Article By Jaz Henderson
No.1666 Qujiang West Road, Qujiang New District.
曲江新区曲江池西路1666号,盛美利亚酒店1楼
(029) 6821 6666
6:00am – 9:00pm
Average Price per Person /人均消费: 230RMB
PROS: Good selection, excellent service, quality food
CONS: None
Ihad no idea I was in for such a luxurious experience before I arrived at the Mercado Gran Café. Getting there was rather simple; it’s located near the northwest side of South Lake in Qujiang. When I walked inside I didn’t know where to go, but the staff quickly asked if I had any questions after seeing my puzzled look. They informed me that the restaurant was around the corner and off I went. The people at the front desk of the restaurant were very nice, and spoke English well. They said to sit anywhere I wanted, which was great, because I usually like to sit away from unruly guests, but to my surprise the atmosphere wasn’t chaotic like one would expect at a buffet.
The seating arrangements were classy and comfortable, plenty of room between tables for privacy and space to get around. All of the food had great presentation and it was easy to tell that it was fresh and hadn’t been out for very long. Being a carnivore I went to the meat section of the buffet. They had three different cuts of steak to choose from, all were made-to-order straight from the cooks. I couldn’t help myself and ordered all three. While I waited for them to cook, I browsed around the rest of the food in hopes of healthier options. To my delight, they had an array of different vegetables and soups to choose from. Fresh fish, sushi, and other kinds of seafood were also available, cooked to order. Once seated, I was approached by a member of the staff who asked me if I wanted something to drink, while I was walking around I didn’t notice where the beverages were located, so I asked what was available. Wine, beer, soda, tonic water, juice, and a few other beverages are all included in this buffet, so I had a glass of red wine.
After three rounds of stuffing my face I came to a very simple conclusion, Mercado Gran Cafe had become my new favorite buffet option. The servers were very attentive, polite, and kept the tables and atmosphere pretty spotless. Everyone I spoke to happened to be fluent in English too. All in all, it was a great evening, and I definitely will be returning at a later date for another great night out.
Jaz is a drama teacher from the US. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com