Here to a buffet review of the Tiffin Buffet at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Hong Kong. This buffet has a certain gourmet level quality to it but not the Michelin oh so small portion of food.

Also take a few of the expansive tips on how you can perfect your buffet eating strategy so that you can maximise your worth in food, please take it completely seriously and put it to practise at the next opportunity.

Ambience

Live music was included and the pianist churned out some great classical and jazz pieces to help people to relax in order to complete a great digestion. Although at one point, the music stopped due to the pianist taking a break and in that moment of musical quietness, I rather it was not there to begin with for it made one ponder where it disappeared to and when does it start again.

The tables and chairs, not much as chairs I would call it. More like sofas with low lying seats, thus one must be ever be so slightly stooped over in order to consume the food on a plate.

The Tiffin Lounge featured a view of the garden, the city skyline and Hong Kong’s famed Victoria Harbour that acts as a fantastic distraction from your food grazes.

Food Review

The Seafood collection had no caviar or oyster but plenty of shellfish options including crab, mussels, clams, lobster, and shrimp. There are also some good old salmon. All decorations were edible and food are of Western and European selection. Most of the sea meats are fresh and succinct to the taste. There were tiny baby octopus too and they were too cute to be eaten.

The centre piece here is a 24-month-old Spanish Iberico cured ham, a delicacy from Spain. The Iberico ham that I tried from Spain had more chewiness in texture and translucency in appearance than this one from the buffet.

Fine cuts of carved veal shank and braised pork neck, the shank was soft and tender and sweet to the taste. The braised pork neck was somehow fluffier and more melt in your mouth fatty consistency.

Foie gras was readily available to be garnished with nearby herbs and you can throw in some apricot, it was probably to go with the selections of ham as well.

For desserts, there are choices of delightful ice cream cakes, freshly prepared waffles, souffles and crêpes. The matcha ice cream cake was wonderful, wrapped in soft mochi and filled with solid matcha ice cream, certainly one of the best there.

The gelato ice creams was also impressive, not too sweet but just the right amount of richness. Ice cream came served with macaroons and meringues, you can also grab some large chunks of honeycomb. The coconut gelato was the best with real pieces of toasted coconut and was truly a good finishing piece.

There were also extensive selection including cakes, tarts, steamed sticky rice with mango, crème brûlée, brownies, bread pudding, chocolates, truffles, meringues, macaroons, marshmallows, Indian Gulab, Chinese dessert soups, sweet bean curd, tiramisu, crisps, chocolate mousse, pomelo sago, fresh fruit, candy, Panna cotta, black forest cake, and much more.

BUFFET EATING STRATEGY

Here are several ideas, although I personally never exert myself in eating.

1. Fast for a day

At least one day or a couple, eat nothing but drink water

2. Selective Eating

Choose quality over quantity, eat bite size amount of food to be tried and then eat your favourites in larger quantity. Remember to wash it down with copious amount of water in order to eat more.

3. Run a Marathon beforehand

Burn off all your calories to fit in more calories.

4. Eating Technique

Chew a thousand times each bite before swallowing.

5. Bring a portable blender

Start blending the food together and drink it like a smoothie.

6. Last but not least Regurgigate

If you must and start all over again.

Gisela Lee

BBC's The Apprentice. What bestowed me to audition, the lure of showcasing sales skills, making use of real entrepreneurial techniques and having relentless sheer determination. I keep forgetting that it's just a TV show, the same Syco Talkback Thames company that runs the X factor entertainment circus show. If you think this is a serious job interview than you are far from being right.

This year I went to audition. My second time that is. I forgot to apply last year and the year before was my first ever time to audition for this show. Every time, I get closer. For those who asked how my auditions went. I usually don’t talk about any aspect of my audition as per se.

TV show has a complete set of film crew just like how movies are created. You need to keep remembering what the producers are really looking for. A ruthless job applicant bordering psychopath that makes good TV. People who get on the show are the one’s with the biggest personalities and a bit of business on the sideline.

Selection process is far from being scientific. Let me divulge you into the insights. During the selection process, no one was allowed to talk to each other. You get escorted everywhere in the building by producers with no idea what is happening. Next thing you know you are in a waiting room exactly as if you’re seeing your doctor about your greatest physical worries. You have a paranoid feeling of uncertainty.

