Visited 1st July
Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR handover from British to Chinese rule. Instead of battling the millions watching fireworks above Victoria Harbour we decided to celebrate at another Hong Kong institution; Jumbo Floating Restaurant. This iconic barge in Aberdeen Harbour contains several restaurants including the recently refurbished Top Deck. Part of the Cafe Deco group, the Top Deck has a Sunday Brunch buffet and was the perfect place to meet up with a big group of friends.
Well a buffet is all about food and I was pretty impressed what the Top Dec
k offered. There was an interesting selection of salads, sushi, and mains, including a Peking duck station. Naomi was critical that there weren't too many choices for the non-seafood eater, not that this will bother most Hong Kong residents. I gave the buffet a pretty good workout and some favourites included the eggs Benedict, sushi, crispy wontons and Thai style prawn cakes, Peking duck and marinated snapper fillets. Moving onto desserts was just as satisfying and there was certainly something for Naomi to choose. Favourites around the table included the highly discussed mini-meringues, made to order crepes and the apple and berry crumble. Overall the food was of excellent quality, but the selection was pretty limited and it would have been nice to see a few more options.'Bubbles', softdrinks, tea and coffee were included so I enjoyed (perhaps
one too many) glasses of Veurve de Vernay NV, the French Sparkling wine on offer. Though somewhat simplistic it was refreshing to drink and it's slightly sweet note meant that it was easy to enjoy all afternoon. I was also impressed that the coffees included cappuccinos, lattes and espressos; a step up from the usual pre-brewed dribble.Dining outside is all about location and it doesn't get much better than the Top Deck. Though it was warm sitting outdoors, floating in middle of Aberdeen Harbour was fantastic. Service was good, but non-intrusive; my water glass was full all afternoon and post buffet debris was quickly removed. For $328 per person the Top Deck Sunday brunch isn't bad value, like any buffet it's all about how much you eat, but with wine included I reckon I certainly came out ahead. Hong Kong's hotels have numerous lunch buffets to choice from and many are cheaper and have larger selections, but what the Top Deck offers is atmosphere. Visiting this well polished Hong Kong icon is a perfect for a special occasion or to offer visitors a unique experience. Thanks MW for organising a great day!
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4 comments:
We tried Top Deck in May 2009 and as far as buffets in Hong Kong go, this has got to be the biggest rip off. It was 1245 noon and it was not busy yet we could not get the table we wanted. There was not a lot of seafood (definitely no lobster) and the oysters were average. In fact average is the adjective I would use to describe the rest of the food selection. Nice touch with the peking duck and the desserts offered what was expected but on the whole - not worth the $832 HKD charged for two people. The champaigne was not champaigne and the coffee was left on the table after a sip. SAVE YOUR $$$ and spend it at the Shangri-La brunch buffet instead.
Hey Theloniousmnk
Sounds like you really didn't enjoy your lunch.
It's been ages since I've been to Top Deck and too be honest I not a fan of their usual menu. From my memory I thought the buffet was OK and dishes like the pallea and Peking Duck were good, though like we both said the selection was rather limited.
I agree there are certainly better options out there for a lunch buffet, but what Top Deck offers is ambience. In my opinion the only real reason worth going there is to take visitors from overseas and it is definately worth booking!
Cheers
Andrew
Well I guess my visit was a little luckier. We visited for an early dinner and were able to watch the environ change from afternoon to early evening.
The food at the top desk was mostly perfectly done. Curried educk was great, and my kids loved their sushi, ribs and battered shrimp. The noodles however were ok, but easily forgetable.
Great stop for an out of towner. Wonderfully relaxing. I would mark it as a must-do, at least once.
-mike
Hey Mike
I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I agree; the location and ambience of the Top Deck is fantastic. This and the setting in Aberdeen Harbour make it a great stop for visitors to HK.
You enjoyed your meal, but did you think it was over priced?
Cheers
Andrew
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