The luxurious Jumeirah Group has moved in and single handedly lit a fire up the rear of an already stagnating Nanjing industry; the hotel buffet. Raising the standard of buffet service to a much-needed, new level of chic and sophistication, we introduce Panorama, located on the 39th floor of the Zaha Hadid-designed Hexi Jumeirah, Nanjing.
Competitive prices, quality and standard of service are all at fine international level, and for China, impeccable. At ¥298 per person, every guest is allocated half a lobster, one piece of sea bass and unlimited wagyu steak; then a handful of French oysters and home smoked salmon… and we haven’t even got to the buffet yet.
Sticking to the hotel’s “Stay Different” ethos, the restaurant structures its food around a theme of the month; March Malaysia. Considering the restaurant employs top chefs from the very same, you can rest assured the food is as authentic as can be. Staff attire is traditional Malaysian dress and the restaurant is also thus decorated.
Strong durian and lemon grass greets as the chefs pace like lions up and down the buffet. Mouth watering Malaysian and Singaporean curries, marinated ribs, laksa noodles and matcha crepe filled durian puddings tantalise guests. Top Pastry Chef, Moo, took great delight in showing The Nanjinger his vintage Malaysian ice slicer which sits beside, hands down, the best tiny desserts in Nanjing! The lemon meringue simply melt-in-your-mouth.
Executive Chef, Yeoh Chin Foong, who started his culinary career at 14-years old, worked for the Dubai royalty and as the first Asian executive at the great Burj Al Arab. After living in Nanjing for 2 years, he spoke with true passion and excitement about his position here with the team at Panorama, Jumeirah Nanjing. The restaurant is run by a truly international entourage leading passionate young service staff, who are incredibly attentive throughout the entire meal.
Named for its panoramic views of the Yangtze river, the restaurant provides a warm ambient atmosphere in an intimate setting. Start with the seafood table or perhaps the salad bar before moving onto mains, pizzas and shwarma, and finally finish with a cheese board and out-of-this-world desserts.
Guests also enjoy the intimate service of Plat Du Jour; for The Nanjinger we received lobster and Hainanese chicken. All food is fresh, perfectly spiced and abundant. Included in the price of the buffet is a small selection of juices；; for an extra ¥60,， guests can enjoy additional free flow of wine and beer.
More than accommodating for the whole family, the restaurant also holds a cooking class at 18:30 everyday and a “dessert show” at 19:00, whereby chefs allow children and guests to smear piped puree all over a circular table, crack open chocolate balls and light-up the table with dry ice.
All in all, Panorama at Jumeirah Nanjing deserves a ten out of ten for quality, service and bang for the buck. Unfortunately, its location is quite far out, making it quite the trek to find if coming from downtown or Xianlin, but get in early and settle in, for it sure is worth it.
Jumeirah Nanjing 南京卓美亚酒店 is located at 2 Yecheng Lu, Jianye District 建邺区邺城路2号. Tel 58780888.
