Being regular visitors to the Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi hotel, we had a level of expectation when we were invited to try their Market Night at the Asian fusion restaurant – Cho Gao. We have dined here on many occasions but their new concept of the Market Night was intriguing. We were definitely interested to see what they will bring to the table and they did not disappoint!
The moment we walked in around 7PM on a Wednesday evening, the place is almost packed full. This was surprising considering it was a weeknight. However, at any time you walk into a restaurant, you know that people are there for good reason. As were quickly seated to our table, we took a quick glance at the buffet area to see what’s in store for tonight.
They have a good selection of house beverages included with their Market Night package. It includes red and white wine, a unique Tokyo Dry draught beer, and the standard bar rail liquors. If you don’t fancy alcohol for the evening, they can mix up some delicious mocktails or a simple soda as well.
Their buffet selection covers cuisine from various Asian countries. We started at the sushi station with fresh maki rolls and made our way to the salad bar where they have a variety of Thai and Vietnamese salads which have interesting ingredients like mangoes, peanuts, vinegar, lemongrass, and some hot pepper flakes. They also have some hot dishes like the traditional Thai curries that goes exceptionally well with jasmine rice and a very delicious Pandan leaf-wrapped chicken which we were all very fond of.
In the middle of the buffet area is a large rectangular table where you’ll find the fresh ingredients of their “made-to-order” wok-fried noodles. It was a bit confusing at first. We thought we would pick our ingredients there and bring it to a live cooking station somewhere in the restaurant. However, it was simply for display purposes and the actual order was conveniently taken at our table. There is a wide selection of seafood (salmon, snapper, scallops, mussels, shrimps, squid), meats (chicken, beef), and vegetables. You can even select the sauce and type of noodles so that every order is customized to your preferences.
Discover the tastes and sensations of Cho Gao’s Market Night including unlimited
mixed beverages for AED 165 per person on Wednesday evenings (7-11PM)!
I ordered Pad Thai noodles with a seafood medley, tofu, and mixed vegetables topped with the garlic oyster sauce. It came in about 20 minutes as we knew they had their hands full. We did not mind as we were too busy trying the other dishes at the buffet and it was definitely worth the wait because it was very delicious. The garlic oyster sauce was perfectly blended with the seafood and complemented every bite. The seafood was fresh but the salmon warrants a call out – it was cooked perfectly. Every bite was tender and creamy.
The dessert selection included matcha tiramisu (our favourite), crème brulee, banana cake, mango sago shooter, and some mango sticky rice. It was just the right amount to close off the evening. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at their Market Night. The staff did an amazing job in serving us and constantly filling our glasses at the table. Cho Gao is a fantastic restaurant and their culinary concepts brings a unique perspective on the experience of “fun-dining”.
