I was recently invited to lunch at the Langham Xintiandi Shanghai, and since I’ve so enjoyed eating my way around the city – and was quite taken with the afternoon tea service at the Langham Hong Kong – was only too happy to oblige. The hotel, just opened in 2010, boasts a fashion-forward facade which reminds me of a long-necked, mottle-skinned giraffe towering over the trendy Xintiandi shopping district. Lunch is served in Cachet restaurant, which takes up a large portion of the radiant lobby. Cachet’s kitchen is overseen by French executive chef Denis Lartigue, formerly of the Fairmont Peace Hotel.
Cachet’s buffet lunch takes diners on an around-the-world culinary tour and my favorite three stops were India, Hong Kong and Japan. A Langham representative proudly informed me the kitchen recently brought on a new Indian sous chef. After sampling the chicken curry, vegetable masala and naan, I was pleasantly surprised to find that level of flavor packed in a buffet. The sushi was equally good, with a few generously-sized rolls available and sashimi made to order. Completing the Asian trifecta was an array of dim sum dumplings and buns steaming seductively in red-lit baskets. Cachet’s shrimp dumpling, a hallmark of good dim sum, was tender and juicy.
Other buffet stations included fresh pasta cooked to order, British-style roast beef and a selection of French cheeses, as well as an American-style salad bar. I savored a fabulous little sausage quiche but was less enamored with my slice of pizza and cup of lamb moussaka.
I contemplated going back for a second serving of Indian food until I remembered: DESSERT BAR. A central table was laden with a variety of cakes and pastries, while petite fours and a chocolate fountain beckoned from Cachet’s back wall. I indulged in a slice of plum tatin, a bite-sized raspberry tart and a sinfully creamy piece of cheesecake. I asked if the pastry chef was from France and was told that no, she is in fact Shanghainese. Color me shocked!
To be thorough in my “research,” I tried the house-made ice cream and dipped a marshmallow in the chocolate fountain just for kicks. The ice cream was heavenly and full of fresh vanilla bean flavor. My one wish is that it had been served in a small bowl rather than a plate because it was hard to get up the last remaining drops!
I don’t have much experience with hotel buffet lunches, but for the money I think the Langham represents good value, especially for business travelers who might be pressed for time.
* The Langham kindly sponsored my lunch, though all opinions are my own.
Sweet! Welcome to the dark side of sponsored blog posts!
HAHA! Though I might not accept future offers if they don’t include a dessert bar 🙂
Why but of COURSE. We are not animals.
Everything looks delish… Not a good post to read when hungry.
It wasn’t a good post to write when hungry, either LOL!
Yum! Eating sushi in Asia is on my list. The whole lunch buffets looks delicious though!
I’m actually very picky about eating fish in China because food safety standards can be iffy to non-existent. This place passed the test! If you want excellent sushi, Japan is the place for you!
Dang. Wish I’d known about this a month ago.
Maybe next time? How did you enjoy your time in Shanghai?
I loved it the first time round in 2010 when we were just tourists. But living in Qingpu, which is so far west as to virtually not be in the city, was not great. I enjoyed going in to the city though. Such an amazing cosmopolis!
Hi there, have been lurking around your blog for some time but first time commenting.
Is the buffet valid only for weekdays or weekends as well?
Hi Ming, thanks for the comment! The lunch buffet is only available during the week. On weekends I was told there is a seafood-heavy brunch buffet for 488 RMB, but I haven’t tried that yet.
Wow, what a buffet! The dessert bar got my attention 🙂