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2010-04-06
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We made use of the Bank of East Asia 25% off offer and had buffet at Cafe Kool tonight. We were pleasantly surprised with the food quality but disappointed with the poor service quality.First starters, there was a good choice of salad and the ingredients were fresh. I was after oil and balsamic vinegar dressing but it was nowhere to be seen. There was a limited selection of seafood but generally of good quality. I tried the oysters, whelks and prawns. The whelks had quite a lot of sand in them.
First starters, there was a good choice of salad and the ingredients were fresh. I was after oil and balsamic vinegar dressing but it was nowhere to be seen. There was a limited selection of seafood but generally of good quality. I tried the oysters, whelks and prawns. The whelks had quite a lot of sand in them. I like the small oysters. There were cold crabs available. My husband tried them and said they were good. Sashimi and sushi were of a high standard. For hot dish, my only negative comment is that the food was not warmed properly. I tried the lasagne but was disappointed because it was only barely warm, as was the lamb chop. My husband tried the roast beef but was not impressed because the meat and the sauce was nearly cold. It was not nicely carved but cut in chunks of 2 cm thick.
The Chinese hot dish that I liked most was the soup which was served in individual pots in a bamboo steamer. The chinese dishes were all pipping hot but I only tried the chinese kailan vegetables. There was a good range of Malaysian satays and Indian curry available but I was too full to try any.
The dessert bar was impressive. There were a lot of people queuing to eat "fried ice-cream". It does not appeal to me at all so I did not try it. My daughter complained that there was no strawberry available at the chocolate fountain which is usually her highlight of a buffet dinner. Overall the dessert available was satisfying and of a high quality.
I was disappointed with the service standard though. Shangri-la is an international name and one expects 5-star service not only at reception but in each and every restaurant within the hotel as well.
The male serving staff walked around in trainers which was not appropriate for a hotel of this standing. There was a lot of gossip and personal talking amongst staff which put me off a great deal. The majority of them were ill mannered. There were a few occasions that I walked back to my table with plateful of food. Instead of giving way to me in the narrow corridors, the waiters just barged across. There was no appreciation of the basic principle of "ladies first" let alone the basic manner of "customers first". The serving staff could not manage basic conversations with customers in a polite way. I asked for tea/coffee and the bill. I got short and sharp answers without being addressed properly, nor was there any please or thank you. The only positive point is that the waiters were hardworking and quick in collecting plates though in a somewhat crude manner. In terms of service, this hotel has a long way to go to match the service in restaurants in Mandarin Oriental and Conrad.
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