I’m pretty sure that I’ve eaten enough to keep me going till 2012. But somehow it is impossible for me to say no to Korean BBQ.

Ssikkek Korean Grill at Novena Ville is one of the places on my list of Korean BBQ Buffet in Singapore that I’ve always wanted to try. At just $12+ for lunch, and $22+ for dinner, it is one of the cheapest Korean BBQ Buffets in Singapore.

The diet can wait till I’m done with the buffet!

Like most places, the Korean BBQ Buffet at Ssikkek comes with an assortment of meat and seafood, as well as cooked food like fried rice, soup and banchan (Korean side dishes).

Nothing about the food is extraordinary. It was decent, but nothing was so exceptional that I’d dream about it at night. That being said, Ssikkek Korean Restaurant offers a value for money buffet, making it an ideal place to go if you are on a budget.

From what I understand, Ssikkek Korean Grill is the sister restaurant of the popular 2D1N Soju Bang at Tanjong Pagar. Between them, Ssikkek is definitely the better choice since the queue is relatively short.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Ssikkek Korean Grill BBQ
275 Thomson Road
#01-01/02 Novena Ville
Tel: +65 6254 8123
Daily: 11.30am–2.30pm, 5pm–10.30pm

Weekday Lunch $12.00+, Dinner $22.00+
Weekend Lunch $22.00+, Dinner $22.00+

Read my list of Korean BBQ Buffets in Singapore, and Best Korean Restaurants.

If I had a dollar every time someone asked me to recommend a cheap and good buffet, I’d be a millionaire by now. There are many buffet restaurants in Singapore, but most of them are only average, while the really good buffets usually come with a relatively hefty price tag.

So listen up guys, I’m just going to say it once. The buffet lunch at Basilico restaurant is one of the best, if not the best, in the $40-50 category.

Bascilico at level 2 of The Regent Singapore is a huge restaurant. It can easily accommodate up to 200 guests indoor and 30 by the poolside. I lurve (read: not love, but lurveee) the centrepiece of the Italian restaurant, a gorgeous space which houses the antipasti counter. To the left and right of the antipasti counter, you have the hot and dessert kitchens.

I eat desserts first.

People always stare at me whenever I start the buffet with desserts. I don’t know about you, but I think it makes sense to start a meal with something that you like.

Basilico restaurant has a decent array of authentic Italian desserts and a very good selection of homemade gelato.

The Antipasti counter, at the middle of the restaurant, serves an assortment of antipasti.

The appetisers like prosciutto, cold cuts, salads, cheeses and seafood were fantastic. If you ask me the formula for love while I’m eating at the restaurant, I’d reply: parma ham and rock melon.

Cheese. Lots of cheeses. Cheeeeseeee!

From freshly made pizzas to pastas, grilled meat and fish items, the Hot station offers not just Italian food, but also a small local spread.

Obviously, you will not expect good Italian pasta and pizza like the ones you get from the best Italian restaurants in Singapore, but hey, you are paying just $42++ for free flow of everything your heart desires. It is a good deal.

It’s somewhat strange to see that the Italian buffet actually has a corner dedicated to local food like chilli crabs and roasted duck, but I guess it caters to those who want something familiar. I wouldn’t waste any space on that, though.

I like the buffet lunch at Basilico Italian restaurant. Though the buffet spread is slightly limited, the restaurant more than makes up for it with the quality of the food. The antipasti counter, in particular, has fantastic choices.

On Saturday, Basilico has a full Italian buffet (without local spread) for $46++/pax, $56 (free flow juices & soft drinks) and $98++ (free flow prosecco & wine). And on Sunday, they have a Champagne Brunch at $139++ for free flow of champagne and wine. During dinner, it is a semi buffet where you can enjoy the same antipasti & desserts buffet with the choice of 1 main course at $69++. And one more thing, reservations are absolutely necessary.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Basilico Restaurant
1 Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3232
Weekday Lunch Buffet $42++
Saturday Lunch Buffet $46++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $69++
Daily Semi Buffet Dinner $69++

Note: This was an invited media tasting.

For more recommendations, read my list of the best buffets in Singapore

Fish lovers will be happy to know that Plaza Brasserie at Parkroyal on Beach Road has a fish buffet promotion: Best of Asia Buffet with the Freshest Catch from July 5 to Aug 31. The buffet is available from Mondays to Fridays for $45++/head, and it offers an amazing variety of fish on top of their usual buffet spread.

Freshest catch of the day: Promfret, Sea Bass, Baby Snapper, Sea Bream, Kee Fish, Milk Fish, Red and Black Tilapia Fishes, Song Fish, and Norwegian Salmon Fish Head.

Preparation styles: Hong Kong Cantonese, Teochew, Nyonya, Thai Lime & Chilli, Sweet & Sour, Black Bean, Indian or local curry.

It is important to note that Plaza Brasserie serves an entire fish for each order. Just to clarify further, the fish is not from the buffet counter, it will be served directly to your table.

That means to say, if you order three different types of fish: Curry Fish Head, Steamed Teochew Promfret, and Deep-Fried Sweet & Sour Kee Fish; you will be getting one (huge) fish head, and two whole fish.

It is impossible to try the different types of fish and preparation styles if there is only two people. Unlike other buffets, it is necessary for you to gather more than four to fully enjoy the fish buffet, unless you have the appetite to eat a few whole fishes by your own.

The four of us shared five different types of fish. The Deep Fried Sweet & Sour Kee Fish was my favourite among them. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to spicy food, so both the Deep Fried Nyonya Chilli Kee Fish and the Malay Curry Fish Head were too hot for me.

The Indian Curry Fish Head wasn’t too spicy and the gravy was perfect to go along with white rice. And oh, did I tell you about the Steamed Sea Bass in Hong Kong Cantonese style? It was excellent.

Beyond that, the buffet comes with a salad counter, an ala minute ‘live’ cooking station, main course section, and desserts. Some of the hot varieties include Deep-Fried Prawns with Almonds, Stir-Fried Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion, and their signature crispy soft shell crabs & Braised Sea Cucumber with Roast Pork.

At the ‘live’ cooking station, there’s laksa, roti prata, chilli crab with mantou, tempura, and an assortment of sushi and sashimi to choose from. The tempura was really good – one of the best I’ve had. The sashimi, on the other hand, wasn’t that fresh. We ended our meal on a sweet note with desserts. Plaza Brasserie has a fantastic Chocolate Truffle cake.

On its own, Plaza Brasserie’s buffet is decent for its price, but not what I would call a must-try buffet. It is a different story for the ‘Best of Asia Buffet with The Freshest Catch‘. The 2 month special feature provides enough oomph to elevate the buffet to something better, making it an extremely value for money buffet (especially for fish-lovers).

The Freshest Catch Buffet (Adult $45++, Child $27++) is available at Plaza Brasserie from July 5 to Aug 31 on weekdays dinner.

Singapore Food Blog Review
Plaza Brasserie
7500A Beach Road
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
Tel: +65 6505 5710
Note: This was an invited media dinner.

For more buffet recommendations, read my list of buffet restaurants in Singapore

Be it a simple thank you note, or getting recommendations of new places to eat in Singapore, it makes my day when I receive emails from everyone.

Here are the 5 frequently asked questions that I get on my food blog:

“You are always making me hungry!”

1. Where can I find a cheap and good buffet in Singapore?

I’m afraid there isn’t any cheap and good buffet. The good ones are usually quite expensive, read my list of Buffet Restaurants in Singapore.

2. What camera are you using, and how can I improve my photography?

I’ve written a post on my food photography equipment. The only way to improve your photography is to practise more. Do read my post on basic food photography tips.

