Reviewer comment: The restroom is clean and tidy.
Grand Hyatt Taipei - Irodori Japanese Cuisine
This time, I chose to celebrate my birthday at Irodori Japanese Cuisine in the Grand Hyatt Taipei. The birthday guest dines for free with three companions. The regular price for dinner on holidays is NT$1,780 per person, reduced to NT$1,513 per person after discount. The dinner service was on a Sunday evening, and the restaurant was not fully booked.
Environment and Size
The restaurant is not large; upon entering, there is an open kitchen in a square shape that occupies almost the entire dining counter. The distance between the dining area seats is relatively small, and it can be quite noisy.
Type of Dishes
The dishes are divided into the following areas: seafood cold platter, sashimi, sushi, hand rolls, cooked seafood, grilled items, fried items, teppanyaki area, freshly made noodle area, soup and hot pot area, salad area, fruit area, dessert area (imagawayaki, Häagen-Dazs ice cream, red bean soup, mochi, agar jelly, grilled meatballs), coffee machine, and canned beverages, orange juice, the chef's special hibiscus vinegar, and alcoholic beverages (available for an additional charge).
Dish Features
Sashimi and Sushi: The sashimi is fresh, and the sushi rice is well-proportioned, with good flavor.
Teppanyaki and Cooked Food: The diced beef in the teppanyaki area is tender and juicy, performing excellently; however, the fried items were a bit greasy.
Desserts and Beverages: Imagawayaki (red bean and cream) has a nice texture; among the beverages, the chef's hibiscus vinegar is pleasantly tart and sweet.
Service
Each person has a tea cup at their seat, and the staff actively refills tea. The service attitude is friendly and attentive, and parking is convenient.
Summary
Although the variety of dishes is not abundant, the ingredients are fresh and delicate, and the restaurant leans towards a traditional Japanese flavor. It is suitable for birthday celebrations or small gatherings, but the seating spacing is limited, making the environment feel somewhat crowded.
🎉Shenzhen Shanhai Seafood Buffet🎉
🎉Unlimited Fresh Hairy Crabs♾️🎉
The biggest highlight of the Shanhai Seafood Buffet is the fresh seafood selection, ranging from live shrimp and crabs to various shellfish. 😳 All the seafood here is fresh and live. Diners can freely choose from the buffet station and then cook them in their own steamers or hot pots on the table, with steaming being the best way to preserve the seafood's freshness. 🙌🏻
In addition, the Shanhai Seafood Buffet offers a variety of sauces, allowing diners to mix according to their own taste. 👍 From classic garlic sauce to special Thai sauce, these condiments add more layers of flavor to the seafood.
Besides seafood 🦞, the Shanhai Seafood Buffet also provides a rich selection of other dishes, from Japanese sushi and Western steak to Chinese hot dishes or Hong Kong-style roast meat. The menu covers various international flavors 🤤 to satisfy different diners' needs. 😝 Especially the cheese section with a variety of cheese dishes and baked durian is simply irresistible. 🤩 Additionally, there are various salads and snacks, allowing you to enjoy some refreshing tastes alongside the seafood. 😁 By the way, soft drinks and desserts are not to be missed either! 🤣
The dining environment of the Shanhai Seafood Buffet is also worth mentioning. 👏 It creates an oceanic atmosphere 😍 that gives a relaxing feeling while dining. The space is not overly crowded, and the staff are quick in clearing tables, allowing every diner to feel cared for. 👏
To summarize:
In terms of price, the Shanhai Seafood Buffet offers great value for money. 👍 With fresh seafood and a diverse menu, the price is very reasonable. ☺️ This makes it a favorite seafood buffet for gourmets. 👍 If you are in Shenzhen, you must come here to taste it, as this place promises to provide you with an unforgettable dining experience. 😆
🔅Actual visit date: 2024/12/01
*Please do not reproduce & use commercially without permission.
It was my first time dining at Grand Hyatt. Besides the colorful Japanese cuisine, the cafe is also quite famous, but I haven't tried it yet. This restaurant specializes in Japanese dishes. I dined there on a Sunday evening; the price for one adult was $1780 plus service charges. I used the birthday discount for the month, so for four people, one person ate for free, which brought the total to about $1500 per person.
Here are some items I noted down that are must-tries: salmon sashimi, deep-fried whole shrimp (with shell on skewers), grilled flounder, grilled salmon, hand rolls with selectable fillings, red bean soup (with optional purple rice), Japanese imagawayaki, and the ramen broth was surprisingly impressive. The catch of the day was red grouper, and there was also a special large octopus.
