Friday March 29th, 2024
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A Royally Fresh Fisherman's Hook Buffet

Once again, the Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski raises the culinary bar and redefines freshness as we dive into their delicious Fisherman's Hook 'Catch of the Day' seafood buffet.

Staff Writer

A Royally Fresh Fisherman's Hook Buffet

It’s no Cairene secret that The Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski sits atop the list of Oum El Donia’s most luxurious hotels. Helping the beloved Palace redefine expectations in terms of comfort and taste is the mouth-watering offering only found in their critically acclaimed restaurant known as The State. Always looking for reasons to excite, The State have recently taken to turning Thursday into a one-of-a-kind seafood buffet called the Fisherman’s Hook, which offers the freshest seafood this side of the Nile.Entering the doors of The State, we were overcome by the swankiness of its gorgeous dining hall, however, felt baffled walking up to the Catch of the Day buffet station, as everything on display was raw, but so fresh that one could still smell the sea. At this unique station, patrons are asked to pick from the cast of The Little Mermaid – minus the mermaid – that a professional chef would immediately begin to cook. After selecting a lobster, fish, and crab from the Catch of the Day station, we began perusing the other stations to tide the time as we wait for our selected seafood to cook.The options were incredibly varied, and more than enough to fill anyone unable to wait for their food to cook. From delicious amuse-bouches and a devoted sushi station to an impressive salad bar and a variety of equally exciting meat options, it became apparent that the Catch of Day station was essentially the icing on an already delicious cake. Perhaps cake isn’t the metaphor we should be using with seafood; however, our palate was so overwhelmed by the combination of flavours that we were unable to think clearly, as messages from our brain continued to instruct us to eat as much as we can at this luxurious buffet.Trying to pick a highlight during our culinary experiences at the Fisherman’s Hook proved to be the toughest task of the night, as everything we tasted consistently delivered in terms of the highest standards. Our favourite amuse-bouche was a simple offering of perfectly cooked shrimp on a bed of creamy polenta and avocado. Visually pleasing, this one-bite offering delivered a balance of flavours that had us mowing down at least half a dozen shrimp. Another food memory that remains lodged in our brain was the expertly rolled sushi combinations and fresh sashimi that managed to be on par with the finest sushi offerings in Cairo. Even though the main focus was seafood, we still couldn’t hold back from getting a second helping of the tender beef short ribs.

Needless to say, we were so overwhelmed by the variety options to fill our bellies that we had entirely forgotten that a chef was preparing our earlier selections from the Catch of the Day station. Visually stunning and seasoned perfectly, we worried if we would have room left for this delicious seafood trifecta.

Surprisingly, we not only had room but, immediately after cleaning the plate better than a dishwasher, we found a treasure trove of desserts with some crème brûlée calling our name.

Having pushed our gastro limits to the max, we embarrassingly felt the need to call an Uber, as we were in no condition to drive with our body feeling more seafood than human. The meal was costly but well worth it, and, sadly, it was only after the meal was over that we discovered if we had just brought a fourth friend to this tantalising buffet, that they would have been able to eat for free as part of a Fisherman’s Hook special promotion. A mistake we will never make again, as we all decided that, even though it is expensive, it is unlike any buffet we have ever had the pleasure of tasting and definitely a culinary experience we can’t wait to revisit in the near future.

For more information about the Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski and their restaurants visit their Facebook or Instagram.