The Market at Hotel Icon

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After missing breakfast and lunch altogether on our second day in Hong Kong (because we slept till 2pm), we got up earlier on our third day, early enough to catch breakfast at The Market. Among other stuff, look what I got:

I wasn't really planning on them but I was intrigued by their pancake maker, which, at the push of a button, makes you a small-sized one in a minute. Besides, fresh blueberries and raspberries for toppings? It couldn't get any better than this.

Hotel Icon houses three restaurants: Green, which is located at the ground floor (you can get a glimpse here); Above and Beyond, which is exclusive to guests staying in club rooms; and The Market on the second floor. We haven't tried Green and understandably, we never got to see Above and Beyond.



The hotel bills The Market as "a restaurant like no other," offering guests an interactive atmosphere with their chefs. Personally, I thought it was mere hype as the only interaction I had was when I asked for bacon and eggs. Also, I found the restaurant quite small and the variety fell a tad short of my expectations, especially when I think of the Manila Peninsula and Shangri-la Makati. But don't get me wrong; the restaurant wasn't bad at all. I actually had a fairly good time, satisfied with both food and service.

Here's a quick tour...

Probably my most favorite section, the bakery. Their breads and pastries are baked fresh, and the process of making them is for all the guests to see.

I always go gaga over bread and baked goodies in general. One of my favorites here was their chocolate Danish. They never scrimped on the chocolate so it was especially yummy -- pure chocolate bliss!

The fruit section; there wasn't a lot actually. Behind it are the cereals.

More fruits. I actually don't know what this section was because there was always no one there every time I went near. Well, it was almost ten so they were probably already getting ready for lunch.

On the left side is the seafood section that leads into pretty much the main buffet area.

I think this is what the hotel was driving at: an interactive setting with their chefs.

More choices, especially to add to your congee.

And since we're in Hong Kong, expect dimsum.

The salad section. On the far end are their freshly squeezed fruit juices, bottled and sealed. Their watermelon was really good!

Their wine selection.

I was fond of their sugar; they were cubed. It's like I've last seen one of these when I was still a kid. On second thought, I'm not even sure if I've seen one at all. Maybe it was in those old movies and cartoons only.

The dining area. And that's it.

Oh, they also offer al fresco dining. Too bad it rained earlier that morning so everything was wet.

On our last night there, we opted for in-room dining. The receipt bore The Market's logo on it so I suppose it's the restaurant that caters to room service. My Bibe had wanton noodle soup while I had congee. And boy were they good! I was actually confused with what to make of all the stuff and sauces on our tray because most of them were unfamiliar to me. I found my way around eventually, like the crispy fish skins which replaced the prawn and fish crackers that I'm more accustomed to. But those fish skins were just damn good I'd order congee again!

For more info, visit http://www.hotel-icon.com.