3. Can you recommend me a suitable restaurant for throwing birthday parties?

Take a look at my list of Birthday Party Venues in Singapore. For a romantic yet simple dinner, read: Best Cafes in Singapore, and Romantic Restaurants with a view.

4. What are the things you must-do in Singapore?

For a start, read my post on 10 Things to do in Singapore. You must also eat all the hawker food from places like Chomp Chomp and Old Airport Road Market. Do not leave Singapore without trying chilli crabs, chicken rice, and kaya toast.

5. Where can I find your review of ___ restaurant?

To find a particular restaurant review on my food blog. Google “ladyironchef __ restaurant” (where __ refers to name of restaurant).

There’s another method. Click on the INDEX page which is located at the top right hand corner. It is a list of all the restaurants categorised from A to Z.

The easiest way to reach me is via twitter. I’ll be happy to give you some suggestions on where to go for dinner, just drop me a tweet (make sure your account is not locked).

The new Sentosa Boardwalk is a great way to travel to Sentosa on foot. Featuring tropical landscapes, the garden-themed boardwalk has a stunning view of the bay as you take a leisure stroll from VivoCity Shopping Mall’s waterfront promenade, made easy by two-way canopy-covered travellators.

From 9th to 26th Jun 2011, Sentosa Boardwalk has a Crab and Durian Buffet for $38++/pax. I think that this is a value-for-money buffet, especially so if you like crabs and durian.

The Ultimate Crab and Durian Buffet at Sentosa Boardwalk has more than 40 items available, and the crab dishes highlights include: Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Nonya Curry Crab, Wok-Fried Chili Sri Lanka Crab, Black Pepper Sri Lankan Crab, Masala Mud Crab, and Ginger Scallion Flower Crab.

The durian highlights are Durian Pengat, Durian Cheesecake, Durian Mousse, and ‘Live’ Durians. Besides crabs and durians, there are also other dishes such as Fresh Oysters, Sashimi and Sushi, Poached Tiger Prawns, Slippery Lobsters, Shrimp Paste Chicken, Roast Beef Rump, Whole Bake Salmon and more.

At a media tasting last week, they served us some of the dishes (actual plating will be buffet style): chilli crab, pepper crab, salted egg yolk crab, roast beef rump and durian desserts.

Whilst the salted egg yolk crab was not exactly warm, I thought that the taste was competent. The others preferred the (extremely) spicy wok-fried chilli crab and black pepper crab. Given that the crab buffet is only $38++/pax, I’d think that it is worth trying even though the crabs chosen were slightly smaller.

This is an all-you-can-eat-buffet. You know what this means? You can feast all you want, and blame it on me for introducing you this Sentosa for arranging the crab & durian buffet.

For reservations, please call 6279 1767 or email to carla_cardona@sentosa.com.sg.

// Latest update: The Ultimate Crab & Durian Buffet is fully booked, you can still try your luck by calling and see if there are any last minute cancellations.

Sentosa Boardwalk Crab and Durian Buffet
Date: 9 – 26 Jun 2011
Time: 6pm – 11pm
Venue: The Promontory, Sentosa Boardwalk
Prices: $38++ per adult; $21++ per child (5 – 11 years old)
(price excludes drinks)
Note: This was a media tasting.

At the ground floor of Link Hotel in Tiong Bahru, is Blue Garden Korean BBQ Restaurant. It currently occupies the space which was used by the now-defunct Persimmon Restaurant. Much of the interior remains intact: the black and white tiled floor, and the kopitiam-style furniture.

Korean food lovers will be happy to know that Blue Garden restaurant offers Korean BBQ buffet during lunch ($19.90) and dinner ($26.90).

My definition of buffet: be prepared to eat a lot.

The Korean BBQ Buffet offers free-flow of Korean dishes like Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup, Kimchi Pancakes, Korean Spicy Rice Cakes (Ddukbokkie), and a variety of Kimchi (Spring Onion, Cabbage, Leak, Cucumber).

The truth is, Blue Garden’s appetisers are pretty run-of-the-mill. We tasted a bit of everything as we were saving our stomach for the highlight of Korean BBQ Buffet – MEAT!

… And of course, we were there for the meat. The Korean BBQ Buffet has free flow of Pork Collar, Beef Belly, Pork Belly, and three different types of Bulgogi (beef, chicken and pork). Read my lips: this is an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

Amongst the four of us, we ate enough meat to last us for a week. We ate, and ate and ate. We totally threw the diet plan out of the window – it was crazy! If you are not a big meat-eater, the Korean BBQ Buffet also has seafood and vegetables.

But trust me, you’d want to just go for the meat. Wow, I think I am very good at giving advice! Remember, just go for the meat.

I had some white rice to go along with the meat, but mostly I wrapped the BBQ meat in lettuce leaves. After a while, I was too lazy to put it nicely into the lettuce so I ate the meat directly from the BBQ pit. The bulgogi is delicious!

Considering that places like Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant charges $18 for a plate of marinated meat, I think that Blue Garden’s Korean BBQ Buffet is very reasonably priced. Looking for a cheap and good buffet? Find a group of friends who love meat and go for the Korean BBQ Buffet!

One thing to note though, the air ventilation was almost non-existence; our clothes smelled like Korean BBQ after we were done.

For more recommendations, read Korean Restaurants in Singapore | Buffet in Singapore

Singapore Food Blog Review
Blue Garden Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant
50 Tiong Bahru Road
#01-07 Link Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 0700

Korean BBQ Buffet Lunch $19.90++/pax
Korean BBQ Buffet Dinner $26.90++/pax

I have been wanting to try Japanese Buffet for very long. After doing my research, most people seemed to agree that Ikoi Japanese Restaurant at Hotel Miramar, Irodori Japanese restaurant at River View Hotel and Senki Japanese Restaurant at Killiney road are amongst the best Japanese Buffets in Singapore.

As my friends have been to Ikoi and Irodori Japanese restaurant before, we ended up at Senki Japanese Restaurant for the buffet dinner.

With over 100 items on the Japanese buffet menu, it’s probably a good idea to skip lunch if you are going there for dinner. Most importantly, come with a group of friends so that you can order more things to share.

Under normal circumstances, it is a sin to order so much food. But since we were already at Senki restaurant for their Japanese buffet, we would be fools if we didn’t eat to our hearts’ content. I could imagine the number of rounds that I have to run the next day just to burn off the calories — oh whatever, the diet can wait.

Amongst the Sushi/maki available on Senki’s menu, we tried the Floss Karashi and Mango California. The former was surpsingly good, the tasty chicken floss had a slightly spicy sauce. While the latter was not too bad, it came with the appetising mango topping on top of the typical California maki.

We were proceeding on a rather slow pace. Mindful of the fact that there were many items that we wanted to try, we only had a hand roll each. Senki Japanese Restaurant has quite a selection of different hand rolls: California, ebi tempura, salmon skin, chopped tuna, tamago, tuna, salmon.

My friends’ eyes were glittering when the Sashimi platter arrived. This is probably the highlight of the Japanese buffet since you can eat as much sashimi as you want. Tuna, sword fish, salmon, yellow tail sashimi were devoured in an instant. We kept asking for salmon sashimi throughout the night – free flow sashimi is joy.

From the appetisers, we had chawanmushi, and goma tofu. We continued to fill our stomachs with the grilled dishes: sticks of Yakitori which were so-so, the seemingly healthy grilled shiitake, the Saba Shioyaki, and the delicious Jagaimo Mentai cheese yaki (potato with fish roe and cheese).

Deep-fried food always tastes good. Needless to say, we had an assortment of tempura (prawn and vegetables). Another favourite was the Agedashi Tofu, fried beancurd that was crispy outside and soft inside.

Forget about Senki Restaurant’s tonkatsu, it is not worth the calories. If you like deep-fried food, go for the Tori Karaage – juicy chunks of fried chicken that were good and sinful.

