作为一家高大上的美食媒体，我们组织的吃货也非常国际化！下面就是一位来自美国的吃货朋友写的探店心得。一边欣赏美食受刺激，一边学习英语涨姿势，是不是一举两得！当然，看不懂也没关系，传阅一下美食图片也是分分钟拉仇恨的哈！

撰文/Writer: Kevin Smith

图片/Photographer: 林斯彧（Lin Siyu）

Staking its claim alongside Shanghai’s popular restaurant buffets, Kerry Pudong has rebranded the term buffet, and literally brought freshness to its concept of 'unlimited dining' with The Cook. 

To give you a better idea of how The Cook adapts this original, hands-on solution to freshness, I’ll take you through step by step: 

Step 1: Get your Cook Card (238rmb lunch, 288rmb dinner, not including beverages, and subject to 15% service charge), a plastic card that can be swiped like a credit card and take an epicurean stroll through the restaurant.

Step 2: Select a ‘kitchen,’ pull a tablet or card with the dishes name or point to a suspended menu, and someone will swipe your card and your request will find its way to your table.

Step 3: As the myriad of dishes are brought to your table, an overeager eye and a short attention span will leave you pleasantly surprised by what arrives.

Step 4: Well, this should be self-apparent – feast!

Each station or kitchen as they are called, a total of 13, has its own theme: the cheese room (not included in the all you can eat) Italian, Indian, Thai, American, Malaysia, Japanese, and more than one Chinese, with a gelato station alongside the bakery.

My appetite swimming in options, I felt it best to look at the wine list and ponder over a drink. With a glass of Australia’s white McLaren Vale’s “The Hermit Crab,” I took in the atmosphere: modern-casual, with an open design, chic, but chilled, staff dressed in a playful mix of denim and bandanas.

While not included in the ‘unlimited dining’ option, I had to explore and experience a walk-in cheese room adjacent to the wine room. Awash in the smell of aged cheeses – and, yes, the aroma is acquired - I ordered the small cheese platter (128rmb) one of the selections being a milky raclette, alongside olives, antipasti and baguette.

With buckets of seafood on ice, the Japanese kitchen offered the usual line-up of sushi and sashimi: tuna, bonito, salmon, squid alongside a nice a few more unique ones: Hamachi, sea urchin and tori clam. While they can be deftly prepared in front of you, the Kerry idea is to select and move on – they’ll deliver. Alongside the raw, I ordered a few roasted Japanese barbecue skewers: pork belly with lemon and leek and bacon skewers from the Yakatori and Grill.

The Chinese (Cantonese) kitchen was designed like a miniature Hong Kong diner with the obligatory window featuring glistening Hong Kong-Style BBQ, roast chicken, goose and suckling pig hanging from hooks. Alongside Malaysian satay, was a selection of dim sum. roast duck and Hainanese chicken rice.

The Chinese & Asian Kitchen included seafood, the main features being crabs and prawns, along with a variety of fish and clam, all of which could be prepped sweet & sour, spicy or salt and peppered. For creatures of habit, there were plenty of classic Chinese dishes and to highlight Southeast Asia, there was nasi goreng and hokkien mee to name a few.

As the first general manager is Malaysian, a mild current of Malaysia can be felt throughout the restaurant, from the laksa to the street food style chicken wings. The Malaysian Noodles kitchen focus was obviously noodles, the lemon grass and curry laksa the standouts in this category, with mainstays such as fish noodle and wanton. 

And if you seek curry and tikka, head to the Indian kitchen, where fresh naan and roti bread are baked fresh in a mini-kiln. With chicken, lamb, fish and prawn, I went with a most satisfying butter chicken and soaked up a warming lamb curry with the warm naan.

The Western and Thai kitchen stood shoulder to shoulder: Massaman curry, Thai crab cake and papaya salads alongside bangers and mash and grilled salmon fillet. I went beef: small cuts of wagyu beef, juicy, with a pink center.

And, apologies to the Italians, I had to pass on the penne, fettuccine and spaghetti primavera, but offered a nod of respect at the pastry and dessert kitchen where I went with a Belgium chocolate gelato. A sweet selection of toppings were available as well as éclairs, cakes and pies, cheesecake with a chocolate bottom the winner.

Sipping a rich ten-year old Tawny port, I believe it was safe to say the table concurred, The Cook had clearly overcome the challenge that most buffets face, keeping options fresh so each selection is as if it was the first of the day.

Service Quality: Very Good

Food quality: Very Good

Food Style: International

Environment: Very Good

Meal purpose: Dating, friend invitation, business 

Address: 1388 Hua Mu Road Pudong, Shanghai201204 China

Price per head: 238rmb lunch, 288rmb dinner, not including beverages. Prices are subject to 15% service charge

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