Best Food In China

Location

Four Points by Sheraton has all the trappings of an international luxury hotel. Simply walking into Four Points is a sensory experience; the hotel is currently decked out in a true holiday manner with gingerbread houses, festive baubles, and reflective surfaces. The Eatery buffet is located on the second floor of the hotel and wraps around the entire second floor. The restaurant is designed to be open and spacious, with music from the lobby floating up from the open center. During my visit, a live band was playing in the lobby of the hotel and added to the festive yet mellow atmosphere of the restaurant.

The Eatery buffet is an eclectic mixture of traditional Chinese and international flavors. Tastefully arranged and supervised by various chefs who commandeer “cook to order” stations, there’s something to satisfy every picky palate. I appreciated the appetizer table, which had bountiful amounts of smoked salmon, cold smoked meats and assortmentof salad vegetables. I find it difficult to satisfy certain “expat” cravings at times and I was delighted to find baby corn and artichoke hearts, which are rare finds in China. Anotherpleasant surprise was the sashimi and seafood table. The freshly made sushi was delicious, and salmon sashimi was notably fresh and sweet. Furthermore, there was a cornucopia of fresh seafood on ice, including huge lobsters, crabs, oysters, king prawns, and mussels. I very much enjoyed the hot “cook to order” stations which included a grill and noodle station. I requested a piece of steak and was not disappointed by the quality of meat.Grilled in front of my eyes to a medium rare (my request) and with the sauce of my choice, it was juicy and tender. The noodles were also delectable, with a wonderfully flavorfulchicken broth and vegetables of my choice. In addition, there were some choice morsels of abalone that were amazingly delicious. Incredibly tender and simmered in a rich seafood sauce, it was a tasty mouthful.

The online marketing executive and PR executive of Four Points, Swing and Dew informed me that their desserts are famous for seasonal offerings. In November, Four Points had a “Cherry Temptation” promotion with cherry pie, cherry tarts with port wine and dark chocolate cherry rolls. Many of the desserts reflect the fusion theme of Eastern and Western flavors that The Eatery does so well, with many of the cakes, pies, and panna cotta in flavors such as green tea. A new addition to the buffet also includes Haagen-daz ice cream. Refreshing cold vegetable and fruit juices are also offered for the diners and I consumed at least 5 cups of the deliciously fresh and frothy milk tea as well.

The Eatery caters to various international palates with its biweekly food promotions, all presided by Chef Victor Song. November featured both Mexican and curry promotional tastings while diners have the chance to sample Italian specialties during December for the price of 239 RMB. And of course there will also a special buffet for Christmas and New Years as well, with plenty of tempting delicacies and drinks.

-- by Kate Moon

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