I cannot remember how many items we tried out of the 138 selection on Senki’s Buffet menu, but we definitely ordered at least a few dishes from each category.

For those of you who are keen on the Japanese buffet, the different selections include: appetiser, salad, sashimi, maki, nigiri sushi, hand roll, Itamemono (pan fried dishes), Owan Mono (soup), Agemono (deep fried dishes), Yakimono (grilled dishes), Menrui (noodle), and Gohan (rice).

Between bites, we stoned for a few moments, and stared at the empty plates on the table. We ate, and ate, and ordered some more. We chatted, and took toilet breaks to rest our stomach for even more food. It felt as though we were feasting for three days long.

The Japanese Buffet at Senki Japanese Restaurant is $30++ for lunch, and $33++ for dinner. Prices are the same for weekday and weekend. For eve/public holidays, it is $39++ for the buffet dinner.

Which is your favourite place for Japanese Buffet in Singapore?

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
Senki Japanese Restaurant
109 Killiney Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 5565

I think it’s a shame that Korean food in the Singapore food scene isn’t as strong as its Japanese counterpart. For those of you who have been craving for Korean Food, I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes, it’s quite frustrating not knowing where to go for good Korean Food even though we have quite a few Korean Restaurants in Singapore.

I’m currently on a hunt for the best Korean Fried Chicken in Singapore, and I also want to try a few Korean BBQ Restaurant. I am going to round up a few friends for a Korean BBQ Buffet and have a crazy night of eating. Okay, one of my new year resolutions is to eat more Korean food – bibimbap, Korean Ginseng Chicken, kimchi and pancake, here we come!

Here’s a list of the Best Korean Restaurants in Singapore:

Auntie Kim’s Korean Restaurant

Fans of the Korean cuisine will be familiar with Auntie Kim’s Korean Restaurant, which has been around for some time along Upper Thomson road. This will be my next stop when I explore the Thomson area!

265 Upper Thomson Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6452 2112

Blue Garden Korean BBQ Buffet Restaurant

This new Korean restaurant at Link Hotel belongs to the same owner of Kko Kko Nara Korean restaurant. The Korean BBQ buffet is priced at $19.90 for lunch and $26.90 for dinner.

50 Tiong Bahru road
Link Hotel #01-07
Tel: +65 62240700

Chang Korean Charcoal BBQ restaurant

Just in case you are wondering, Chang Korean Restaurant does not have Korean BBQ Buffet. But they have a proper ala carte menu for Korean food in addition to their BBQ selections. If you are in the Dempsey road area, now you know where to go for Korean BBQ.

18C Dempsey Road Tanglin Village
(Dempsey Road) Singapore
Tel: +65 6473 9005

201 Victoria Street #04-04
Iluma @ Bugis Singapore
Tel: +65 6509 8900

Crystal Jade Korean Ginseng Chicken & BBQ

Most people are not very adventurous when it comes to food (I used to be like that too before starting my food blog), so I can understand that they prefer to go to somewhere reliable, and Crystal Jade is evidently one of them.

We went to Crystal Jade Korean Restaurant at Ngee Ann City for their Korean BBQ recently, and it was surprisingly good (and affordable of course). The Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup is also a must-order, okay more on that when I blog about it.

391 Orchard Road #04-20
Ngee Ann City Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 3229

Hyang-To-Go! Korean Restaurant

While I haven’t been to Hyang-To-Gol! Korean BBQ Restaurant, I heard that they have good Korean Food. Has anyone been there before?

165 Tanjong Pagar Road 2F
The Amara Singapore
Tel: +65 6220 7160

Jang Shou Korean BBQ

It’s a little tricky when it comes to Jang Shou Korean Restaurant. Their branch at Katong Village only has Korean BBQ Buffet (around 15 kinds of BBQ selections) and they operate during dinner. The Weekday Korean BBQ Buffet is $28.8++, while Weekend Korean BBQ Buffet is $33.8++. I’m going to check out their Korean BBQ buffet soon, let’s hope that it’s good enough to make it for my list of buffet restaurants in Singapore.

As for the Jang Shou Korean Restaurant at Esplandae Mall, they only serve ala carte Korean food (no BBQ Buffet).

86 East Coast Road #02-11/20,
Blk B Katong Village Singapore
Tel: +65 6344 8880

8 Raffles Avenue #01-13B
Esplanade Mall Singapore
Tel: +65 6337 8880

4 Fingers Bonchon Chicken Wings

4 Fingers Bonchon is a fastfood restaurant at the basement of Ion Orchard that serves the famous Korean Fried Chicken. Trust me, you can easily have a dozen chicken wings on your own – they are that addictive!

2 Orchard Turn #B4-06A
ION Orchard Singapore

Jang Won Korean Restaurant

Mosque Street is another popular place for good Korean food, with both Jang Won and Togi Korean restaurant located on the same street. If you tried Togi’s before, why not check out Jang Won Korean Restaurant the next time?

44 Mosque Street #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6532 6949

Ju Shin Jung Korean BBQ Restaurant

Ju Shin Jung Korean BBQ Restaurant has been around for as long as I can remember. I used to pass it all the time when I was having my favourite chilli crabs at NoSignboard along West Coast road (now closed). For those of you living in the East, you may familiar with their East Coast Parkway branch.

For lunch, the Korean BBQ Buffet is served daily at $29++, while for dinner, the Korean BBQ Buffet is only available from Monday to Thursday. If you are not keen on having the buffet, go for their Korean BBQ ala carte selection.

27 West Coast Highway #01-18/19
Yess Centre Singapore
Tel: +65 6464 0872

1018 East Coast Parkway #02-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6447 9279

Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine

For cheap and good Korean food in Singapore, Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine will immediately come to mind. Prices for the Korean food there range from $4.5 – $7.5.

100 Orchard Road Level 1
Food Court Concorde Hotel Singapore Singapore

Kim’s Family Restaurant

My favourite Korean Restaurant in Singapore is still Kim’s Family Restaurant. I like it because they always serve ten side-dishes (I like to call them appetizers) no matter how many main dishes you ordered, I like the tasty and affordable Korean food there, and the bonus — they are just ten minutes away from my place!

17 Lorong Kilat #01-06
Singapore 598139
Tel: +65 6465 0535

Kko Kko Nara Korean Fried Chicken

Kko Kko Nara Korean Restaurant on Tras Street (Tanjong Pagar) is a mom-and-pop chicken place that has been around for a while. They are famous for their Korean Fried Chicken, and the best part is they are opened till late night 4am. Look out for my blog post on it next week!

57 Tras Street #01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6224 8186

Koryo Korean Restaurant

If you are working at the Buona Vista area, you may want to check out Koryo Korean Restaurant at Fusionpolis for lunch.

1 Fusionpolis way
#02-10 Fusionpolis (Connexis tower)
Tel: +65 6469 1079

Ming Jia Korean Food

Other than Kim Dae Mun Korean Cuisine at Concorde Hotel, Ming Jia is another place to go for cheap and good Korean food. I have been there on several occasions, and it is good to see Korean students eating there all the time.

1 Jalan Anak Bukit
#B1-07 Bukit Timah Plaza

Nolboo Hangari Galbi

With close to 680 restaurants in Korea and across Asia in China, Japan, Nolboo Hangari Galbi at Orchard Central is the first of the Korean restaurant chain’s BBQ outlets in Singapore.

181 Orchard Road #08-04/05
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6884 9151

Sarang Korean Restaurant

Another Korean Restaurant at Orchard Central (level 7), Sarang has a pretty affordable menu with main courses like Bulgogi priced at $12.8. They have a good view overlooking Orchard Road too.

