Regal Riverside, Shatin

The hotel staff was very good, particularly Alan the hotel manager. The rooms were well maintained and all of the staff were courteous and efficient. But the hotel restaurants were atrocious. We tried three of them, and the only food even remotely acceptable was the breakfast in L'eau.
Avanti Ristorante, the "Italian" offering, served food with Italian names but it did not resemble Italian cuisine. The shrimp Penne tasted as though ...
...Parmesan was offered when the meals were served. Clearly no Italians were involved in the menus or serving style of Avanti's.
The Japanese restaurant (Aji Bou Izakaya) was a tragic experience from the start. No one could explain how the buffet worked, and the food was bland yet expensive. We've never been in a more confusing restaurant, and not a single employee could understand the concept of a side salad. After choking down the meager meals, ... more

The hotel staff was very good, particularly Alan the hotel manager. The rooms were well maintained and all of the staff were courteous and efficient. But the hotel restaurants were atrocious. We tried three of them, and the only food even remotely acceptable was the breakfast in L'eau.
Avanti Ristorante, the "Italian" offering, served food with Italian names but it did not resemble Italian cuisine. The shrimp Penne tasted as though the shrimp should have been thrown out days before. No Parmesan was offered when the meals were served. Clearly no Italians were involved in the menus or serving style of Avanti's.
The Japanese restaurant (Aji Bou Izakaya) was a tragic experience from the start. No one could explain how the buffet worked, and the food was bland yet expensive. We've never been in a more confusing restaurant, and not a single employee could understand the concept of a side salad. After choking down the meager meals, our table was cleared and we were essentially abandoned. No server ever returned, and the disaster ended with us having to chase down one of the "suits" to complain and get our bill. I have dined in Japanese restaurants around the world and never have experienced such a poorly run establishment. Nearly all the other customers seemed to be Japanese, so perhaps they were able to communicate with the servers ok. This place would do well to place a "Japanese Only" sign on the door.
We did not feel it worth the risk to try other restaurants in this hotel; our low success rate and common sense would not permit us to be fooled again. Conclusion: hotel is great, but don't eat there unless you enjoy disappointment. 

...less