The Chef’s Table — Restaurant in Sai Kung District

Nestled on the first floor of the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East, The Chef's Table offers a vibrant lunch buffet that promises a culinary journey blending Eastern and Western flavours. Conveniently located just a minute’s walk from Tseung Kwan O MTR Station Exit C, this buffet is an accessible gem for both locals and visitors. Having dined here recently, I’m eager to share my experience of their all-day dining extravaganza.

Ambience and Service

The restaurant boasts a spacious and comfortable environment, with a warm, inviting atmosphere reminiscent of a cosy brickwork home. The seating, however, can feel a tad cramped during peak hours, as tables are closely arranged to accommodate the bustling crowd. On my visit, the place was brimming with diners, which lent a lively buzz but meant navigating queues for popular dishes. The staff were attentive and efficient, ensuring plates were cleared promptly and offering friendly assistance. However, a server at the oyster station seemed less cheerful, which slightly dimmed the otherwise pleasant service.

Food and Variety

The Chef’s Table shines with its extensive selection, catering to a wide range of palates. The seafood station is a highlight, featuring fresh oysters, prawns, mussels, snow crab legs and sashimi. The oysters, though limited to three per serving to manage queues, were plump and briny, though some diners noted they lacked a touch of flavour compared to expectations. The sashimi, particularly the salmon, was fresh and delicately sliced, earning praise from my table.

The hot dishes were equally impressive, with Chinese offerings like Peking Duck with fresh made pancake and Hainan chicken standing out for their robust flavours. The noodle station, where dishes are prepared to order, was a hit, though I found the portions slightly modest and the Laksa was delicious!!! For Western palates, the roast beef was tender and juicy.

The dessert section, while varied, was a mixed bag. The Häagen-Dazs ice cream, available in eight flavours including yuzu cheesecake and Belgian chocolate, was a standout, as were the mini churros, which were crispy and delightful. The NY Basque cheesecake and assorted excellent! The mango napoleon was a bright spot, offering a creamy, fruity balance.

Value and Experience

I purchased coupons through platform Kxxxx. It was a bargain!!! They offered unlimited drinks—coffee, tea and lemon tea!

Verdict

The Chef’s Table delivered a satisfying lunch buffet with a strong emphasis on fresh seafood and international variety. I’d happily return for the oysters, desserts, grilled beef alone, and with a few tweaks, this could be a top-tier buffet...

Tonight was my first time to try the beffet at Tseung Kwan O Crown Plaza, and I would say it was overall more of a disappointment than suprise.

Firstly arrived at around 8pm saw the whole area was fully seated, the table they have arranged for us was next to the hot plate area, but between tables were so close that my elbow almost touches my neighbor's elbow.

There were salad bar, sushi and sashimi, soup station, cold plate and cheese section. Supposing the time I arrived should be very busy and expecting there are a lot of food to bring out or replacement, but the cold plate and the cheese section were practically emptied. Since the moment I arrived till I leave, non of those mentioned was refilled. The smoke salmon was unpleasant quality, the Thai raw Prawn and Sashimi was lukewarm that might be the reason why I spent my night in the bathroom. The soup I had was so salty that was undrinkable no wonder why no one drinks it. Due to my seafood allergy, my friend had some of the seafood cold plate but his comment wasn't so great. "The prawn was sweet, the oysters were great but tiny in size, but the clams weren't clean properly, the couple that I tried all had sand more importantly the crab meat tasted frozen and unfresh."

As the hot plate section, the roasted beef D-Rump was really tough that my knife can't cut through the beef. The veg they refilled was raw, and very hard to swallow. But the surprising dish that shocked me the most was the beef check stew! It was so soft and tender as it melts into your mouth. The grill bar was excellent, the lamb was juicy and everything were quite unexpectedly good. My friend enjoyed the most was the melted raclette cheese, which you don't find them in many restaurants or buffet. Also the host forgot to offer one of the white card, which I can't comment on a special stew that I really wanted to try.

Finally the desert area, they offered fruits, chocolate fountains, some cakes, ice cream and tea and coffee. To be honest, all the cakes tasted nothing special. The fruit is seasonal, and the specialty for tonight is Durian pancake which tastes pretty good.

Overall comment, the choices of food weren't so great, I would say is even lesser then all you can eat restaurants. The lack of staff might be one the reason why they are not very attentive, even noticing the tables were left dirty over 15 minutes. The hygiene I would be questioning specifically on the sashimi. But the price comparison to everything the beffet had offered is high, therefore if you have the money don't come...

Tried their lunch buffet last week, the price is so attractive as there is discount. The food varieties and quality are really good, a lot of choices. Fresh oysters, cold cut, seafood, sushi, sashimi, pecking duck, Korean BBQ short ribs, Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Oh, you just can’t miss snow crab legs,Hamachi and Argentina pink shrimp, which are weekend special. We are very satisfy with their...