181 Orchard Road #07-01
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6773 1322

Togi Korean Restaurant

Judging by the crowd on a weekday dinner, Togi Korean Restaurant is definitely one of the more popular places for Korean cuisine. I’ll probably go back again for their Korean BBQ.

11 Mosque Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6221 0830

Woori Nara Korean Restaurant

After trying the Korean Fried Chicken from Kko Kko Nara at Tras Street, my next target is Woori Nara Korean Restaurant at Lorong Kilat beside Udders Ice Cream and Kim’s Family Restaurant. I’m hoping that they live up to the reputation for their Korean Fried Chicken. Hoho, if that’s really the case, it sounds too good to be true – two Korean restaurants near my place.

19 Lorong Kilat #01-02 Singapore
Tel: +65 6464 9282

* * *

Tell me: which is your favourite Korean Restaurant in Singapore?

“I know a place that has the potential to be the best dessert buffet in Singapore, but I’m not telling anyone until I check it out.”

I tweeted this about two weeks ago, and I think it’s time to let the world know about the Dessert Buffet at One Ninety Restaurant Four Seasons Singapore. If you are lazy to read this post, just know two things: a) the dessert buffet is $12++ $18++/pax, and b) it is available from Monday to Friday 12.30pm – 2.30pm 2pm – 3.30pm.

Even though the dessert buffet at One Ninety Restaurant Four Seasons Singapore doesn’t have a wide variety of desserts, I think it is one of the best dessert buffets in Singapore for a number of reasons:

One. It is only $12 $18++/pax.

Do I really need to explain this? A slice of cake at Canele Patisserie will easily cost $8++. Just a word of caution, the root of all problems is expectation — don’t expect too much. Almost all the desserts for the buffet are shown in the first photo.

Two. This is Four Seasons Singapore.

We are talking about having lunch (okay, desserts) at a Five Star Hotel in Singapore. It is a nice feeling to enjoy an afternoon tea buffet in the dimly lit One Ninety Restaurant at Four Seasons Singapore, and watch the world go by.

Three. There’s no need to rush, take your time and indulge in the desserts.

Unlike the Japanese Dessert Buffet: Let’s Sweet at Bugis Junction which has a 60 min time limit for buffet lunch, and 80 min time limit for buffet dinner, there’s no need to rush to finish your desserts at One Ninety Restaurant.

Four. I think I’m wasting my time if you are still not convinced by now, so I shall tell you about some of the desserts that we had at the dessert buffet.

I’m not going to elaborate much on the cakes since the selections change every now and then. But some of the items that we had at the dessert buffet are: Chocolate Pot de Creme which is somewhat like a chocolate mousse with yummy whipped cream, the pretty but dry Fruit Cake, Caramelized Pineapple that tasted like fruit punch, Macanese Sarradura Pudding otherwise known as the tofu-cake-that-has-digestive-biscuits, the unexciting and soggy Tiramisu, the christmassy Cinnamon Star and Stollen (loaf-shaped cake), squarish Pumpkin Tarts that are arranged nicely on a wooden board, amazing Chocolate Praline Cake which is beside the equally good Grandma’s Chocolate cake (moist and sweet), simple and cute mini fruit tarts, the oh-my-god-so-good Lingon Berry Cheese Cake, and a few desserts shooter which I can’t remember now because I ate them before noticing the name.

* * *

Is the Dessert Buffet at One Ninety Four Seasons Singapore worth taking a day of leave? Well, if you are trying to clear your leave before the year ends, I think it will be a great idea to have a whole day of feasting (it’s the Christmas festive period after all).

Eat Kaya Toast in the morning, and head to Four Seasons at Orchard road for the dessert buffet, enjoy an all day breakfast at Wild Honey, and go to Koh’s Grill & Sushi during dinner for some Japanese food.

LATEST UPDATE: Come on, why are you thinking so much? It’s only $12 $18++/pax! If you cannot have just desserts for lunch, the One Ninety Lunch Buffet with unlimited appetizers & dessert, which comes with a choice of main course is at $48++/pax.

Singapore Food Restaurant Review
One Ninety Restaurant
190 Orchard Boulevard GF
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 1110

// Read my list of dessert places in Singapore.

In the local Singapore food scene, there are always new restaurants opening and it is good since we have more options to choose from. Dempsey road restaurants is probably one of the most happening food destinations in Singapore. The Disgruntled Chef is the latest restaurant to join the crowd at dempsey hill, but when it comes to choosing a place for dinner – I would head back to Barracks Cafe, House Dempsey road.

This post is a continuation of the food that we had during the high tea buffet. We had so much food in an afternoon, and I blamed everything on the Barracks cafe.

Many people raved about the skinny pizzas at Barracks Cafe, and I will talk about them in a minute. If you are too lazy to travel all the way to Dempsey road, they are also available at the Skinny Pizza Cafe which has branches at Wheelock, Raffles City and Suntec.

We tried three skinny pizzas ($25): Salt Cod Brandade, Grilled Figs With Parmesan Crumble, and the Ahi Taki. Half the time, I wasn’t sure which one I was eating, but I finished all of them anyway. All the pizzas were not bad, but they were somewhat too healthy and wholesome – not exactly my idea of pizzas.

The famous truffle fries from Barracks Cafe, House Dempsey.

All the other food bloggers love the Truffle fries ($9). They had it while having the skinny pizzas, they also had it while having some of the items from the afternoon high tea buffet. And you know what? they ate it with the desserts too.

We had at least four-five servings and there wasn’t any left when we were done. The fries were drizzled with truffle oil, which gave them a smokey aftertaste. It had a gasoline smell, and while I had my fair share of it; I’m not convinced to pay nine bucks for fries. Give me a dessert anytime!

Now, the cake in the picture above, is the popular Strawberry Shortcake ($9.50) from Barracks Cafe, House Dempsey. If you ask someone (who has been to House before) for recommendations on what desserts to order from Barracks Cafe, chances are, they will tell you: strawberry shortcake.

I couldn’t quite possibly describe it, but the strawberry shortcake at House Dempsey was very different from the ones we usually have. For a start, it wasn’t as fluffy and soft like the ones from the Japanese patisseries. Filled with fresh (but sour) strawberries, and poured over with vanilla bean cream — oh honey, I’m in love.

Everyone loves strawberry shortcakes, I mean does it even make sense that you will not want to eat it?

Anything and everything can be made better with hazelnut. Take the chocolate cake for instance, it’s a lovely thing on its own, yes nobody can resist it, but the cake is often too sweet and people always struggle to finish the whole slice. But with the addition of hazelnut, it becomes something more than that. It’s no longer an ordinary death-by-chocolate cake. The Chocolate Hazelnut Gateaux ($12) is much more sophisticated, preferably enjoyed with a glass of cold milk. I’m not sure if it’s because we had too much desserts, but the chocolate hazelnut cake wasn’t my favorite among the ones that we tried.

My favorite dessert was the Lemon Cake ($12), and no, it’s not the one in the picture.

I don’t remember having much of the Pandan Jelly Sponge (above picture) and the Passionfruit Kachang, but I absolutely love the Barracks Cafe’s lemon cake. It was sour, and I mean it in a good way. Most of the food bloggers preferred the Passionfruit kachang, and they only took a small spoonful of the lemon cake as they found it to be too sour. But I love citrus fruits, and I managed to finish most of the lemon cake by myself.

Tell me, which dessert are you? I’m a lemon meringue tart. Or maybe a chocolate hazelnut praline cake. Wait, I think I’m a chocolate souffle too. Oh whatever, just tell me about you.

Restaurant Review
Barracks Cafe House Dempsey
8D Dempsey Road
#01-01 to 06 Tanglin Village
Tel: +65 6475 7787
Note: This is an invited tasting session.

The Line Buffet at Shangri La Hotel has always been one of the buffet restaurants in Singapore that I wanted to check out. Even though the buffet isn’t exactly affordable, I know there are many folks who swear that The Line is one of the best buffets in Singapore.

