They’re calling it brunch, but there’s little in the way of the breakfast end of that definition. That said, it’s Christmas. Who on Earth wants breakfast?!
Yes, it’s the December stop for “Tour Around the World” from The Ritz Carlton, Nanjing. And with that pseudo-Pagan festival just around the corner, naturally our destination this month is the U.S.A.
The view from 38 floors above Deji Plaza in downtown Nanjing may not be Manhattan, but these days, it’s not far off. It’s also just noble enough for the spread that awaits.
Salad certainly does not spring to mind as typical American cuisine. But of course, that is nonsense which would also be doing a disservice to our friends across the Pacific.
No less than six salad selections are on offer. The ubiquitous potato salad is obvious, but for The Nanjinger, the kale & orange salad is the standout.
On to tucking in to turkey, but more about that later. For the less Paganistic, the Texas BBQ, Boston lobster or the macaroni cheese shall appeal.
Or the cheeseburger pizza. We suspected, well, a cheese pizza with minced beef. Nothing sophisticated about that. But how wrong we were; each and every flavour of the world-renowned, quintessential American classic is perfectly captured therein.
Then there is what is being called “Super Energy”. Given its ingredients, we feel the Chinese to be more accurate; 超级卡路里 (Super Calorie); essentially a massive two-foot-long steak sandwich, prepared by the enthusiastic chefs out front and mercifully sliced into semi-manageable portions.
Then right on cue, just as the turkey in its tangy juices has been packed away beneath, so the chefs wheel out all required for baked Alaska, meaning approximately 30 seconds of flaming shuttering for every last smartphone-toting lady assembled therein.
And the Christmas spread would hardly be complete without New York cheesecake and apple pie. Neither again disappoint.
The Nanjinger prides itself on the reviews carried in these pages. Our insistence on objectivity to deliver the impartial to our readers has not gone unnoticed over the years. And yes, we admittedly also look for the negative with each and every outing. Last time we did this in May, we moaned (and we believe rightfully) about the soft drinks.
But, this time around, our experience at The Ritz Carlton, Nanjing, was flawless.
And in a way, it’s down to the little details and the personal touches. The Nanjinger was also impressed to hear our waitress (whose English was excellent) speaking a few words of German with the diners at our neighbouring table. These are the little touches that matter too.
Congratulations to the whole team. You are now a part of Nanjing.
Tour Around the World, destination U.S.A., is available at Lavandula tomorrow, 12 December, as well as on 19 and 26 December. Reservations essential. Lavandula is located on 38F of The Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing, at 18 Zhongshan Lu (above Deji Plaza Phase 2). Tel: 69788888.
