AMONG the many places offering Sunday brunch buffets in Hong Kong, the Lobster Bar has the best seafood spread in town. While landlubbers may find the options a bit limited, no one seems to leave the restaurant hungry.
This is a clubby little retreat set off the lobby of the hotel, with an entrance marked by a stunning aquarium built into a wall. The decor includes mahogany timbers, cut and stained glass, and lobster motifs. The low-set tables are a sore point with some patrons, but are well matched by comfortable seating.
The restaurant does a few things differently for the Sunday brunch service. It breaks out blue, green and white floral-patterned table linens and brightly coloured glassware. Appetisers and desserts are served buffet-style using two tables in the centre of the dining room. And as with most brunches in Hong Kong, the tables are overflowing.
The first few guests start to drift in around 11.30am and the restaurant is usually filled within an hour. Without the business crowd that flocks for lunch and cocktails, the Lobster Bar takes on a different mood. No one seemed to even notice two little girls running around the buffet tables with balloons in their hands.
Of course, once you settle into a chair with a Bloody Mary in hand and the buffet in full view, it's unlikely much will bother you. The meal begins with whimsical amuse bouches (palate teasers) - cheesy puff pastry sticks cut into fish shapes, complete with 'eyes' made of currants. They're served warm from the oven and are delicious.
Main course orders are not taken until after you've finished with the appetisers. This makes sense; most people return to the buffet table as often as their stomachs allow.
