Great Brazilian BBQ by Alehna at the InterContinental Shenzhen

The InterContinental Shenzhenis the first themed hotel in Shenzhen offering a Spanish-themed hotel experience fit with festivals and events featuring: live Spanish dancing, pig roasts, special chef presentations and much more. Just recently, the hotel brought in new Executive Chef Francesco from Spain to redo the dining buffet with his authentic Spanish cuisine with dishes such as Paella and roasted pig. I have loved my experience every time I’ve had their dinner buffet and was shocked to find a hidden gem offering a unique style of buffet dining stemming from Brazil.

In Shenzhen, it goes without saying that themed buffet dining experiences are becoming more recognized by the local population as many restaurants and hotels are promoting "all-you-can-dine" experiences with a fusion of local and western cuisine. This is a great idea due to the fact that it gives the guests a chance to try many different styles of food in a single dining setting.  This style of dining is not new in the western world and has many forms. In the US you can find a mixture of American, Asian, Spanish and even Italian style all-you-can-dine experiences – each catering to a specific pallet. My personal favorite is known in English as “Brazilian Barbeque” or in Portuguese as “Churrascaria.”

A churrascaria is a restaurant offering Portuguese-style grilled meat called “Churrasco” – usually in an all-you-can-eat style. What makes this style of dining different from your usual buffets is that the meats are carefully and slowly grilled over embers (glowing hot coals in most cases) after being seasoned and marinated in a seasoning usually consisting of macerated parsley, garlic, peppers, and olive oil sauce. The cooking process creates tender and perfectly seasoned meats that are then brought to the guests on skewers by well-trained waiters/meat carvers and thinly sliced directly to the guest's plate or pulled from the skewer (If not a thick cut meat). That said, guests are getting a high-end steakhouse experience at an affordable price and the opportunity to try multiple cuts and styles of meats from steaks, chicken, sausages lamb and other chef choices of meats. Although this stems from Brazil, many South American countries have adopted this method of cooking and serving such as Argentina, Puerto Rico, Chile, and Ecuador. 

These types of restaurants are usually not easy to find but have a high retention on those who are lucky enough to stumble across them. That said, I was thrilled to find Alehna, a Brazilian churrascaria restaurant, hidden at the lower floor of the Intercontinental Hotel.  Alehna was built at the same time as the Intercontinental Hotel located in the OCT area of Shenzhen, China. This means that it has been around for over ten years and is currently managed by the restaurant’s head chef Zico.

Upon walking into the restaurant I enjoyed the romantic atmosphere created by dim lights, dark colored chairs, and cherry wood tables. The center of the restaurant featured unique salad bar with many pre-made salads available such as beet salad, Thai salad, and potato salad. There is also a good choice of vegetables, nuts, fruits and salad dressings. There was also a cheese and bread station as well as a dessert area.

Upon being seated, I was asked to choose one of two soups which were Oxtail or vegetable soup. I got the Oxtail soup and really enjoyed it mainly because it's a meat that I haven’t seen much of while I’ve been traveling and it was done very well.

After I was done with the soup and salad, I was ready for the churrasco-style meats. It's good to note that all of the beef used at Alehna is imported from Australia and the lamb is imported from New Zealand. A button is available on every table that lights up green or red. This will let the servers know rather bring the next round of meats/vegetables for you to choose or to give you time to enjoy your current option. It's always good to understand this system so that you don't make the same mistake I did my first time at a Brazilian barbecue restaurant where I kept the green light on and wondered why the carvers wouldn't give me a break to finish my last choice. 

During dinner, an assortment of thirteen types of meat was served along with a few choice vegetable dishes. The first meat that came was round cut steak followed by beef ribs. The beef ribs were slow cooked for four hours making them extremely tender. This was by far one of my favorite cuts of meat during my evening at Alehna.

Another dish that really stood out consisted of Sole fish that was seasoned with tomatoes, chili, and coriander. It was then wrapped in a grape leaf and slow grilled. This was outstanding and something I have never tried before. This was pr 49 30268 49 14940 0 0 3996 0 0:00:07 0:00:03 0:00:04 3995eceded by a dual dish consisting of oysters cooked in a garlic sauce and scallops cooked in tomatoes and chili sauce – also a unique dish with a great flavor.

Later I was served an assortment of meats and vegetables, which included: stuffed peppers, grilled corn on the cob, grilled chicken wings, chicken legs, and shrimp. Among the choices was a rack of lamb, which was cooked perfectly and became my favorite choice during my stay at Alehna.

For dessert, two dishes were served that are very authentic in Portuguese dining. The first was grilled pineapple that has been dusted with brown sugar and cinnamon. The second was cinnamon and sugar grilled bananas. Both desserts are really popular in Portuguese dining and were a great ending to an amazing dinner experience.

Finding a good Brazilian Barbeque restaurant in Shenzhen is not easy and it's a dining experience that is an elevation above your basic buffet style dining featuring slow roasted high-quality meats. It is an experience that is a must try. The restaurant is fitted to handle big parties, business occasions and has even fed the prime minister of China in the past.  Alehna is only open for dinner and opens their doors at 6:00 PM and closes at 10:30 PM. 

Opening Time: 18:00 - 22:30

Reservation Hotline: [phone] ext. 8591

E-mail: [e-mail]

Place Name: Alenha Brazilian Barbecue Restaurant / 焱巴西烧烤餐厅

Place Address: L floor, InterContinental Shenzhen, No.9009 Shennan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen. 深圳市南山区深南大道9009号华侨城洲际大酒店L层

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