasabi
There were lots of little dishes to choose from including a dim sum area, roasted meats, curry section and also a noodle station with lots of fresh ingredients to create your own unique dish.
At one point during our meal, the kitchen staff announced that the soup of the day was ready by hitting a gong! Almost instantly lots of people started queuing up (noticeably of the middle aged lady category- including my mum!). We had noticed a big clay pot earlier and it seemed there were lots of pots of soup within it and soon, a chef was seen with a big hook, pulling them all out in quick succession. The Chinese soup was a type of Chicken broth, made from Silkie chicken (a breed of chicken whose skin is actually black which originates from China). The clay pots were pretty creepy though with little heads that feature as handles on the lids.
The desserts were incredible. They really were a feast for the eyes in their brightly coloured bowls. I particularly liked how some of them were displayed in these amazing bird cages. Honestly, when food is presented like this, you can’t help but feel like a kid in a sweet shop. So much fun!
Looking pretty happy with my desserts!
We were pretty well looked after and our glasses of water were constantly topped up, our dishes taken away and hot towels to hand. I have to admit that I didn’t eat as much as I would have liked, I think I had 2x rounds of mains and just one solitary plate of desserts. There really is only so much you can eat! However, I rounded off the meal by choosing a complimentary drink in the form of hot lemon tea.
I’ve been to a fair few hotel buffets in HK in the past, including one at the Marriot where I remember a magician attempted to entertain my sister Hailey, with his lame card tricks. The Shangri-La was definitely better and thankfully, a distinct lack of magicians (phew). As it’s a luxury hotel the buffet was definitely NOT cheap and around HKD$400 which is about £32. Yikes! Seeing as it’s all you can eat, high quality food at a 5 star hotel, then you can understand the price tag. However, it’s definitely more of a luxurious treat rather than a necessity when it comes to visiting HK. I certainly wouldn’t have visited if I wasn’t tagging along with my family, I’m quite happy with cheap won ton noodle soup at the local cafe.
However, if we’re going to do buffets then this is the way to do it! I heard that the Grand Lisboa in Macau has over 200 varieties on offer. Mind Boggling stuff! One day I will have to make a visit, who’s coming with me?
