Shanghai has the definitive brunch culture, with a plethora of Sunday brunch deals at a variety of price ranges and always one taxi ride away. Hankering for some all-you-can-eat dim sum this past Sunday, we headed to EEST. Situated on the fifth floor inside the Westin Hotel, EEST Crystal Garden has their three kitchens -- Chinese, Japanese, and Thai -- intermix and intermingle to create a five-star feast in your mouth. Over three hundred dishes to choose from, for 98RMB (plus 15% service fee).

With credentials and awards such as the 2006 Five Star Diamond Award, Shanghai Tatler's 2005 and 2006 "One of Shanghai's Top Restaurants," and CityWeekend's "Shanghai's Best Asian Restaurant Golden Spoon," we knew we needed to at least try it out.

We showed up promptly at 11am to unabashedly maximize all food intake before its 2pm closing time. Passing by the even more decadent two-floors of The Stage (498 RMB, plus 15% service fee), we sat down in the garden-style decor to order just about everything on the menu.

The very English-friendly menu was divided relatively evenly amongst the three cuisines, and we liked the range from maki sushi to glass noodle salads. Although some of the dishes ordered required questioning to make it onto our table and the service itself was ab it on the slower side, we couldn't argue with the quality. Some of the highlights included the radish cake with homemade XO sauce, char siu baos, grilled salmon (melted deliciously in the mouth), fresh fresh fresh egg tarts (our elected favorite), fried shrimp, and pomelo salad.

Dishes were all rather small, so make sure you get multiple orders! We finished off with some matcha ice cream and "glutenous chocolate and banana balls" (which taste much better than they sound) and left feeling rather fat but content.

EEST (水晶苑): 5/F, Westin Bund Center, 88 Henan Zhong Lu, near Guangdong Lu; 河南中路88号5楼, 近广东路