TV SHOW SELECTION PROCESS:

1

Fill in the online forms and if you get invited, you get more forms to fill. You need CV, business experiences on top. Also non regal questions such as Why should you be Lord Sugar's business partner?, What makes you different from everyone else applying? and What is the most interesting thing about you? etc.

2

Then you get invited for the interview of two producers with less than 30 seconds to getting fired. One shot, like every job interview in this world, you get a shot. 40,000 began the initial process and then it dwindles down to two digits.

Each of us were given numbers and called in groups to stand before the judging panel. When your number was called out, you step forward and with your 30 seconds to explain why you should be selected to appear on the show. Remember real business experiences don’t count and won’t impress the panel. Only two to three candidate out of the group of 20 will be selected from this stage for the next researcher round.

Queuing outside before the group interview

Everyone is frantically going over their CV and their paperworks feverishly

Handing in documentation and personal identification materials

Waiting for the interviews to start

After group interview, getting started on researcher interview

3

Researchers gruelling interview, I was grilled with mathematical questions fired at me requiring instant calculation without any aid, to define several business terms which I have never heard of.

Furthermore to dissect your complete business experiences and other questions about my personality in general. To have your sales skills showcased, you get asked the 'Sell me this pen’ question, a pen will be given to you to sell. A very standard question as I later found out, the secret is all you need to do is create is an urgent demand, do not waffle about how great the pen is. Your interview will complete with two hand shakes, one at the start and one at the end to determine your strength in personality, apparently strength in the handshakes defines.

Lastly, you get a letter from them, if you do hear back then you’re even closer to seeing the boardroom.

Gisela Lee

Being in Cardiff for work gave me a few too many opportunities to explore the city, my sauntering took me around the city to see what it has to offer. Cardiff is named the ‘City of Arcades’, well it definitely has too many opulent long arches and beautiful columns.

Let me dig out the local gems for you. Comparing to the most boring town that I have ever been in my life in which was Trowbridge, don’t even ask me about that. Though Cardiff does have my merit, my appraisal already allows a generous amount of grace.

1 Cardiff Markets

This Victorian Farmer’s Market got the best local produces that are available on everyday. Have your breakfast, lunch and dinner here, all provided under this one roof. As you stroll between the stalls, you can’t help but notice the rich history and the fact that nothing much has changed since the 18th Century. The local butcher with genuine good valued meat, the giant turkey wings and drumsticks were my favourites. And the Fishmonger has been running since 1866, what a delight to revist the past in real life.

A must try are the traditional famous Welsh cakes, a bread that is baked looking too flat to my taste but with one bite you can figure out the juicy sultanas and raisins. I do not like scones like bread but am suggesting you to try it just for the sake of having sampled genuine Welsh food.

2 Many Arcades

Those are built within the Victorian and Edwardian periods, one thing I can say is that they have stunning arches and that the buildings encapsulate the essence of a strong history.
As you enter the arcade, you will discover eateries left to right, the cafe shops have excellence in them. Genuine brewed coffee is a clear winner amongst the franchised.

Upper level of Castle Arcade emits an air of elegance, see how the sun shines into this arcade and the mirrors gives an impression of everlasting corridors. Quirkiest shops can also be found, one of the costume shops have eerie masks that are worth a peak. You still have to dig deeper, you may find shops that are out of this world.

3 Catch some Skyviews

Only if you know where to stand, there are not many high rise buildings in the UK lest to say Cardiff. But if you found it then you are rewarded with some eyeful of transcending Skyviews as shown here. Sipping your coffee whilst working away on your laptop and see the world moving, you may indulge yourself in people watching, let me know if you spot anything.

4 Best Health Food Shop

Organic Health shops anytime for me, need my daily dose of organic green vegetables juice. My body needs it, can I have them on some running fountain ready for me drink? Cardiff only has one decent Health Shop in the central area: Beanfreaks is my life saver. Not even Holland & Barrett will suffice me. Too much fast and fad around every corner beating down on my door, trying to be healthy is not that easy.

5 Local Eateries

I kept coming back for more ‘Crumbs’ that is contained in Morgan Arcade, the home made Broccoli & Stilton soup tantalise my taste buds but the portion does not statify my appettie. Then my curosity got me to try the dandlelion coffee that taste more like a herbal brew. But the Salad Bar is great, large bowl of mixed selection that was very filling.

Gisela Lee