JW Kitchen Buffet Restaurant (Beijing Yuecai JW Marriott Hotel)
A Buffet for Meat Lovers
A buffet that meat lovers would definitely enjoy! The variety of hot dishes is extensive, with roast meats, Western hot dishes, barbecue, and Chinese hot dishes all available. The hot dishes are kept warm with heating devices underneath, so they never get cold, and the flavors are pretty good.
Seafood and Sashimi
There’s also sashimi, and it seems like there’s a seafood soup with some hot seafood items on the side. The iron-grilled steaks are available without prior notice, but the lamb chops initially required advance notice for grilling, although it seemed unnecessary later on. The grilled beef and lamb chops are quite tender, while the lamb skewers are just okay—fresh off the grill they’re fine, but they get a bit dry when cooled.
At the seafood station, the seafood is quite fresh, with clams, razor clams, crabs, and oysters available. You can choose to have them prepared as marinated seafood or steamed.
Japanese Cuisine
In the Japanese cuisine section, there are four or five varieties of sushi, as well as sashimi, with salmon and tuna that are fatty and of good quality.
Hot Dishes and Bread
The hot dish section also offers bread that’s been sliced and pan-fried, which you can use to make your own burgers. Later, I discovered a bread tower at the cold dish station and tried one—it was pretty good.
Desserts
You can DIY the Qingbuliang (a type of dessert). I liked the low-sugar coconut milk, but the taro balls and tapioca pearls were a bit clumpy since they were cooked and then placed there. The chocolate mousse is a combination of mousse, chocolate sauce, and a cake base—it’s not gummy. I didn’t try the other mousses. The tiramisu has some flavor, but it’s a bit bland. The brownie isn’t dense; it feels more like a firmer chocolate cake, but it does taste like a brownie. The chocolate tart has a filling that’s slightly bitter on top and sweeter inside.
The nut tart has peanuts… The cream puffs are a bit dry overall, and the pies have a flaky texture but lack solidity—I personally prefer a more substantial one. The red velvet cake has a hint of rose flavor and a filling that’s probably also slightly chocolate-flavored, which is pretty good.
Peach Pound Cake and Cheesecake
The peach pound cake is full of buttery aroma, with a layer of peach jam in the middle that’s rich in fruity fragrance. The cheesecake is between semi-liquid and 70% cooked, with a soft and glutinous texture and a rich flavor. The chocolate tart has a strong dark chocolate flavor, and the peanut tart is full of whole peanuts. It doesn’t look like much, but it gets more and more fragrant the more you chew.
Must-Try Dishes
- Salmon: The quality is excellent, thickly sliced, and it’s very convenient to serve yourself from the large platter.
- Garlic Butter Lobster: Very fresh, the ones in the sauce are very flavorful.
- Garlic Roasted Oysters: Freshly grilled to order. They’re not very large, but you can take as many as you like.
- Mussels/Vegetables: The mussels are quite fresh, and they go well with the vegetables.
- Ice Cream: There are four flavors, and they’re all delicious.
Exceptional Service
Aside from the dishes, I think the service at Marriott is the best among the hotel buffets I’ve experienced. The staff are always smiling and speaking softly. Whenever there’s an empty plate, it’s immediately cleared away. The dining environment is also great, with spacious tables and chairs.
JW Kitchen Buffet Restaurant (Beijing Yuecai JW Marriott Hotel)
