Conrad Hong Kong Sunday Brunch Buffet

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Nicolini's Brunch on the Eight 88 Queensway Hong Kong, China SAR 852-2521-3838 852-2521-3888 (Fax) Nicolini's Brunch on the Eight Website

Could this be one of the best Sunday Brunch buffets in the world?

Best buffet in Hong Kong? Conrad Hong Kong Buffet: Best buffet in the world?

Buffet Walk Through Video

Nicolini’s is a high end Italian restaurant in posh Hong Kong’s Conrad Hotel on Hong Kong Island island’s business oriented Central district. The Conrad hotel is a luxury hotel where rooms start at a $400+ night.

They switch the 8th floor restaurants – Nicolini’s, into to a legendary Sunday brunch buffet with the food stationed in the hallway between the two restaurants PLUS the ability to order off a menu. Seating occurs in either restaurant with Nicholini’s, where we dined, offering the better environment. (Ask for that room!)

Our last visit was in 2018 after thinking about returning to this buffet for the last 6 years!

Other Hong Kong Buffets:

• Conrad Nicolini’s Sunday Brunch Buffet
• Harbourside Buffet
• JW Marriott Hong Kong
• Tiffen Buffet Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.

Our top buffet in the world:

• Ritz Carlton Singapore Sunday Brunch

Other Hong Kong Reviews worth your consideration:

• Lung King Heen
• Chuen Kee Seafood
• Fook Lam Moon
• Lei Garden
• Ming Court
• Sai Kung Seafood Market
• Sun Tung Lok
• Yung Kee

How would the Conrad one up the competition?

Decor, Vibe – Nicolini’s is an elegant room with a nice view of the other nearby skyscrapers. Large paintings line the wall, jazz muzak, elegant oak wood wall paneling, and formal booths and old school plush seating line the room.

The restaurant was fairly full with business folks, hotel guests, families, older set, and other well heeled. Grab one of their newspaper and enjoy a couple hours of gluttony.

Conrad HK Buffet Menu

Champagne Sunday brunch on the 8th costs HK$1188 (US$152) with unlimited Perrier-Jouet champagne, free flow of Champagne, European White /Red Wines, Port Wine, Dessert Wine, Cocktails, Draught Beer. HK$988 for non-alcoholic package. HK$1788 Conrad Hong Kong Exclusive Edition Champagne – Billecart-Salmon, Sous Bois package (free flow of Champagne, European White /Red Wines, Port Wine, Dessert Wine, Cocktails, Draught Beer).

Children aged 4-11 at HK$588. 10% service charge.

Conrad is unique in that they also allow you to select from:

• Breakfast
• Entrees
• Sides
• Desserts

Unique Menu

Menu items cooked to order. Make sure you do this early or else you will overeat and never get your chance. The menu has grown significantly from 8 items 2014 to many more in 2018. An attempt to increase quality?

• Eggs & Omlettes
• Healthy Starters
• Soups
• Brunch of Surprise (Popup cart)
• Mains
• Sides
• Desserts

 

Caviar station

Prosciutto station

Salad and appetizers:

• Fresh Fruit
• Salami and Air Dried Beef
• Black Forest Ham with melon
• Smoked salmon with condiments
• Caviar counter
• Crabmeat and Avocado Mousse
• Tomato Mozzarella’s Fresh Basil
• Beef and Salmon Tartar
• Feta Cheese Salad with olives
• Shrimp Salads
• Scallops
• Ahi Tuna
• prosciutto
• and more..

Seafood was wonderful:

• Flat Lobster from the South China Sea – Awesome!!
• Tons of Huge Vietnam King prawns
• Slipper Lobster
• Spiny Lobster
• Hokkaido Snow crab claws – Awesome!
• Edible crab
• Maine lobster
• Mussels
• Clams
• No more oysters in 2018

Marinated sea food options, shrimp, octopus, seaweed, etc.

Seared foie gras was cooked while you wait previously. This was truly top notch thinly sliced Foie Gras better than most restaurants. Towards the early afternoon, the area got pretty smoky from all the cooking. They changed this in 2018, requiring you to order the foie gras. The foie was ugly but still worth eating. (Hint: It isn’t even on the menu!)

