In the east end of Beijing away from the tourist crowds and nestled inside the lovely, high-end Shangri-La Hotel is the stand-out buffet Cafe Cha. That’s right, a buffet, but do think of this as rows of chrome steam trays and pushing and shoving diners. Fresh seafood, warm bakery fresh bread, intricately designed deserts and special monthly offerings are just the beginning of the very well proportioned and designed offerings on display. Cafe Cha offers comfort food that surpasses expectations and as head chef Wilsun Aurubind quickly points out, the setting for true “dining culture” in Beijing.

When you walk into a buffet you tend to brace yourself, plan your attack and ready yourself for a marathon of eating, well many of us Westerners have a tendency to do so. However the atmosphere is immediately relaxing. You realize when it becomes obvious to see that much of the clientele is local Beijingers; the idea that people make the choice to come to a restaurant over and over again makes you think something special is going on. From first glance of the tandoori ovens in one corner, the large prawns and lobster of the raw bar and Parma ham being sliced perfectly in front you solidifies that thinking; this is something special. The staff knows that as well and you can see it in their genuine smiles and warm welcomes as they seat you, serve you and help you navigate through the bountiful offerings.

The first big test for me was the grill; the request for medium-rare lamb chops was perfect, so perfect that I had to give my compliments to the chef. Not far from the grill sits freshly prepared noodles from Shanxi prepared by the special guest chefs this month. Walking past the fresh sushi and sashimi, picking up a ceviche shooter along the way, I wandered over to the Indian corner where fresh nan was being prepared. That sounds like a lot of offerings already, and there are certainly more that I could go into, (the antipasti assortments tasted as if they were flown in from the Mediterranean) but there is not space to cover everything. Trust me, go there and enjoy all of it.

Cafe Cha is a cavernous dining hall with giant bowls of stuff. No, everything here is consummately fresh and flavorful, like home, hence the comfort moniker that is delicately impressed upon you the moment you sit down. You would not expect to get high quality and flavorful offerings at a buffet, but you do here, like at home. Even the place settings are inviting with their big, deep wells so that you can get as much as you want, like at home. For many of us in Beijing we are always on the lookout for a restaurant that makes us feel like we are back home and it is difficult for any restaurant, let alone one in a hotel, to pull that off and Cafe Cha has.

Cafe Cha

Location: 1F, Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing, No.29 Zizhuyuan Lu , Beijing

Tel:010-68412211-6715

(China Daily November 1, 2008)