This is my third time visiting Xiang Xiang, and I still quite like it. There are many fresh food options to choose from, and the taste of the food is above average. While it may not be super delicious or exquisite, it's really nice to be able to try a variety of things at once.
Compared to my previous visits on weekdays, this time it feels less crowded, even though the reservations appeared to be full. During the meal, it didn't feel cramped, nor did we have to wait excessively long.
Environment
In addition to the buffet, the restaurant also has a banquet hall for weddings, and the entire decor is very impressive. At the beginning, remember to check in and get your seating organized. The dining seats are all concentrated in the middle, while the food is around the sides. When dining starts, it can get very crowded, leading to long lines that make you question your life choices. However, after about 30 minutes, the crowd will become more manageable. The seating space is not small, and accommodating seven to eight dishes is not a problem at all.
Food
📍Lunch/Dinner 💰838 (10% service charge excluded)
Birthday celebrants of the month enjoy a 5% discount.
Seniors over 65 receive a 20% discount.
Parking
The restaurant has its own dedicated parking lot 🅿️, which is very convenient for both motorcycles and cars.
Service
The most important aspects of a buffet are the speed of clearing plates and replenishing food. I found that this buffet excels in both areas 👍, and the overall dining experience is very comfortable.
Payment Methods
Cash 💵
Credit Card 💳
Braces Person's Review: It's very convenient to be able to brush my teeth once I get back to my room.
On the last day of my trip, I thought I would take the opportunity to enjoy the hotel breakfast. I happened to encounter an event where, by becoming a member, I could purchase breakfast at half price, which I found quite a bargain.
The breakfast serving time is from 7 AM to 10 AM, and we went down to eat around 8:30 AM. The dining space is not very spacious, but the environment is simple and comfortable. The food is quite exquisite, with a good variety, including American and Japanese options. The highlight is the downtown beef hot pot, which is a bit like sukiyaki and has a rich flavor that makes you want to keep eating. The triangle rice balls are rather ordinary, just simple plain rice balls with nothing special about them. However, when paired with a hot spring egg and white rice, the overall flavor is quite good.
Overall, at 1100 yen, the value and quality of this breakfast were pretty good, adding a warm memory to the last day of my trip.
I came to Taipei for a business trip and just happened to be near the Far Eastern Plaza, so I went to the Shangri-La Hotel on the 6th floor. Today, I came to have Chinese food at Xiang Gong, which is next to CAFE'. I had been here before and really liked the food, so I decided to visit again.
Since it was a holiday, the Xiang Gong restaurant was fully booked, so the staff took us to the adjacent Li Bai Ju to be seated.
Today was a good day; it was a special dining environment at the Li Bai Ju bar while enjoying the experience of Hong Kong-style dishes from Xiang Gong.
Xiang Gong has two menus: the larger one for set meals and main dishes, and a smaller one focused on dim sum, with an additional tea fee of $90 per person.
The prices at Xiang Gong are slightly on the higher end, so most of the clientele are retirees, which indicates a certain standard in the taste of the dishes.
After the meal, I chatted briefly with the staff at Li Bai Ju and learned that if guests prefer to enjoy Xiang Gong's dishes at Li Bai Ju, they just need to mention it; they can support each other and even make reservations for Xiang Gong at Li Bai Ju.
Environment
The environment is very bright, and there are many large seats available, which are very comfortable. Unfortunately, it gets quite crowded on holidays, so some dishes require waiting in line.
Food
📍Holiday Lunch 💰1380 (plus 10% service charge)
A very sumptuous buffet with classic dishes including lobster 🦞 soup, fried sweet shrimp, baked oysters, sliced duck rolls, and freshly cut steak. Of course, there are various kinds of dishes to enjoy. It is recommended that if you want to try many different dishes, you can take a little bit of everything; by the time you finish, you'll likely feel full. Next time you visit, you can choose your favorites!
Parking
Lin Hotel has its own parking lot 🅿️, where you can park for four hours.
Service
If you made an online reservation, you need to check in first. After checking in and settling the bill, you can enter and dine. Although it gets crowded, the waitstaff is very quick in clearing tables, providing a great dining experience.
Payment Methods
Cash 💰
Credit Card 💳
Since the opening of Li Fang Ai Mei, I've dined at Xin Recipe several times. It's truly rare to find a decent buffet restaurant in Taichung these days. Even my more discerning friends from the north have praised Xin Recipe. The buffet at Xin Recipe doesn't have many stations, but the variety of dishes is comprehensive. The roasted beef is one of the highly recommended options by friends. Personally, I enjoy the Taiwanese braised pork in the hot food section and the poached white shrimp and mussels in the Japanese cuisine section, paired with red and white wines. They also offer draft and canned beers. As for dessert, I noticed that the selection has increased today (I didn't take any photos of the dessert section, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself 😁). With a full stomach, I snapped and tasted a few options, making it a thoroughly satisfying meal.
Environment
The buffet restaurant located within the Yanhwa Grand Hotel has a very spacious dining area, and the seating is extremely comfortable. The overall decor of the space is beautiful, making it a pleasant experience to enjoy delicious food while feeling good.
Meals
This morning, I enjoyed a sumptuous buffet breakfast, truly a perfect start! The buffet table had a dazzling array of choices. Firstly, the bread section was very appealing, featuring various freshly baked breads, including croissants, whole wheat toast, and Danish pastries, all of which can be paired with jams, butter, or honey—simple yet satisfying.
Next, the hot food area offered various classic breakfast options, including sausage, bacon, and local specialties, which made it hard to resist going back for more. There was also a live egg station, where you could choose how you'd like your eggs cooked, fully catering to personal preferences.