Lots of prepared hot foods including seafood, Chinese foods, vegetables, two soups, bangers and mash, and some classic breakfast items.

Roast Peking Duck that was made to order.

Beautiful Sushi and Sashimi made with very fresh ingredients. Silky smooth tuna that melts in your mouth. No frozen buffet fish here.

• Swordfish
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Octopus
• Egg Sushi
• Pickled Fish
• Crabmeat Stick
• Salmon Roe
• Surf Clam

Carving Station: Ham and Beef Wellington was gone in 2018

Manned Popup Station rotated every 20 minutes or so

• Caesar Salad
• Australian Prime Rib
• Hungarian Goulash
• Mixed Berries

Excellent Prime rib came as a popup mid meal

Bread, Pastry, and Cereal station did not get much play with all the other goodies.

Ordered off the menu in 2018:

• Classic British Fish and Chips
• Seafood Paella – Took only 20 minutes and it showed
• Traditional Duck Leg Confit – Dry
• Grilled vegetables

All were acceptable but not great quality-wise.

Awesome Al Dente Pasta Station

Pasta station served VERY high quality custom made to order Al Dente pastas and sauces. This is one station that keeps us coming back! Home made noodles, truffle sauce, squid ink pasta, and more.  It looks so easy, but do not even think about trying to duplicate this at home.

Some nice combos

• Tagliatelle – Fresh Tomatoes, Italian Basil
• Capellino – Seafood, Parsley, White Wine Sauce
• Pappardella – Wild Mushrooms, Parmesan Cheese
• Penne – Truffle sauce

Nicolini’s received Four Michelin Forks, so there is no doubt you are getting quality Italian food.

They used to have a  Japanese udon Noodle station and very good Chinese Congee.

Individual dim sum choices. (Approximately 10)  Siu Mai, Har gow, Pork buns, Glutinous rice, etc. We found the har gow especially good at the start of the brunch. By the end, its was hurting.  This is not Lung King Heen dim sum..

You need to eat these early on, they get over steamed after a while.

They used to have Four types of Indian curries, yogurt, bread, rice.

Cheese table with many fine cheeses.  They are proud of their Cheese Libraray.

They used to have a Cool Kid’s station that sure to satisfy the pickiest eater. Candy, mini burgers, fries, popcorn.

They used to display Desserts, which was far more fun!

In 2018 they required you to order these off the menu.  The waitress did tell us they could bring a dessert assortment to our table. (Phew! We were going to ask for 1 of each.)

• Spiced Forest Berry Tart
• US Wild Blueberry Panna Cotta
• Nicholini’s Tiramisu
• Saxony pudding, cherries, raspberry coulis
• salted-caramel cream puffs
• crunchy chocolate truffle cake
• seasonal fresh fruits
• assorted ice cream – vanilla, chocolate chip, green tea

Custom dessert crepes with lots of toppings are gone in 2018, plus No more Chocolate fountain.

Six kinds of juices, coffee (even Cappuccinos), and tea were included.

Service – Conrad Hong Kong Nicolini Sunday Brunch on 8th Buffet had very good to excellent service with an abundance of servers waiting to clear your plates, fold napkins, refill your glasses, and cater to any wish. Our champagne glass was almost always full!

Value – At US$100+, Conrad’s Brunch is not cheap, but it offers maximum value in its wide variety, unlimited Perrier-Joulet Champagne, and high quality items.

The addition of menu ordering makes this even more unique. This goes way above and beyond Vegas buffets like the Wynn, and surpasses the Ritz Carlton Navio brunch and at a lower price. Also worth mentioning is the Aveo Table + Bar buffet at Dana Point, California.

Alternatives – Nearby Sunday Brunches include the next door JW Marriott Hong Kong Sunday buffet.

• Intercontinental Tsim Tsa Tsui Harbourside Hong Kong buffet is also a great choice.

Verdict – Conrad Hong Kong Sunday Brunch lives up to its billing as an excellent buffet. When in Hong Kong, take a break from the awesome Chinese food and give it a try. We do not believe this type level of buffet exists in the USA. Or does it?

Reservations recommended. 10% service charge.

MTR: Admiralty

What are your thoughts on this buffet?

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