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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 8:59 am
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Originally Posted by tshep
Has anyone done both dinner and Sunday brunch at the Harbourside? Dinner is HKD50 more. Which has a bigger spread? I suppose dinner has better views. Discovered from the hotel there are no live oysters at brunch.

Deciding between the two for my upcoming trip.

Thanks!!
Yes; I did a Saturday night dinner buffet and a Sunday morning brunch buffet at Harbourside (See the Trip Report in my signature, below).

They were both just excellent, and the brunch was only slightly better given that it had lobsters if I recall. Other than that and the inclusion of breakfast foods, they were both pretty much the same. I would HIGHLY recommend both, lol, but if you had to choose, i would probably go for the brunch. Consider doing both though!
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 9:03 am
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Originally Posted by wco81
Does Macau have Nevada casino-type of buffets?
I was recently in Macau looking for buffets (see the Trip Report in my signature, below). I tried Fogo Samba (buffet/all you can east Brazilian meat) at the Venetian and it was quite poor. I also tried the breakfast buffet at Cafe Deco at the Venetian and was quite underwhelmed. I didn't try others though, perhaps fortunately. Based upon my experiences there, I would do not consider this a good buffet town, and if I were to go again, which I doubt, I would definitely stick with some of the authentic Portuguese and Macanese restaurants in town.
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 9:06 am
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Originally Posted by christep
True, but I don't think the dinner includes free-flow champagne. I've only done the Sunday brunch, so I can't compare.
Even if you go on the Sunday for the brunch, you can have the buffet at a reduced price if you are not going to have the champagne. Or you can pay extra for the champagne...depending on how you look at it...

When I went there, I was somewhat surprised that most people were not drinking champagne, but were just enjoying the mountains of seafood and incredible International and Asian foods. I skipped the champagne, myself.
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 9:11 am
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Originally Posted by Steve M
I've really enjoyed the buffet at Cafe TOOcan at the Island Shangri-La. It's simply amazing. I've been there for both breakfast and lunch, but I'm sure dinner is equally spectacular.
yes, I agree; this is an incredible and unique buffet. It is more of an "open kitchen" with many foods made to order at various international "cooking stations". For example, they have an incredible selection of ingredients to select for the chef to make you your own glorious soup, they have noodles being made right in front of you, they have a grill for delicious mini burgers, they have meats to select for grilling, etc. etc. See the pictures of the Cafe Too buffet in my Trip Report, in the signature line below.

Comparing it to Harbourside, i have to say both are equally GREAT! They are different with Harbourside being a somewhat more traditional but opulent and elaborate international hotel buffet, while Cafe Too is a more modern twist with authentic ethnic foods made to order.
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 9:30 am
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Originally Posted by blueline7
Even if you go on the Sunday for the brunch, you can have the buffet at a reduced price if you are not going to have the champagne. Or you can pay extra for the champagne...depending on how you look at it...

When I went there, I was somewhat surprised that most people were not drinking champagne
True but HK$100 (US$12), the incremental cost, for 4 hours of champagne seems like a pretty good deal to me. On the one occasion I've done the Intercon Sunday Brunch I'd say that 80-90 of the patrons were drinking champagne.
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 2:57 pm
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Is it champagne or sparkling wine from somewhere other than the French region?
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Old Dec 31, 2010 | 11:36 pm
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It's champagne (if it wasn't champagne I wouldn't have written "champagne"): the Intercon Sunday brunch buffet has free-flow Mot & Chandon Brut Imperial NV.
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Old Jan 13, 2011 | 1:11 pm
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anyone tried the sunday buffet at the oyster & wine bar in the sheraton towers? how is the food there and how much does it cost approximately? i love seafood, especially oysters in all its variety... do u think this will be a reasonable place to go?

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Old Jan 13, 2011 | 8:32 pm
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Originally Posted by blueline7
yes, I agree; this is an incredible and unique buffet. It is more of an "open kitchen" with many foods made to order at various international "cooking stations". For example, they have an incredible selection of ingredients to select for the chef to make you your own glorious soup, they have noodles being made right in front of you
Yes sir! I had never even heard of such a thing before - a soup chef that custom-makes soup to your specifications while you wait. Absolutely delicious. I can't wait to go back!

And you did describe it better than I - it's half open kitchen with many different stations of different types, and half traditional buffet, with buffet-style fixed price and self service.
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Old Jan 13, 2011 | 10:46 pm
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Thing I remember about HK is those ads for this big bowl of some kind of stew with all manner of seafood.

Those things were around $100 each. Forget the name.
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Old Jan 14, 2011 | 8:51 am
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Originally Posted by wco81
Thing I remember about HK is those ads for this big bowl of some kind of stew with all manner of seafood.

Those things were around $100 each. Forget the name.
They are called 盆菜 which means food in a basin(large bowl).

It is a trend from village festivities where the whole family eat at the same table with one large basin of all the food (except steamed rice in it in the middle.
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Old Jan 14, 2011 | 5:29 pm
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side note: Ah yes, the "basin" dining experience, Overrated!--
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Old Jan 14, 2011 | 7:23 pm
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Originally Posted by 8dimsum
side note: Ah yes, the "basin" dining experience, Overrated!--
Too over-rated!
I think it is just a trend when the dishwasher's salary went through the roof just at the end of the last millennium. The chef just dump everything into the artistic basin. My father nicknamed it "all birds returning to the nest" (百鳥歸巢)
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Old Jan 14, 2011 | 8:53 pm
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Oh, yeah - the basin specials are beginning to pop up as a menu special in North America's Chinatown restaurants - sometimes requiring advanced reservation for ordering & preparation purposes. Not impressed - besides, I prefer to taste the lobster, shrimp, abalone, scallops, chicken, tofu, assorted vegetables, mushrooms, etc. individually and/or cooked (steamed, deep-fried, sauteed, et. al.) in different styles & sauces - scooping them, lukewarm, in a soup ladle into one's plate to enjoy isn't for me.

Besides, I know the older folks often are reminded that these basins designed for and typically are used for washing one's face, body and feet in the "old" days - but, I'm sure the bowls are clean - for real ....
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Old Jan 15, 2011 | 3:59 pm
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Originally Posted by Letitride3c
Besides, I know the older folks often are reminded that these basins designed for and typically are used for washing one's face, body and feet in the "old" days - but, I'm sure the bowls are clean - for real ....
The story was they had one big pow-wow and did not have an utensil large enough to hold all the food and fit on the table. So grandma X found grandpa X's feet basin.

BTW these same basin are used as foot soaking basin prior to a Chinese accupoint foot massage.
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