Xihu Tiandi is arguably one of the brightest focal points for tourists who go to West Lake, and for many, the area made secluded by tree-lined walkways illuminated with halogen spotlights is a favorite spot for visitors as it offers a wide-ish variety of foods and venues that cater to a lot of different tastes. Of course, there are the some restaurants, but you’ll also find boutique shops, service centers, and other odds and ends that make things interesting. On this particular visit, the MORE crew stopped in to check out the Butterfly Laguna Restaurant. This is not a bad place to cool your heels, cool your credit card, and cool yourself with any one of their freshly-squeezed juices. We decided to grub on the Hainan Chicken, a classic dish that’s been interpreted and re-interpreted a thousand times over, yet never quite like this. The components of the dish were deconstructed, with chicken, sauce, and greens all separated into individual piles, and everything organized to provide a visually pleasing composition that was refreshing after seeing so many scooped-out pineapples with a slurry of stewed ingredients dumped inside. At 68RMB, this dish represents the most expensive item on the menu. Next up was a nice steaming bowl of Beef Curry, complete with potatoes, carrots, and large cubes of beef. Thick, not oily, with just the right amount of heat to keep it from being boring, and at 38RMB, it's sure to be a hit with both the evening tourist crowd, as well as the beleaguered and hungry Xihu Tiandi shop workers that need to grab a hasty bite between shifts. Finally, we checked out the buffet to see what it had to offer. Everything was kept clean, orderly, and well-stocked, and the selection was rather surprising for this size venue. Only in China will you see chafing dishes filled with items such as chicken wings, shrimp fried rice, spaghetti, street-style BBQ lamb skewers, cod fillets, scallops on the half-shell, and steamed crab, but these were just a few of the dishes available. One thing that is certainly worth pointing out is the Crème Brulee, which is, perhaps, one of the best we've ever had. No kidding. However, we recommend you take a taxi or bus to this spot, since parking is the typical, first come first served, headache we’ve come to expect around West Lake and, well, the entire city. There’s also a 98RMB all-you-can eat menu. English menu available.
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