The crowd at The Line was crazy when I went there two weeks back. Now, crazy is probably an understatement when the 400 seater buffet restaurant is almost filled with people on a weekday lunch. Just for your information, most of them are not even hotel guests – with the majority being buffet-loving Singaporeans.

“Can you recommend me a cheap and good buffet in Singapore?”

This is one of the common questions that I get from my readers. Like what I’ve mentioned before: the thing about buffet – if it’s good, it’s not cheap. I know many people are always on the hunt for cheap and good buffet, but lets face it – there isn’t any cheap and good buffet in Singapore. You get what you pay for.

The Line Dessert Buffet

My dear reader, if you have been reading my blog for a while, you will definitely know that I always start a buffet with desserts. I must say The Line Buffet has a pretty impressive array of desserts lined up for sweet-tooth people like me. Besides Western pastries and cakes, they also have some local kuehs available. Not to mention that there’s also the seducing chocolate fondue, and a truckload of ice cream to get you into a sugar-high.

Reason #1: why I shouldn’t go for an international buffet

I hardly looked at the other sections like the local food/western dishes/Indian spread. They just didn’t appeal to me if you get what I mean. It’s probably a shame to pay so much money for a buffet and not try everything. But hey, I’m choosing my battles and concentrating on the key areas.

At The Line buffet, there are also chefs preparing local favorite dishes like Chinese noodles and roti prata ala minute. Given that most of the food in a buffet is prepared beforehand, it’s always refreshing to see the chef preparing some of the items on the spot.

The Line Japanese Buffet

Besides the Seafood buffet spread, the Japanese buffet counter is the next most popular counter in The Line Shangri La. Sushi and sashimi, come on – you know you want it.

The Line Buffet at Shangri La Hotel is an international buffet which has a very wide selection for their buffet lines. From the popular Japanese food, to Chinese dim sum, local favorite dishes, standard western dishes, exotic Indian cuisine, and delicate petite desserts – there’s definitely plenty of options for everyone.

Now it’s your turn, where’s the best buffet in Singapore you have been to?

Restaurant Review
The Line Buffet Shangri La
22 Orange Grove Road
Basement Shangri-la Hotel
Tel: +65 6213 4275

The Line Buffet Prices
// Weekday International Buffet Lunch $47++
Sat International Buffet Lunch $50++
Sun Brunch $78++ (non alochol)
Fri – Mon International Buffet Dinner $68++
Tue Buffet Dinner Oyster Night special $88++
Wed Buffet Dinner BBQ Night Special $78++
Thu Buffet DInner Seafood Night Special $88++

I am not exactly sure how to approach this topic, so I am going straight to the point – Melt the World Cafe at Mandarin Oriental is the best buffet in Singapore.

Melt the World Cafe has always been on the top of my list of buffet restaurants in Singapore to try, and when they recently added in the new barbecue menu for the dinner buffet from Thursday to Saturdays, I know it’s finally time for a big feast.

It was like stepping into an enchanted room. On the right, there was Japanese sushi and Sashimi, while on the left, there was an amazing selection of seafood arranged neatly on top of the ice bed. Further behind, there’s the sizzling Thai food, irresistible Indian cuisine, evergreen local delights, tempting cheese and cold cuts, and desserts!

A lot of people may like buffet because there’s the extremely value-for-money seafood spread, but I kept a closer eyes on the sweets.

To some, desserts can simply mean a slice of fruit, while to others, it comes in the form of a glass of sweet dessert wine. But if you have been reading my food blog for some time, you’d know that when I say desserts – I really mean desserts. I have an extremely sweet tooth, and I have no desire to control it.

WAFFLES IRON!!

Can you imagine my excitement when I saw that there’s a chef preparing waffles? This is better than striking lottery, you know what this means? Unlimited waffles (read: as many as we can eat) that are soft, light and fluffy. Perfect as a main course (yay to desserts for dinner), or a sweet dish to round up the meal. It had the best accompaniment in the form of a scoop of cold, creamy, top quality vanilla ice cream. Otherwise, feel free to choose from toppings like the chippy chocolate chips, the heavenly nutella, or a generous cut of room temperature butter.

My first thought was to camp at the waffles counter and have an all-you-can-eat waffles buffet!

But my attention was diverted to the chocolate fondue, and the incredible spread of delectable desserts by the side. Now where do we begin with? The best way to eat a buffet in style is to start from the desserts. I ALWAYS eat desserts first, and it’s no exception this time. Luckily my partner also has a sweet tooth, and we had so much fun grabbing all the desserts!

Starting from the top left corner (clockwise direction): Strawberry rhubarb crumble, Mousse gateaux, Caramel & apricot pound cake, Cheesecake with forest berry mirror, Passionfruit with chocolate mousse, Strawberry shortcake, Pear delice, and the Manjari mousse chocolate cake.

There was at least a dozen different slice cakes and tarts, alongside dessert shooters like tiramisu, panna cotta, strawberry mousse. Among all the delicious little devils, my favorite would be the Manjari mousse chocolate cake. Moist, dark, and lovely, I almost wanted to take the whole cake before my partner stopped me at the nick of time. The Strawberry shortcake was also very good, and I remember I had more than one serving of the panna cotta. By now, my head was swirling under the indulgence of all the desserts and I couldn’t even remember my own name.

Did we just have a dessert buffet?

If it’s up to me, I’d probably stick around the dessert section throughout dinner. But my partner had something to say to that, she dragged me to the Outdoor BBQ Hut.

With a selection of roasted pig, sausages satay, mushroom, corn, tomato, lamb, and steak, we were really spoilt for choices. And as usual, we went for a bit of everything. Don’t worry, the folks at Melt the world cafe aren’t going to let you stand beside the BBQ pit and absorb all the smell. The food was promptly delivered to our tables shortly after.

The suckling roasted pig was absolutely delicious, but we didn’t know that one serving was just a single piece of roasted pig skin – the two slices were not enough to whet our appetite. Luckily, there’s was the steak and lamb to fill our tummy. We love how the juicy grilled tomato and the succulent mushroom blended well with the BBQ meat.

Our attention shifted to the ala min pasta section, with a chef preparing pasta ‘live’ on the spot. We were half contemplating to grab some lobsters and mussels from the seafood section to throw into the tomato-based pasta, sounds like a great idea right?

You should have see all the people crowding around the seafood platter. Tons and tons of seafood were devoured within a night, and the waiter kept bringing out more. Lobsters, mussels, prawns, scallops, and oysters!

At $78++ per person, the buffet dinner at Melt the world cafe is not cheap. But the quality and variety of the buffet selection is definitely worth the money. I need to start saving up and go back for the champagne brunch buffet!

Restaurant Review
Melt the World Cafe
5 Raffles Avenue
4F The Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3082
// Weekdays Lunch Buffet (Mon – Sat) $56++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $88++ $98++ (Non-alcohol)
Dinner Buffet (Sun – Wed) $88++ $68++
Dinner Buffet (Thu – Sat) $98++ $78++
* Note this is an invited tasting session

It’s a love-hate relationship with buffet.

Buffet always evoked a sense of mixed feeling for me; I tend to over-eat and gorge myself silly (especially with desserts), it always makes me feel sick after the buffet. On the other hand, if you eat too little, it doesn’t feel worthwhile to pay for the buffet. I think I figured out this part: Buffet is a deviously planned conspiracy that is meant to make us sin.

Be it international buffet, dim sum buffet, Japanese buffet dinner, All you can eat buffet, English High Tea Buffet, Crab Buffet or ala carte buffet – Singaporeans really love buffet! Needless to say, everyone will be there so long there’s a buffet, especially when the restaurant has One for one buffet promotion.

