Recently closed between March and August, Jin’s Café in the Jinling Hotel has once again opened the doors to its daily lunch and dinner buffet, something that is regarded by many as a Nanjing institution.
With good reason too. The Jinling Hotel closes the restaurant for renovation once every ten years. As China’s first five star hotel that opened in 1983, this is the third major overhaul for the eatery that was previously known as Orchard Garden.
Starting with an aside; the mini bakery adjacent is considered a part of Jin’s Café, and it too has received the makeover. With no change in the quality of the products on sale, this remains the only sensible choice in Xinjiekou for a decent loaf, especially when one can knock off and pop in after 5.30pm when all products are discounted by 30 percent.
Onto the main event. Reservations are an absolute must if one is to truly soak up this experience; a window seat beside the Chinese garden/rockery behind which Xinjiekou’s neon obilisques stand tall is without doubt among Nanjing’s finest.
The Jinling is known for the quality of its restaurants; indeed it is arguably home to the best Chinese cuisine in the city. Buffets, on the other hand, are always a challenge wherever you go. Serving it all up in large quantities in a way that can stay warm for long enough more often than not has a detrimental effect on the quality. With their 30 plus years of experience, Jinling has learned well how to minimise this.
A salad to start, comprising fantastically fresh leaf, a good presentation of dressing accompanied by my beloved Thai jalapeno chilis, was followed by a delectable selection of German suasages served with vegetables that is one of the many highlights in this massive spread.
Next came the disappointments. As such a legendary locale, the Jinling Hotel brings in large numbers of foreign guests, for whom allergies can be an issue. Therefore, fried rice should be labelled as containing seafood.
Cartilage on a chicken skewer I would expect standing on the street at 2 in the morning, not here in Nanjing’s most plush. Completing the hat trick, one shall need to add ¥50 for unlimited red wine, only to discover it is served cold, presumably to put people off costing the hotel a fortune.
Yet, this is to nitpick. It should be pointed out that this was actively looking for shortcomings, which one will find anywhere; make no mistake, the revamped Jin’s Café delivers a thoroughly satisfying dinner or lunch experience in an exquiste location that has just had its one in a decade makeover.
Dining in such historic and beautiful surroundings does not come cheap; the Western/Chinese buffet at Jin’s Café in the Jinling Hotel will set one back ¥188 per person plus 15 percent service charge for lunch, ¥288 plus 15 percent service charge for dinner. Reservations can be made by phone: 84711888 ext. 84157.
