ryo505050
■Mechanism and Overview
I visited on a weekday. You can choose from 3 starting times: 11:30, 12:00, 12:30. The stay time is 120 minutes. Compared to the usual 80-90 minute buffets, this one was quite relaxed. I made a reservation through the official website for 5200 yen per person including tax, but booking through Ikyu offered a better deal at 4500 yen per person including tax for the last slot at 12:30. I was considering the 12:30 slot, but thinking about the sweets buffet at 14:30 in the same venue and the fact that food service ends at 13:30, I thought the 12:30 slot might be a bit rushed compared to other slots, so I chose 11:30. Also, if you join the "Hilton Member" program and provide your membership number when booking, you can get a 10% discount on the day of the visit!
■Crowdedness of the Buffet
Despite being a weekday and securing seats with a reservation the day before, the place was full, with seats even being used in the adjacent St. George Bar. Compared to other buffets I recently visited like Grand Hyatt, Westin, and Grand Prince Shinagawa, there were a lot of foreign tourists, perhaps due to the location or the season. It's very much appreciated that even the day before, you can secure a reservation at the desired time. The food is divided into salad, main dishes, bread, desserts, etc., with particularly long lines for the main dishes around 11:30-12:15. It's normal to wait for about 5 minutes. There are times when the line gets shorter, but it's good to go when it's less crowded. Conversely, after 12:30, there were lines for desserts, so be mindful of that.
■Taste of the Food
The food was quite delicious. Compared to other buffets I recently visited, this was the most delicious. The 5-spice roast pork, chicken with cranberry sauce, roast beef with gravy sauce, quiche, seafood gratin, and more were all tasty. The meats were not just simple roasts but had an extra touch with fruity acidity, sweetness, and aroma, while the quiche had a rich buttery fragrance. The salads like crab and mango salad, and celery and pea sprout salad were unique and delicious enough to be considered main dishes. And the desserts were exceptional. They were all delicious. Especially noteworthy were the chocolate cake (with gold leaf, visually stunning like a specialty cake shop. The harmony between the cassis layer and chocolate was a perfect match) and the tiramisu. The tiramisu wasn't the typical sponge soaked in coffee, but had a fluffy sponge with a rich mocha flavor, and a gentle, fluffy cream with a lot of mascarpone, creating a unique and gentle tiramisu that both adults and children would enjoy. Delicious desserts really lift the mood. A perfect finish. On a side note, the bread was a bit lacking.
■Other
I felt that the variety was slightly limited. In other buffets, after eating around the whole spread and going for another round, I usually end up full and only have one dish in mind to try before heading to desserts. But here, I had enough room to go around about 1/3 of another round. Overall, very satisfied. Thank you for the feast.