A 1-Hour Getaway from Guangzhou: Where Over 200 Lobsters Are Devoured in a Single Evening
Goodbye, 2020
2020 finally came to an end amidst anxiety, heart-stopping moments, and sudden twists.
This year saw so many real-life events that felt like a dream.
A debate topic on *Qipa Shuo 7* was particularly interesting: If you could restart 2020 with your memories intact, would you?
Many said they'd want to. But Professor Liu Qing advised against it, saying it would alter the definitive nature of human existence, an overstepping of human civilization. What we should do is carry our past lessons and bravely stride into 2021.
Indeed, life offers no do-overs. It's through loss that we realize the preciousness of possession. And through separation, we cherish reunions that much more.
Hello, 2021
This year, staying put for the holiday is encouraged. If you can't travel far but love exploring, why not start an adventure in your own city?
So today I'm recommending this place to all the folks staying in Guangzhou for the holiday — the Hilton Guangzhou Science City, a hidden gem in Science City.
Only an hour's drive from the bustling city center, the hotel is backed by Jianfengling and surrounded by parks, with tree-lined paths everywhere. Stepping here feels like entering a natural oxygen bar rich in negative ions; everywhere you look is green, the air is fresh, and the noise of traffic is kept at bay. It's simply too comfortable.
And I'll let you in on a little secret: many A-list celebrities like Guan Xiaotong and Wu Yifan have stayed here!
The famous 'Luogang Xiangxue,' one of the Eight Sights of Guangzhou, is nearby, and the hotel has newly added multicolored hot spring pools.
This New Year, under the warm sun, bring your family here to admire plum blossoms, soak in hot springs, vacation, and experience the same dining and lodging style as celebrities, giving 2021 a relaxing start.
The hotel has four distinctive restaurants. Today I'll introduce Sense Restaurant, whose seafood buffet dinner is undergoing a brand-new upgrade. Incredibly, on one peak evening, diners devoured over 200 lobsters! What's the magic?
Bryan, the head chef of Sense Restaurant
Having been open for two years, Sense Restaurant has always won on the freshness and uniqueness of its ingredients. This starts with head chef Bryan, who has worked and trained at many renowned international five-star hotels, with extensive experience across the country. He loves sourcing special ingredients from around the world and immerses himself in research with endless passion. Each time, he can perceive the unique charm of the ingredients from different angles, which is also the inspiration behind his persistence in innovation.
Under his guidance, the buffet now features over 150 varieties, with a menu that changes weekly and seasonal dishes launched by the season. His developed and refined creations, such as ginger milk egg white pudding, British beef pie, Brazilian barbecue, durian cake, eel rice, and mini hot pot, are all highly popular with diners. 'Being the most in-vogue buffet in Huangpu,' that's Sense Restaurant's goal.
The highlight of the buffet is undoubtedly the seafood, with at least 20 varieties served openly every night. The seafood boat features giant river prawns, three-spot crabs, whelks, mussels, scallops, and more. The sashimi counter offers salmon, yellowtail, red tuna, white tuna, octopus, and vinegared mackerel. At the teppanyaki station, there's fragrant pan-grilled sea fish, with different varieties prepared daily, all available unlimited until you can't eat another bite!
Only appearing on Friday to Sunday evenings is the Australian baby lobster, each weighing 200 grams, with sweet flesh and an explosion of freshness. Steamed with garlic and vermicelli is the most popular choice, maximizing the natural sweetness of the lobster.
The cheese-baked version is full of ceremony. Before serving, a blowtorch is used to sizzle the cheese topping, mingling milky aroma with the sea flavor, golden and charred to the point of making the neighboring table drool.
What I love most is the mini hot pot in the buffet. They've taken an unconventional route, offering freshly sliced organic yellow beef hot pot, driving beef hot pot enthusiasts crazy.
Fresh organic yellow beef hangs at the counter, sliced to order nightly by an experienced meat cutter and cooked immediately, so fresh it'll blow you away.
There are six cuts of beef to choose from: diaolong (ribeye), belly, tenderloin, shoulder, double-layer, and spoon handle (chuck flap). Until you've eaten your fill of beefy goodness in the new year, you won't be satisfied.
Of course, aside from freshly sliced yellow beef, there are over ten other hot pot ingredients like fresh fish fillets, fresh shrimp, oysters, bullfrog, beef balls, beef lung, chicken, duck blood, and more, paired with either spicy or clear broth simmered with beef bones, it's not a bit inferior to any hot pot restaurant outside.
Beyond the lavish ingredients, the on-site experience has also been upgraded. For example, at the automatic rotating Brazilian barbecue station, once the beef, lamb, or chicken is grilled, the barbecue chef will come to your table with a trolley to slice and serve the meat, letting carnivores enjoy the piping hot deliciousness straight from the grill.
The teppanyaki station offers beef steak, chicken steak, sea fish, etc., cooked to order with sizzling sounds, a grilled feast of unparalleled satisfaction.
At the Japanese cuisine station, besides the super popular sashimi, the sushi is quite authentic. The newly introduced eel rice is another hit.
The dessert station is a 'My Little Pony' themed fun journey that kids adore. It features the unicorn pony protagonist from the famous American cartoon, along with its five friends, bringing friendship magic to the Hilton Guangzhou Science City.
Above the dessert counter, glowing clouds 'float,' and the My Little Pony dolls and cute desserts complement each other, instantly transporting you into a fairy-tale world.
The chocolate fondue is a favorite of kids and girls alike, where you can 'dip' fruits, biscuits, desserts, and more—for sweets lovers, it's simply divine.
The rich, smooth dark chocolate pairs perfectly with sweet-and-sour strawberries; of course, you can also unleash your creativity and DIY to your heart's content.
Rainbow cake, durian cake, and black sesame lava yogurt cake are the superstars of the dessert section, insanely popular, with dessert lovers polishing off several each night.
The 'performance guest' of the dessert section is the made-to-order durian pancake, where you can add colorful fruit cubes as you like, a fully immersive experience.
Live in the moment; every second counts. The worst part of holiday travel is getting stuck in traffic or counting heads at scenic spots. So, I've always felt that a hotel staycation is the most comfortable—no need to rush, with everything from food to fun right there. Spend New Year's this way, holed up with family in the hotel, stealing a few leisurely days.
Sense Restaurant
Address: 1/F, Hilton Guangzhou Science City, 28 Ningcai Road, Science City Central Area, Huangpu District, Guangzhou
Transportation: 880m walk from Exit C1 of Science City Station on Metro Line 21
Business hours: 6:30-10:00, 11:45-14:30, 17:45-21:30
Hilton Guangzhou Science City
Address: 28 Ningcai Road, Science City Central Area, Huangpu District, Guangzhou
Transportation: 880m walk from Exit C1 of Science City Station on Metro Line 21
Business hours: Open 24 hours
Spring Festival 'Staycation' Packages in Guangzhou
① CNY 788 Relaxing Leisure Trip
Includes: 1 night in a comfortable king room + buffet breakfast for two + afternoon tea for two + fitness center/swimming pool/multicolored hot spring pools/outdoor cycling/fun activities
② CNY 938 Fun-Filled Leisure Trip
Includes: 1 night in a kid-friendly king room + buffet breakfast for two + afternoon tea for two + fitness center/swimming pool/multicolored hot spring pools/outdoor cycling/fun activities
③ CNY 988 Pleasurable Leisure Trip
Includes: 1 night in a comfortable king room + buffet breakfast for two + buffet dinner for two + afternoon tea for two + fitness center/swimming pool/multicolored hot spring pools/outdoor cycling/fun activities
