Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the only other place that knows how to make me feel like a princess (aside from my own husband, of course). From the hotel’s iconic Princess Diana–branded tableware, to sniffing and choosing your own tea from a dedicated music-like box, to enjoying the luxurious buffet spread with live jazz band, you can’t walk away from Tiffin at Grand Hyatt without feeling like absolute royalty.
After five months of refurbishment, Tiffin has finally opened its doors, revealing a majestic grandeur, refreshed interior and refined new menu. A participant of the Kin Hong Seafood Festival and avid supporter of sustainable seafood, I was excited to know that Grand Hyatt Executive Chef Gerhard Passrugger has ensured that 80 per cent of the seafood featured on Tiffin’s buffet spread is sustainably sourced – including the six different types of oysters at the fresh seafood corner, each shucked upon request, including Coffin Bay, La Jolie Mauger, Kaipara Organic V6, Taylor US Pacific, Ostra Regal and Fine de Claire “Roland”. Just a heads up – the oysters vary from time to time depending on the season
Just when you thought that the wide variety of oysters was a treat, each guest at the dinner buffet can enjoy a whole live lobster served to the table, with three cooking styles including bouillon boiled, herb butter grilled and Thermidor. My suggestion is to get everyone to order a different style. That way, you can sample them all and see which you like best. Of course, cheese lovers like myself should go for the Thermidor, where the lobster is bathed in a cream sauce and baked with cheese – it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
Other seafood highlights include the baked half-shell scallops, in-house-smoked salmon and grilled tiger prawns. And good ol’ soup. How could I forget the awesome soups? We loved the rich and creamy Provençal oyster soup and the divine lobster bisque that was slow-cooked to get that the deep lobster flavour. Complement the soup with some pan-seared foie gras and toasted brioche – bliss.
Aside from the wide seafood selection, get ready to indulge in a rich European-style spread of heartier dishes such as roasted duck à l’Orange, baked black cod with garlic and herbs en papillote and coq au vin. Enjoy freshly sliced lamb from the roasted lamb station where you can complement it with gravy and classic sides. But my favourite live station was the beef Wellington station, where I dug into a crusty, buttery pastry blanket surrounding the goodness of slow-cooked beef. Gordon Ramsay would be so proud.
Desserts became a first-world problem after dinner, when there was barely any stomach space left, but we still had to make room for the dazzling display of artisanal delights such as apple custard obanyaki, yuzu chocolate soufflé, crêpe Suzette, baked Alaska, passion fruit raspberry macaron… and I haven’t even started on the many different flavours of homemade ice cream. Regrettably, I only had a chance to taste two different ice creams and a s’mores dessert that became the protagonist of my chewy, marshmallow-chocolatey dreams.
Verdict
Tiffin offers one of the best buffets – Sunday brunch, weekday lunch and daily afternoon tea and dinner – in town, albeit with a heavy price tag. It’s definitely a treat for special occasions and a decadent place to bring a date.
Daily dinner buffet prices:
- Adults: $728
- Children aged 6–12 years old: $364
- Children under 6 years old: free of charge
M/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wanchai, 2584 7722
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
