Shenzhen is known as the melting pot of China, where people from all over the country come to make a living. In the past decade, as the city has grown at an exponential rate and as more luxury hotels have opened, buffets have also gone upscale. Social Buffet is not an ordinary buffet, as it resides in the world's tallest St. Regis hotel, which also happens to be the tallest building in Shenzhen. Located on the 95th floor, Social Buffet offers all day dining featuring international cuisine and endless views in a lively atmosphere.

The layout

St. Regis Shenzhen had its grand opening on December 2011. Social Buffet is a new kid on the block taking a more radical approach to the buffet scene. The entire vibe is decidedly upscale: individual counters are available by ethnic cuisine, ingredients are better and fresher, and it puts a luxury spin on gluttony. There is an open kitchen inside the buffet line (where you can see the chefs cooking and serving the hot food while you walk down the aisle), a make-it-yourself stir fried station where you can tell the chef what ingredients you would like to put in the wok, and last but not least, a chocolate fondue fountain right next to the three-meter dessert bar. The true reinvention, however, is its artistic and unique buffet presentation: different from the typical buffet serving tray, Social Buffet serves the food in pots, pans, and casseroles on a flat electric stove.

Diverse and delicious foodView In Map

The selection was vast, including both eastern and western cuisines, plus sections including salads, sushi, a bread and cheese bar and hand-carved Cantonese style meats (BBQ Pork, roasted goose, and white cut chicken). Having a soft spot for dim sum, my focus was the steamer station and its two big bamboo steamers which provided a variety of authentic Cantonese dim sum.

The most memorable feature was the amazing dessert selection. While some buffets rely on self-service ice-cream dispensers, Social has the crepe service where each plate is individually made to the customer's request. The three-meter dessert bar showcases all time favorite sweets from the cold to the hot. Benchmark flavors like Tiramisu were excellent, better than at any of the standalone dessert parlors I've tried in Shenzhen. And I won't forget the chocolate fondue fountain where you can dip all different kinds of fruits and snacks, a bakery-style case of fancy pastries and even individual cakes and pies in slices.

The overall dining experience in Social buffet was great. If there's an intimate date you'd like to impress with both good food and an extraordinary view of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, you can't go wrong with Social Buffet.

The verdict:
Service quality: very good
Food quality: excellent
Price per head (RMB): 300-400
Environment: excellent

Add: No. 5016 Shennan Road East, 95F, Luohu District, Shenzhen.
地址： 深圳市罗湖区深南东路 5016 号95F
Tel: 755 2223 9358

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