There was an ad in the papers recently featuring a promotion at Top of The Plaza (ANA Hotel). One could have a bowl of shark's fin and an ala carte buffet dinner for $28.80/person -- the usual price is supposedly $65/person. So we decided to give it another try, even though we had a prior bad experience there.
We were disappointed again. First, I shall comment on the shark's fin. My bowl of shark's fin contains fins that either were undercooked or of an inferior quality such that they were still hard as bones. Simply inedible. I returned my bowl in exchange for another. The way the shark's fin was prepared is also non-traditional. There were cabbage, imitation crab sticks, Japanese baby octopus, and a prawn (shell & head on), which completely spoiled the taste -- making it more like a seafood soup rather than a shark's fin soup.
The ala carte buffet menu was also rather limited. The claimed abalone slices were nothing more than cheap substitutions of an unknown shell fish that was tasteless. The tempura prawns were over-breaded. The deep fried yam was dry. The fried clams with papaya tasted foul. The only acceptable dishes were the suckling pig (though a little on the fatty side), the sea cucumber with sturgeon cartilage, and onion prawns. Nothing was outstanding. The dessert selection was pathetic, with only fruits (papaya, water melon, and pineapple), coffee jello, and red bean paste. The pineapple was again tasteless -- neither sweet nor sour, and without fragrance.
Service was very inconsistent. This restaurant is obviously short on staff. The male waiters tend to be rather rude. I asked for a missing sauce for the suckling pig and the waiter practically returned and THREW the plate of sauce on the table. I know they are busy, but there's always time for gracious serving. Our plates were seldom changed, even though they were heaped with prawn shells. Tea pots were also infrequently refilled.
Needless to say, we left the place dissatisfied. I will stick to Thai Village for my shark's fin.
Posted by ymchee at March 5, 2003 10:24 PM | TrackBack