The portions were not very large, but everything was quite delicately presented and had a good Japanese vibe. I think the quality was quite good, and I highly recommend the grilled flounder; it was incredibly delicious, even better than many Japanese dishes outside! Other than the recommended dishes, nothing else was really disappointing, although the Japanese desserts looked just okay, so I didn’t take many more.
Overall, although the selection was a bit less than I expected, everything tasted quite good. My first visit to the Grand Hyatt was beautiful; the atrium had a large Christmas tree. After the meal, it's nice to stroll around and take some photos.
This Christmas, we chose to celebrate at the hard-to-book Island Language restaurant.
I didn't expect the traffic in Nangang to compete with that of the Hsinchu Science Park.
A short 10-minute route could take up to 30 minutes due to the congestion.
I was nervous about missing our dining time, but luckily everything went smoothly in the end.
Island Language highly recommends these two dishes:
Rosemary Lamb Chops + Bamboo Charcoal Salt
Pan-Seared Scallops with Wine-Infused Shrimp
For each dish, they also prepare corresponding wines, which shows a lot of thoughtfulness.
#IslandLanguage
The buffet is a favorite dining gathering for Taiwanese people, and the Far Eastern Café buffet restaurant located on the sixth floor of the Far Eastern Shangri-La in Taipei offers a rich and diverse selection of delicacies from around the world. 🤤
From November 1, 2024, to January 2, 2025, they are launching the "Sea and Land Feast," featuring Australian beef and various seafood to create a rich array of dishes. 🙌🏻 Highlights include freshly carved grilled Australian beef, Italian tomato chicken scallops, Sicilian seafood salad, and South Asian-style Thai tamarind fried shrimp. Notably, they also offer unlimited ingredients from Din Tai Fung! 😋
As for the sashimi, it is freshly cut upon order, but you cannot choose your preferred cuts, which is a bit unfortunate. 🥲
The grilled beef brisket at the charcoal grill station was my favorite; the meat was very tender and flavorful. However, the squid rings were quite disappointing; the tentacles were very burnt, overcooked, and extremely tough to eat. 🥲
Regarding Din Tai Fung offerings, they provided golden lava buns and shrimp and chive dumplings today. The golden lava buns were delicious and very hot, but the shrimp and chive dumplings were precooked and just reheated upon order, which affected their texture negatively. 🥲
There is a super wide variety of desserts, and the flavors were decent. 😌
To summarize:
This time, I used a coupon bought during the Double Eleven sale, costing about 1,100 NTD per person. However, without the coupon, I feel a bit disappointed when considering the regular price. 😑
# Taichung Palais de Chine Hotel
Previously, I had terrible experiences with breakfast and lunch at the Palais de Chine in Taichung. The buffet counter in Taipei is "luxuriously rich" and diverse; how is it that the one in Taichung is just "extraordinarily mundane"? Honestly, I usually have no strict demands when it comes to food, but the first two experiences were really... and I lost interest completely.
Later, I decided to try the "Golden Garden" Chinese restaurant at the hotel and still saw crowds waiting for the Palais de Chine; my curiosity was piqued, wondering if perhaps I just happened to hit a period of "transition," so I went for a dinner on a weekday this time, hoping this would give me a chance to see if I could change my opinion. 🙏
With a mix of anxiety; although I checked the reviews on Google beforehand, I still decided to take the plunge and experience it again, sitting down cautiously as if opening a mystery box.
I walked around the buffet; picked a few dishes to sample, eating with a sense of bitterness 😓. It's no wonder the reviews on Google were poor; how can the dishes at the Palais de Chine vary so much? Even though it's $1280 + 10% per person, and there are angel red shrimp and freshly grilled beef to hold the fort, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement in the selection of ingredients and preparation methods for the various cooked foods and cold dishes. The desserts looked sweet and delicious; however, the taste was another matter entirely. The only items I repeatedly reached for were the fresh kiwi juice and brewed green tea. 😅
In summary, I hope the operators of the Palais de Chine in Taichung can manage it with care and not ruin its reputation. Despite the same price point, there’s a star-rated hotel near Taichung Station where the buffet isn’t extensive, but at least it's curated with care. You don't know where the pain lies until you compare.
# Weekday Dinner $1280 + 10% per person
Because my friend’s wedding is being held here, I decided to stay overnight at the Tulip Hotel, and I could also see how the breakfast buffet is.