The thing about buffet: if it’s good, it’s not cheap. I know many people are always on the hunt for cheap and good buffet, but lets face it – there isn’t any cheap and good buffet in Singapore. You get what you pay for.

The only time I will go for a buffet? It’s always tempting when a buffet restaurant ties up with a bank to do a credit card promotion: 1-for-1 buffet. I always believe in quality > quantity. So it’s pointless to give you a list of ALL the buffet restaurants in Singapore. Instead, I came up with this list of the Best buffet restaurants in Singapore that I want to try this year.

Basilico – Italian Buffet
1 Cuscaden Road
Level 2 The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3232
// Weekday Lunch Buffet $42++
Saturday Lunch Buffet $46++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $69++
Daily Semi Buffet Dinner $69++

Bar & Billiard Room
1 Beach Road Raffles Hotel
Tel: +65 6412 1816
// Mon to Sat Lunch Buffet $60++
Mon to Sat Dinner Buffet $75++
Sunday Champagne Brunch $178++ ($158 without champagne)

Carousel Halal Buffet Restaurant
25 Scotts Road
GF Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore
Tel: +65 6589 7799
// Weekday Halal Buffet Lunch $46++
Weekend Halal Buffet Dinner $50++
Weekday Halal Buffet Dinner $62++
Weekend Halal Buffet Dinner $75++

Cafe L’Espresso – English High Tea Buffet
22 Scotts Road
GF Goodwood Park Hotel
Tel: +65 6730 1743
// Mon – Thu English High Tea Buffet $34+++
Fri – Sun English High Tea Buffet $36++

Cherry Garden – Champagne Dim Sum Brunch Buffet
5 Raffles Avenue
5F Mandarin Oriental
Tel: +65 6885 3538
// Weekend Dim Sum Brunch
Sat – Sun 10am to 3pm
$48++ without Champagne
$118++ with free flow Champagne

Greenhouse – Asian Seafood Buffet
7 Raffles Avenue
3/F Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Tel: +65 6434 5288
// Weekday Lunch Buffet Mon – Sat $48++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $148++ (Champagne)
Sun – Thu Dinner Buffet $58++
Tue Dinner Buffet $68++ (Oysters special)
Fri -  Sat Dinner Buffet $76++

Hanabi Japanese Restaurant – Japanese Buffet
331 North Bridge Road
#01-04 Odeon Towers
Tel: +65 6338 6626
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $29++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++

IKOI Japanese Restaurant – Japanese Buffet
401 Havelock Road #01-01
Hotel Miramar Singapore
Tel: +65 6887 3788
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++
* Reservations highly recommended

Jing Restaurant – Weekend Brunch Buffet
One Fullerton, #01-02/03
1 Fullerton Road
Singapore 049213
Tel: 6224 0088
// Weekend Brunch Buffet $38++

Melt The World Cafe – International Buffet
5 Raffles Avenue
4F The Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3082
// Weekdays Lunch Buffet (Mon – Sat) $56++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $88++ (Non-alohol)
Sun – Wed Dinner Buffet $68++
Thu – Sat Dinner Buffet $78++

One Ninety Restaurant – European Buffet
190 Orchard Boulevard
GF Four Seasons Hotel
Tel: +65 6734 1110
// Mon – Fri European Buffet Lunch $48++
Saturday Asian High Tea $45++
Sunday International Brunch Buffet $138++
Weekday Dessert Buffet $12++ $18++

Sabroso Tapas Wine Bar – Tapas Buffet Dinner
26A Lorong Mambong
Holland Village, Singapore
Tel: +65 6766 0053
// Sun – Thu Spanish Tapas Buffet Dinner $32++

Senki Japanese Buffet Restaurant
109 Killiney Road
Tel: +65 6734 5565
// Japanese ala carte buffet
Weekday Japanese ala carte Buffet $30++
Weekend Japanese ala carte Buffet $33++

Straits Kitchen – Singapore Hawker Food (Halal) Buffet
Grand Hyatt Singapore Hotel
10 Scotts Rd
Tel: +65 6732 1234
Daily Halal Buffet Lunch $42++
Daily Halal Buffet Dinner $48++

The Line Shangri La – International Buffet
22 Orange Grove Road
Basement Shangri-la Hotel
Tel: +65 6213 4275
// Weekday International Buffet Lunch $47++
Sat International Buffet Lunch $50++
Sun Brunch $78++ (non alochol)
Fri – Mon International Buffet Dinner $68++
Tue Buffet Dinner Oyster Night special $88++
Wed Buffet Dinner BBQ Night Special $78++
Thu Buffet DInner Seafood Night Special $88++

Town Restaurant – International Buffet
1 Fullerton Square
GF Fullerton Hotel
Tel: +65 6877 8128
// Mon – Fri International Lunch Buffet $48
Sat Local High Tea $32++
Sun Champagne Brunch Buffet $148++
Sun – Wed International Dinner Buffet $48
Thu – Sat Seafood Dinner Buffet $58++

Tea Lounge Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road GF
The Regent Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3246
// Weekday English Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea Set ($38++):
Mon to Fri 12.30pm – 5pm
// Weekend High Tea Buffet ($45++):
Sat & Sun 1.30pm – 5.30pm

Triple Three Restaurant
333 Orchard Road
Level 5 Meritus Mandarin Singapore
Tel: +65 6831 6271
// Weekday Lunch Buffet $68++
Mon to Thu Dinner Buffet $89.9++
Fri & Sat Dinner Buffet $72++
Sun Brunch Buffet $138++ (free flow sparking) $99++ (no Alcohol)
Sun Dinner Buffet $108++
// 1 for 1 with DBS credit cards is valid for Sun – Thu dinner & Mon – Sat lunch

Yan Ting Restaurant – Weekend Dim Sum Brunch Buffet
29 Tanglin Road
The St Regis
// Weekend dim sum brunch $88++
Weekday 11.45am – 2.30pm
Weekend 11 am – 3.30pm
Tel: 6506 6888
Read post here, here, here, and here

I will be adding this list to the top of my Delicious page. Given that it’s already April, that means on average, I need to check out at least one buffet restaurant each month. Get going, save up for the indulgence and report back to me every time you ticked off a restaurant off this list.

I have a little fetish with desserts. I cannot resist them, especially during buffets. I mean, why wait till the end of the meal to have desserts, when you can have desserts right at the start? Because I eat desserts first.

Remember I took seven lucky readers with me for a dinner buffet?

The best part of the desserts section would definitely be the live station that serves fresh crepes and waffles; I had a great time marveling at the process of making the waffles, and then an inspiration suddenly struck as I took a spoon and drizzled the chocolate from the flowing fondue on top of the waffles and ice cream.

You know what’s the worst thing? They know my wildest desire and they demand my attention every now and then. It’s very irritating. They would wave and offer themselves to me. And then they tickle and whisper into my ears. If the others had not pull me away, I’d have stay at the waffle station for the whole dinner.

Their durian pengat is famous too, and it’s a great idea to have it together with the waffles too; anything goes with waffles – it’s just my excuse for having more! There’s an assortment of mini pastries and cakes available, I liked the mini fruit tarts, and simply enjoyed dipping the marshmallow inside the chocolate fondue, oh what joy.

Among the main dishes, the fried carrot cake caught my eye, and surprisingly it was very good and I couldn’t stop raving it to the rest. After the recent revamp, the buffet has doubled it’s selection and now focuses more on local and Asian dishes,

But when it comes to buffet, I always eat very little of the main dish, okay I will still grab some small bites, like one spoonful of rice and fried noodles, one piece of chicken, and some sushi. After which, I will go back and concentrate on the desserts. Oh well, I have a sweet tooth.

