WHAT’S more comforting when fall arrives than a gathering with friends over some nicely cooked hairy crabs and oysters to nourish your body and friendship? Until the end of November, the Seasons Restaurant at the five-star Kempinski Hotel offers its updated dinner buffet menu to cater to the needs of foodies.

Choice seasonal ingredients such as crisp grass carp are used. Diners can enjoy the tender carp slices in a self-service hotpot congee, a traditional delicacy of Cantonese cuisine.

A must-try dish is the hairy crab, one of the most prized delicacies in eastern Chinese cuisine, most notably in Shanghai and Jiangsu Province. In the ninth and 10th months of the lunar calendar (usually around October and November), the hairy crab comes to maturity and migrates from its freshwater habitat toward the ocean. It’s during this time that the crabs are hunted in river deltas and transported to dinner tables as part of a lucrative gourmet industry. The hairy crab’s flesh is renowned for its sweetness. Also of value is the crab’s golden roe, which is creamy and buttery.

Guests can also try the Japanese-style Yakitori, literally translated as “grilled chicken.” Yakitori consists of bite-sized pieces of meat (usually chicken) served on a bamboo skewer. The restaurant also prepares ingredients of ox tongue, oyster, prawn, mackerel and eel for the Japanese grill to satisfy seafood fans.

The buffet dinner also offers a free flow of wine and fresh juice. (Li Dan)