In terms of food variety, it’s not much different from other common buffets. There are lettuce salads, Chinese congee with side dishes, Western-style ham and fries, and stir-fried dishes. The drinks include soy milk, milk, juice, and fermented milk drinks, as well as cereals to pair with. For frozen treats, there are branded ice creams and popsicles from a well-known brand. As for starches, there are buckwheat noodles and braised pork rice, among others.
Overall, the selection of dishes is complete, but I think the level of deliciousness is average. The ingredients are fresh, but the cooking method leans more towards preparing group meal-type dishes, so the characteristics of the ingredients themselves may not be fully showcased. As a result, there isn't much that leaves a lasting impression.
However, this buffet offers takeout for individual dishes at a higher price, which might be worth a try. Since breakfast is included with the room, I feel that the overall experience corresponds to the price.
Having never stayed at a Kang Chiao before, my first experience was surprisingly in Taitung. Although the Kang Chiao in Taitung is a bit older, its late-night dining restaurant is famous throughout Taiwan.
The late-night restaurant is basically a buffet. If you come back from a trip too late and don’t want to go out for food, you can enjoy the late-night dining here as dinner. You might think that since it’s an additional service, the ingredients and dishes would be subpar, but that’s not the case! There are many must-try dishes for food enthusiasts.
For example, the tea egg is a collaboration with the famous tea egg from Tainan, and the flavor is simply impeccable. The egg white has a texture similar to that of a soft-boiled egg. The winter melon tea is also from Tainan's Yi Feng, it’s not overly sweet and you can taste the natural sweetness of the winter melon. Aiyu lemon is also a must-try. Plus, there’s unlimited Heineken draft beer.
The staff here are very enthusiastic and often recommend dishes they think are worth trying. Even when it’s almost closing time, they’re proactive about asking if you want help packing food to take upstairs. This kind of warmth and attitude towards valuing food can be found more easily in Taitung. Although this late-night dining is not sold separately, I believe its value is at least equivalent to the dining prices mentioned below.
A month in advance is needed for reservations to enjoy this all-you-can-eat buffet. I was lucky to be assigned a window seat with a view of the Xinyi District. The dining environment is very comfortable and not too crowded. Arriving early to queue for entry allows you to enjoy the perks of fewer people at first, so there's not much waiting to get your food.
Overall, the meal is average; there aren’t any standout dishes, nor are there any terrible ones. Many people opt for crab legs, perhaps thinking they are the best value, but they don’t taste particularly good.
What I liked the most was the steamed dish in earthen pots; the broth is sweet and rich, and the ingredients inside are fresh and delicious. The grilled flounder has a firm texture, and the fish skin is perfectly crispy. The hand rolls are made with seaweed that has been slightly toasted, making them more crunchy and flavorful.
In the future, if I plan to have another all-you-can-eat experience, I would prioritize arranging this place.
🔅Actual visit date: 2024/11/20
*Please do not repost photos without permission & for commercial use.
This is my first time dining here, located on the sixth floor of Shangri-La in Taipei. A friend bought Double 11 meal vouchers (for two $2222 including service charge), so we came to visit.
I did some research beforehand and discovered that there are dumplings from Din Tai Fung, which change over time. That day, we encountered handmade shrimp and chives dumplings and a large taro bun. The dumplings were cooked quite well, but they didn’t taste particularly special. The taro bun was quite delicious, and the skin wasn’t over-steamed.
Aside from Din Tai Fung, the salmon was fairly good, with decent marbling. The beef in the beef noodle soup was also tasty! However, my friend received a bowl that was quite ordinary, so it might depend on luck.
We also had roasted duck pancakes, crispy pork (limited release, they even beat a gong when it comes out), sizzling fresh shrimp with sea urchin egg yolk sauce, salad bar (which had a lot of cold dishes aside from lettuce), fried shrimp, grilled salmon, satay, salmon hand rolls, seasonal vegetables, scallops, DIY pasta, and Indian naan & crackers (which were quite special; they need yogurt sauce to taste good since they don't have much flavor by themselves). There weren’t many drink options, but there were various desserts (which were quite diverse, though after trying 4.5 types, I didn’t particularly like any) and Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
Overall, the meal was somewhat forgettable; it was average and didn’t seem as impressive as what others have introduced. It might be because we visited at a different time, but dining during weekday dinner hours at the original price of $1680 + 10% really didn’t seem worth it. The location is not very convenient via public transportation.
P.S. I discovered that I missed the seared sushi area on the day we left, which was a bit of a shame. Also, since it’s a buffet restaurant, I apologize for not capturing a comprehensive set of photos.