There’s also stations where you can prepare laksa and rojak, there’s several sets of different menu and the local favorites dishes will be rotated every night. Food is all about getting your hands dirty isn’t it? The fun of mixing and matching your own rojak, throwing in as much peanut and youtiao as you want, and putting more prawns and chili into your bowl of laksa.

It was not the chili crab, but the deep-fried mantou beside the crab that took my breathe away. What sheer audacity, they actually had a bowl full of deep-fried mantou along side the big pot of chili crab gravy – it was a direct challenge crying out to me, come, lets see how many mantous can you finish!

* * *

The buffet lunch is $39++ from Monday to Fridays, and buffet dinner for weekdays are $44++. Their weekend dinner buffet has a bigger seafood spread at $46++ per person. I will like to thank Chia Yee from Holiday Inn for the invitation for the food tasting session, and I hope that the seven of you enjoyed the buffet dinner.

Restaurant Review
Window on the Park Restaurant
11 Cavenagh road
Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
Tel: 6733 8333

I’ve mentioned about another surprise during the crab giveaway didn’t I?

As much as I will like to organize a 100 people food outing every month, it lacks intimacy and you probably will get just five minutes of me. So now I’m offering you my full undivided attention, over a buffet dinner.

I’ll be bringing 7 lucky folks to join me for a food tasting session at the newly renovated, Window on the Park Restaurant. Hold on a second, I can hear someone say there’s no such thing as a free lunch dinner in this world. Oh yes there is, the  dinner will be free for the seven of you, and we shall feast like kings and queens! So if you are available for dinner next Wednesday on the 16th Dec, try your luck by joining this contest.

Just a quick note on the buffet, it focuses more on local and Asian dishes, and the signature dishes include laksa and durian pengat. The restaurant also features three live stations which serve fresh pasta, local dish of the day, waffles and crepes.

HOW TO GO ON A DINNER BUFFET WITH ME

1. Leave a comment on this post

Tell me why you want to join me for buffet. ONE entry per person, and you can write anything. And unlike the last time, the winners will not be decided by any highly sophisticated method. Instead, you really need to crack your brains to leave an impressive comment that will stand out among the rest. For those who frequently leave comments on my blog, you will have a better chance, so hurry up and join me for dinner!

2. Use your own contactable email

Please use your own contactable email when you post the comment, it is highly unlikely that I will choose those who leave their comments using newly created/dubious email address. Anyway for the winners, I will be in touch shortly to tell you more details about the dinner.

The contest will run until 14th Dec Monday Midnight, and so you have exactly four days before it ends.

Window on the Park Restaurant
11 Cavenagh road
Holiday Inn Park View
Tel: 6733 8333

Photo credit: Window on the park

Black pepper Sri lanka crab

Ginger Scallion flower crab

Fragrant Thai sauce crab

Nonya curry crab

Stir-fried slipper lobster in black bean sauce

Chili crab with deep-fried mantou

Oh man, She’s grabbing all the good stuff; the big pincers, the meatier crab legs, all gone! Everybody behind the woman, stared at her as she made away with the “goods”.

With the crab tong in hand, it was used to hammer the shell. The fellow diners on the same table immediately dispersed, “watch it! The crab gravy is flying everywhere!”

The lady eyed the seafood section, carefully choosing the biggest white fresh oysters on the bed of ice. She proceeded on to squeeze lemon wedges onto each of them, not wasting a single drop. Taking a fork, she slurped down five oysters, in one shot.

Wash your hands clean and crab-free in the lemon water, we are going for the second round!

The team of eight sat down at the table to discuss their plans, like true elite commando fashion; they attacked the crabs in the precise and deadly manner that they were known for.

“Mommy, I want that slice of very delicious-looking, oreo cheesecake!” The small girl told her mother, even though their stomachs are bursting from all the crabs.

* * *

(1) The commentaries were some of the conversation that I’ve overheard, and observed during the buffet, and I thought it would be interesting to write about this.

(2) I don’t like to eat crabs; I’m too lazy to dirty my hands shelling the crustaceans. And if I do, the chili crab will be my favourite; I love the thick, spicy chili gravy. And there’s the best company in the form of the deep fried mantou; I always poked a hole in the middle of the fried bun and poured lots of gravy inside. Then the soaking of the whole bun within the goodness of the gravy, they are oh, so-good! And I kept a bowl of chili gravy filled throughout the buffet, dipping everything in it.

(3) The crab buffet at Ellenborough market cafe is only available for dinner at $46++ per head, and will last for two weeks, starting from the 25th June. Singaporeans, love (read: love), their crabs, I went during the first day of the promotion and it was full house, on a weekday dinner! So if you are heading down, please remember to make reservations in advance. And my appreciation to Sok Hoon, the marketing communication manger for the invitation to the food tasting session.

(4) Just some more information about the buffet: There’s chefs-on-the-spot cooking crab risotto, frying mee goreng, and wrapping crab popiahs, the seafood area which has sashimi, prawns and seafood, the usual western/Asian cuisine selections, the omnipresent chocolate fondue, with a pretty decent choices of desserts ranging from cheesecake, to shooters, and their famous Durian Pengat. And I love having some Chinese desserts like tou suan with you tiao too!

Read my fellow floggers post on the crab extravaganza:
Camemberu here
& Aromacookery here

Ellenborough market cafe
20 Merchant road
GF Swissotel Merchant court
Tel: 6239 1847

My eyes strayed to the corner as we walked in, the desserts section; I saw the chocolate cake waving to me, the dessert shooters like a lighthouse beaconing the direction. And not lest, the-sight-of-it again: the omnipresent chocolate fondue, my heart just flew over with hugs and kisses.

Not able to resist the seduction, I dropped every last bit of pretence in me and embraced the temptation; lets start with the desserts shall we? We took a bit of everything, and started tucking in. We decided just to have some, and come back for more later. It was a difficult decision; to stop after we started, it was akin to asking a vampire to stop after he started sucking blood from your neck.

And so, the cold seafood counter. There were prawns, there were crabs, and there were mussels & scallops.

A sniff of the icy chilled oyster, the sea breeze gusted into my nose. The hassle of opening up the clam creature was avoided, for it was already prepared nice and clean on the bed of ice. I squeezed a whole wedge of lemon onto it, careful not to spill any outside the shell; every drop of lemon was precious, to fully bring out the quintessence of it. I pitched it up with a fork, and slowly put it into my mouth, one swallow, one gulp, and it was gone.

Our stomach has served us well, and to reward it for the hard work, let’s start with some salad. We took a bit of all the different greens, and dressed it up with the many-variety of dressing available; I always preferred thousand island, while you went for the lighter Italian dressing, and also the adventurous yoghurt one too.

It was fun, the process of ‘playing’ with the Kueh pie tee; we took the shell, add in the typical popiah turnip fillings, sprinkled a bit of the crushed peanuts, drizzled the sweet sauce, beautify it with parsley, and had options of tuna, chicken, and prawns to top with. Boy, it was good! The crispy shell, with the turnip fillings, but it was the sweet sauce and peanut which provided the difference.

There was roasted meat selections, Indian food, Western & Asian mains to choose from too. Again, we ate some of each, and finally it could wait no longer! This time, for desserts, we shall try everything, one of everything. Two if we can help it!

At first glance, it looked like pandan cake. Then, the pistachio financier name tag appeared, in a concealed corner oblivious to the naked human eye. The green stuff, they called it the pistachio nut, it was a personal favourite of our friend; and surprisingly, the pandan-cake-lookalike had a flavourful pistachio taste!

I remembered the truffle berry compote cake for its smooth and silky chocolate, with composition of berries within.

For some unknown reason which continue to evade me, passion fruit seemed to be a popular choice for patissier, I did not have any nice experience with it so far; but I guess it’s the intriguing combination of that-something-sour with the strong cheesecake. I, however, did not like it. I like sweet stuff, something sweet please.