Additionally, the fruits and vegetables section, as well as the cereals area, provided healthy options, especially the homemade yogurt and fresh fruits, which were refreshing and appetizing. Of course, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or a cup of brewed coffee is a must to wrap up this wonderful breakfast.
This buffet breakfast truly combined deliciousness with healthiness. Whether you enjoy a traditional breakfast or healthy light meals, you can find your favorite dishes here, making the morning full of vitality!
Parking
The hotel has a dedicated parking lot, and there are plenty of parking spaces available, so there's no worry about finding a spot. Most of the guests are hotel residents, so there is no need to pay extra for parking.
Service
The staff's speed in replenishing the ingredients is impressively quick, which is a great plus for the buffet. Additionally, the service staff at the tables are very diligent, quickly clearing dishes and enthusiastically introducing the day's offerings.
Meeting friends over a buffet is a very natural choice: large groups (30+ people), mostly seniors (60+ years) who can receive a $1 discount, have not seen each other in person for many years (mostly online), it's convenient for chatting, and everyone can pick their favorites (vegetarian and non-vegetarian options)... I was very happy to find Tomi Sushi & Sea Food Buffet. The Chinese name "濤味" (tao wei) translates to ocean wave (tao) flavor (wei), which is wonderful and implies seafood.
Everyone gathered a quarter of an hour before the restaurant opened (11:00 am) to reconnect (previous and current members of the group and their partners). The restaurant arranged seating at three large tables, close to desserts, and just past that was everyone's favorite sushi.
The server asked if we'd like soda or tea, or free water. I chose water; seniors receive a $1 discount, so the meal cost $35, which is very reasonable—it's worth that price just for the sushi.
The buffet had a wide variety of selections. Seeing the chefs prepare different types of sushi on site made it feel even more valuable. My plate quickly filled up and I returned to my seat to eat. I started with a vegetable salad as an appetizer. I didn’t take noodles or fried rice because I would have rice to eat with the sushi (and it's not just sashimi). I saved my favorite eel and avocado sushi for last. Sometimes I saw others’ plates, which reminded me to go grab some of those dishes next time.
For a gathering of friends, eating together is more important than the food itself. Talking and enjoying the meal quickly approached the 2-hour dining limit. A friend at the opposite table reminded me that there’s ice cream too! Many quickly went to get some.
It was a very enjoyable meal, highly recommended for everyone. However, next time I want to savor the food more (not just fill my stomach).
🔹 Cost
I happened to buy discounted meal vouchers; my vouchers, if used on weekdays, can bring four people to eat. The price for three vouchers is $4752.
🔹 Service
When I entered at 17:30, right after opening, there weren't many customers, so the speed of collecting empty plates was quick. However, starting from 18:30, the staff became very busy, and plate collection slowed down.
🔹 Dishes
This is a relatively small buffet, with two or three options for each dish, which is enough to eat and lessens the decision-making stress.
▪️ Sashimi is very fresh, cut to order, and the thick slices have a great texture. 👍🏻
There are only four types of sashimi (salmon, tuna, swordfish, and smoked shark).
▪️ Fresh Shrimp
The shrimp is sweet and very fresh, giving it a nice bite.
However, I felt a bit confused as it seemed a bit too sweet; I think even the shrimp at the harbor isn’t this sweet. 🤣
▪️ Pickled Tomatoes 🍅
I love it! It's very appetizing and refreshing!
▪️ At 19:00, they opened up some special dishes. I didn’t catch the names, but one was a cake resembling a tiger skin, wrapped around medium-rare beef, and another was a seafood bucket (which included crab legs, shrimp, and shellfish). I didn’t really like either. The beef was too rare and tough to chew, and the seafood bucket contained a bunch of inconvenient foods. 🤣
▪️ Mocha Sago
Delicious! Highly recommended! You can choose your own toppings; I only added sago. 🤣
▪️ Fish
I love eating fish. Among the colorful cooked food, there were three types of fish, which were okay but nothing I particularly liked, mainly because the dishes were cool...
▪️ Desserts
There were two beer jellies that were hard to eat; the flavor was very strange. There weren't many dessert choices, and none were particularly tasty.
🔹 Conclusion
In terms of cost, if I bought discounted vouchers, I would want to treat others or bring elders to eat, but I probably wouldn't spend full price to come alone. It's just an average buffet with nothing special to attract people specifically.
🎖️ Ritz Carlton Breakfast Buffet in Shenzhen 🎖️
Thanks to a colleague, today I came to the five-star hotel in Shenzhen - the Ritz Carlton Hotel, to enjoy an expensive breakfast.
Because Marriott members cannot enjoy member breakfast and lounge access at the Ritz Carlton, this meal is basically a treat from him. Otherwise, the listed price would be 214 RMB. Since he tested positive and is resting in the room, I’m here to eat on his behalf. 😃
The Shenzhen Ritz Carlton is located in the Futian CBD, and the hotel’s representative symbol is a lion, so you can see lion sculptures all over the hotel/restaurant, along with cute little dolls.
The food is mainly made-to-order, with a wide variety of choices, including Indian-style curry. I especially recommend their eggs, which are freshly made. There’s a little menu on the side where you can customize your desired toppings. I ordered a Eggs Benedict and scrambled eggs; the Eggs Benedict was quite tasty, although not as good as the one at the Tokyo Ritz. The scrambled eggs were just right, not too dry or too wet, with a perfect texture.
The red oil wontons were also quite good, with a numbing spice that likely comes from the Sichuan peppercorns. There’s also a whole display of freshly squeezed juices, in green, red, and yellow, so there’s plenty to choose from.
Overall, the service is quite good, and the variety and deliciousness of the food are high. If you come to Shenzhen, I recommend choosing the Ritz Carlton; you won't be disappointed!
