I quite like K3 at Marriott. Though buffet is rarely my choice of a meal, here it is different. Three kitchens with their own live kitchens dishing out some fine Italian, Indian and Asian food with unlimited bubbly and spirits redefines the concept of buffets and takes it to a gourmet level.

I am here at the invitation of the hotel to attend their Chef’s Table with Chef Yip Wai Leong who promises to impress us with his Asian allure. A Cantonese by origin, the Chef is well travelled and very knowledgeable about his food as well as his craft. And unlike many other Asian chefs that I have met, he is not reticent and in fact quite charming in his conversation. 

The moment we all group at the Chef table we are served Penang curry laksa, which is competent but lacks the punch of the original dish. Soon thereafter Salt And Pepper Tofu, spiced with five spice powder and pepper arrive along with crispy lotus stem with honey chilli sauce, both being interesting vegetarian starters but the lotus stem is a bit too sweet for my taste.

             Penang Curry Laksa                              Tofu and Lotus Stem

After this the chef invites us to look around the buffet section while he prepares the rest of the meals. I try the dim sums whose skin has somewhat withered because of the buffet format though the stuffing is tasty. Crispy duck and roast pork belly are both potentially nice dishes, but have gone tough, out in the open.

Back to the Chef’s table, now the other starters and mains start arriving. Crispy Roasted pork belly made fresh by the chef is much better than the one on the buffet, because this has been freshly made.

                            Crispy Roasted Pork Belly

The next dish, black white sesame seed prawns toast is very tasty. It has a thick layer of minced king prawns, white & black sesame seeds, and sweet chili sauce making the dish really addictive.

                 Black White Sesame seed Prawns toast

After a short break the main course starts arriving. First to arrive is the vegetarian Moku tunku siu pokchoy (two varieties of mushroom and pokchoy stir fried in garlic soy). The shiitake mushrooms are particularly meaty and nice.

                     Stir fried mushrooms and Pokchoy

Next to arrive is Singapore’s national dish – Hainanese chicken rice. It has a beautifully poached chicken, ginger sauce , cucumber, homemade chilli sauce with onion oil, spring onions, fresh coriander and a clear soup along with rice. This dish is made so authentically that it takes me back to the Newton hawker centre in Singapore with its first bite itself. The chicken has a melt-in-mouth texture and is seasoned to perfection, the rice is gentle, the sauce is piquant, and I am in food heaven.

                                        Hainanese Chicken Rice

Next is the beautifully garnished steamed sea bass with lemon coriander sauce which would have been a great dish with a different fish. However the sea bass goes dry on poaching, preventing me from enjoying the fish. I suggest the use of Vietnamese basa in this dish, a suggestion that the chef graciously accepts. Flamed dou gui kai is roasted/sliced chicken, enveloped in parchment paper,and  adorned with  wok-fried shiitake mushrooms and ginger, sizzled in the oven and served over flames. It is a dramatic and yet very tasty dish.

              Steamed Sea Bass                              Flamed Dou gui kai

In the staples, Nasi Goreng disappoints since it lacks the punch and the flavours of the Indonesian classic. Phad Thai is competent. The dessert is homemade sweet tofu with coconut sugar, with the jelly like texture that it gets from the use of soy milk, agar agar, and sugar.

                     Nasi Goreng                                 Homemade Sweet Tofu 

K3 Asian kitchen has some excellent dishes and many surprises. However many of the dishes deteriorate in the buffet format, if kept for too long. So if you are there, do ask for freshly made roasts and dim sums.  

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0

Buffet Prices per head:

Rs. 2300+TAXDinner 7 PM to 11 PM Mon-Sun

Rs. 1800+TAXLunch 12:30 PM to 3 PM Mon-Sat

Rs. 1150+TAXBreakfast 6:30 AM to 11 AM Mon-Sun

Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: JW Marriott New Delhi, Asset Area 4, Hospitality District, Aerocity, IGI Airport, New Delhi| Tel: 011 33105293