There is always a buzz of excitement when a new restaurant opens but it’s even better when it a branch of a place that I have read so much. A branch of New Shanghai (originally in Ashfield) has opened up in Chatswood, Lemon Grove, right next to de Pho. Time to get my dumpling on

The first thing you notice is the big glass display of the dumpling ladies doing their thang!

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Cafe Mix of the Shangri-La Hotel used to be one of my favourite buffet haunts but since the hotel changed from ANA Hotel to Shangri-La Hotel, the quality of the food had gone downhill. It has been too long a time since my last visit so it was a very reminiscing experience to once again dine here. Using the a bunch of We Love Sydney cards a group of us were able to eat at half price! What a bargain! Another reason why it was worth it to come eat here, because normally it would not be really worth it in my opinion.

Hotels are very good at displaying the better cars outside to “show off” and I was lucky enough to spot a few good ones hee hee

Cafe Mix may be on the 1st floor but Altitude and Blu Horizon Bar have an astounding and breath-taking of the view of the city, espically at nighttime, on level 36

Pretty drop-shaped lights in the lobby (would be better if I waited til dark to take it)

These balls were also very pretty and they still had a tree up wheeee. They also had a duo on the piano and guitar playing sweet and soft loungy/chill music which is perfect when you are just sitting and having a drink in cushy seats.

Chandeliar leading down to the foyer

I really like this piece so swirly and curvy (haha yes I am pro at using arty words… -___-)

The wall leading to the entrance, very nicely done

Cafe Mix is called thus, due to the variety of cuisine stations which provides a mixture of flavours around the world.

Since we are here for the buffet we dig right in… Here Comes the Food!

The first island you see is the exquisite dessert island but I shall talk more about that later

DIY salad bar
I tend to start buffets with a plate of fresh greens like baby spinach and rocket so I don’t feel so bad about all the nutrient-free foods I’ll be eating later hee hee.

Oysters
There were oysters ready to be shucked out of their shells and into our mouths nom nom. They seemed reasonably fresh and tasty with only a squirt of lemon juice required. Next to these oysters were the antipastos of olives, tomatoes and other goodies.

Prawns
This is where I hope to eat my money’s worth! Accompanied by thousand island dressing I should have kept hitting this bar instead of the others haha.

Us being typical asian hee hee

Me being… me ^^!

Moving onto the hot food, this is where Cafe Mix fails to impress me

Western Mix

Roast Potatoes with Sage and Pasta with Bolinas Sauce
The potatoes were mediocre, nothing special, and the pasta was actually not as bad as I thought it would be but since it was pasta (and carbs are filling) I decided not to have too much of it.

Steamed Snapper with Coriander Sauce and Roast Pork with Apple Jus
I did not try the snapper because I am not too fond of the head and I forgot to get it later on haha and the pork was too tough so disappointing. The apple jus was pleasant though, with a tinge of sweetness.

Japan Mix
Fresh selection of nigiri, though I would prefer sashimi as you won’t fill up on rice but I think almost everyone just ate the fish and left the rice anyway :S There were also miso soup and a mushroom soup next to this station which were not bad.

China Mix
A selection of dumplings and typical chinese dishes were on hand. I try not to eat too much chinese at a buffet because I have lots of chinese food elsewhere haha.

India Mix
Curries and naan were what I was aiming for. There was a lamb curry which was pretty tasty but not strong enough in the spice depatment. The naan was light and fluffy and ended up eating more than I should have.

Random plate
Now onto dessert island whheeee!

Milk and dark chocolate fountains on either end and a wide selection of cakes, jellies, pastries, tarts and brulee in between ^^! There is also ice cream on one end so you could make your own combination of desserts yum!

So much yum!

Random dessert shot
I must say, the creme brulee is probably the best dessert there so it is worth it to fight or ask for it haha. The chocolate fountains are also very fun and I admit… I dropped a marshmallow into the dark one haha.

To summarize once again, if you love prawns and oysters and desserts then this is the sort of place for you! Remember to prepare youself for a good stuffing of food and wear some baggy pants hee hee.

Other Hotel buffets:
Corn Exchange Restaurant at Four Points Sheraton – Sydney CBD, Sydney

Cafe Mix
Level 1, Shangri-La Hotel
176 Cumberland Street
The Rocks, 2000

FFichiban

After the disappointing experience at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant, I once again ventured to the square of eateries that circumvent the landmark water fountain feature at Westfield Hornsby. This time our group had a hankering for some Chinese cuisine, so we headed to Wok King, which presumably specialises in Peking cuisine from the name.

It’s always a human comfort to see other diners on a Friday night as it gives you some assurance that the restaurant has a decent customer base and appeal to others besides yourself. However, this is as far as the pleasantries went.

Here Comes The Food

You can’t really stuff up prawn crackers. There was no faulting what we were given: had an acceptable oily consistency and wasn’t overly deep-fried.

Deep Fried Shallot Cake ($6) : It was warm, but not hot enough to assure us that these were made fresh in the kitchen. The saltiness to the batter and shallots were a sign that this dish was either: straight from a frozen pack and de-frosted or poorly prepared. Also, it’s clear to us that our dish has been deliberately flattened to make it appear that it’s bigger than what it seems. If I were to prepare this, there would be more shallot filling as what we were given clearly didn’t seem an acceptable standard.

Hot & Sour Soup: You can literally smell this coming out of the kitchen when it’s brought and placed on your table – all for all the wrong reasons. They’ve used an overpowering smoked ham that makes the dish unbearable without ridiculous amounts of vinegar and pepper to musk the deep flavour. I’m certain from my past experiences with this dish that the normal ingredient in place of smoked ham would be ham nonetheless – but definitely not to such boldness that the soup has no distinguishable taste besides ham.

‘Fu’ Tong/Ung Choi (Morning Glory): A combination of morning glory fried with a bitter tofu and salted fish that you can find jarred at your Asian Grocery. There’s little or no scent or taste of ‘fu yu’ which should normally be present if this dish had been done properly. It could pass as just vegetables fried with ginger.

‘Un See Goun’ – Fried($3)/Steamed ($2.50): the steamed bun is sad in appearance and does not have a hot steamy centre when separated into portions. It makes me want to cry. The fried bun is no better, oily leaving your hands almost transparent – not a very pleasant experience.

Shanghai Noodles ($10.80) : “Fried Handmade Noodles with Pork & Cabbage. The only dish we ate that we found enjoyable (or rather couldn’t fault).

Shandong Chicken ($18.80): Hand stripped crispy chicken served with special sauce of herbs, ginger and garlic. One of the members of our group comments that this dish is in fact a dud, a wannabe, a fake, passing off for something that it’s not … the synonyms I could go on forever … Suffocated in lemongrass? Absurd amounts of chilli?

Xiao Long Bao ($7): Bad

End thoughts? Over-priced, disappointing and makes me want to give up hope on the restaurants in the Hornsby area.

Wok King Peking Restaurant
Shop B23 Westfield Shopping Centre
236 Pacific Highway Hornsby NSW 2077
Ph: 9987 2638

a very disappointed D

related posts:
Pho Ngon