While it had became a common thing for buffets, the chocolate fondue still never failed to excite me, I dipped fruits, puffs, marshmallows, and everything I could find under the flowing chocolate lava.

This, was my favourite part of the buffet. There’s a chef specially preparing waffles and crepes on-the-spot. The waffles were excellent, but they used the same mixture for the crepes, which turned out to be overly thick. And the staffs actually delivered the waffles to our tables when we forgot to collect it, now my dear, that’s what you call service!

I used syrup and butter for my first waffle. Then I returned for more with a topping of all the ice creams available, creativity struck me as I poured some of the lava from the chocolate fondue over my piece of crispy waffles.

The weekend dinner buffet from Mon to Wed is $45++, while dinner from Thursday onwards to Sunday is $50++ per head. We were too full to try all the food; we missed out on the Indian food, and the roasted duck selections. Eating a little of everything was almost enough to fill up the tiny stomach of ours. Plenty of tea and a long chat after the meal aided in the digestion too! My appreciation to Helen, the F&B manager of Traders Hotel, for the food tasting invitation.

Read about my other posts on buffet here.

Cafebiz
1A Cuscaden road
GF Traders hotel
Tel: 6831 4374

The-sight-of-it is enough to excite me. The flowing chocolate – like water plunging down from a magnificent waterfall: wonderful, sweet. The cute white marshmallows beckon to me. The puffs – baked for the sole reunion with the delicious chocolate. The big juicy strawberries, oh my. What’s there not to like about a chocolate fondue? I love it!

Now, I don’t really like buffets. When I see food laying out, exposed, I think they are not exactly very tasteful. The food left out in the open air becomes unprotected from the passing fancies of everybody. BUT, but, the current Citibank credit card 50% promotion for 10 @ Claymore is simply too good a deal to miss, so I decided to go for it after all.

How does $29++ for buffet lunch sounds? On top of it with a 1-for-1 promotion, and we are talking about Pan Pacific Hotel, not some dubious twenties-odd range buffet (you-know-where-I-am-referring-to). Given, the variety here cannot compare with other international buffets who have more spread, but what I like about 10 @ Claymore is the focus.

Instead of giving a lot items to choose from, they decided to give just enough. For those who inherited our Singapore-kiasu-genes, my apologies. But this is one buffet where I actually don’t feel guilty trying to gorge myself silly. I ate a bit of everything, and rushed to have my desserts.

Chicken & Seabass in lemon sauce

Lamb & Beef

Seafood Saffron

The chocolate truffle was terrific – sweet, smooth, refined, yet unbelievably simple. I had mutiple helpings of it, until my stomach decided to do a red-shirt-alike-protest to me.

I love the chocolate tarts too; each nicely craft and so delicate. One bite, it’s gone.

Total bill was $34 for 2 person after the citibank credit card promotion. The current good deal last until 30 April, 2 person are entitled to a 50% discount. For $17 bucks per person, buffet lunch at a classy environment, enough said! And oh yes, I forgot to mention that the service was top-notch; the staffs were attentive and always happy to help out when you need anything.

10 @ Claymore
10 Claymore road
2F Pan Pacfic Orchard
Tel: 6831 6686

Television often play an important part in our life, and definitely have great influence on many people. But the debates on whether it is a good thing or not continues to rage on. Many certainly thinks that Television’s one of the greatest inventions, while some in the other camp believe that it is a bad influence on children, especially so when they get addicted to watching TV programmes. Did you ever hear a parent telling her kid to watch more TV shows?

Recently, we have a television show on Channel 8, “Buffet Buffet” which has garnered much interest among the young and the old. And its hard not to see why, food-related programmes have always been a hit with the audience, not to mention this one introduce all kinds of buffets in Singapore. I saw Penang place restaurant on one of the episodes, and since the price is reasonably cheap and near to my place, why not?

If you just watch the crowd in the place without knowing where is it, you’ll never guess its located within the International Business park (IBP) at Jurong. Perhaps that’s exactly the reason why the owner set up shop there, since there’s so many hungry white collar workers in all the offices around. The atrium building is just beside Creative, so its pretty easy to find, and there’s shutter bus from Jurong East mrt station.

Penang place oozes a sense of tranquil with its simple furnitures, and the water settings just beside the restaurant. It was fully packed when we visited on a weekday lunch, Singaporeans do love their buffets!

The selections actually is pretty decent given its reasonable pricing of $19.80++ for weekday buffet lunch.

Well, the intention was to make it an ice kachang, but we somehow added toppings which we like, so it didn’t look exactly the bit like ice kachang.

The Penang laksa actually comes in the form of Assam laksa, sour and spicy in taste, which differed greatly from our local version. The katong-laksa purist might not take quite well to this, which is more like a mix between tom-yam soup and laksa, with the sourish taste dominating the taste bud. But that’s the authetic Penang laksa for you.

I was rather impressed with the seafood soup, well for one it tasted like shark fin soup (even though there’s no shark fin of course), and secondly, i felt that it was similar to my mom’s home-made soup, and that’s a compliment!

What do you think of when I mentioned Penang? The name synonymous with the city is definitely Char Koay Teow. And if you didn’t notice, even the spelling differs slightly from ours. Well, there’s also Assam laksa, wonton mee and hokkien mee too, but Char Koay Teow certainly is the one which leave most people with memorable memories of Penang. Their rendition comes slightly spicy, not too oily and with a generous serving of ingredients. And the best part? Penang Place actually replenished their char koay teow in small portions very often, since it’s like the most popular dish there. While Char koay teow has a reputation for being unhealthy, and even though i had eaten it twice that week, i couldn’t help myself to second helpings. My sinful food.

The Nasi Lemak is served simple and nice with the fragnant rice, crunchy ikan billies, crispy peanut with cooling cucumbers. There are some other common dishes like curry chicken, fried food, but one dish which i found it good was the Batu Uban Ayam Panggang, which was seasoned grilled chicken with peanut sauce. A pity it was gone when i wanted to take a shot of it.

Glutinous rice is often use in the Asian context, and its no surprise to see the Kueh Salat here. Basically steamed glutinous rice topped with a layer of pandan flavoured custard. Well, i didn’t know if it’s just me or what, but i didn’t really enjoy glutinous rice done this way. The taste was rather weird for my liking, and i guessed i still prefer the Chinese dim sum glutinous rice in lotus leaf.

One of my personal favourites, the Kueh Dardan was actually pandan flavoured pancakes filled with sweetened coconut shavings. The pancakes were very soft and nice, with the coconut shavings coming not too heavy. Easily finished a few of them even thought we were full from the buffet.

Another glutinous rice, the Pulut tatai, steamed glutinous rice eaten with kaya.

Kueh Kosei, palm sugar roll with coconut shravings.

Another dessert, or rather kueh that i enjoyed was the Kueh Talam. Essentially a pandan flavoured cake topped with a savoury coconut milk layer, the pandan cake was very fragnant indeed.

Total bill was $69.90 for 3 person at their weekday lunch buffet. I must say, for $23 per head after taxes and service charges, its rather reasonable for the amount of food served. Note, i didn’t say its excellent, but for the price, its rather acceptable since i find it hard to name another place serving buffet in the 20 dollar range which is good. I guess the money will be worth it if you eat more of their Char Koay teow which will cost $8.90 if you order a plate a la carte.

The location might be a tad difficult, since its within the International Business Park, people wouldn’t travel all the way there just for their buffet, but i did. Well for the rest of you lucky souls who are working in the area, i’ll say this is one place to check out for lunch when you are in the mood for a longer lunch.

Penang place restaurant
6 International Business Park
#01-05 Atrium
Tel: 6899 9446
Lunch: 1130-2pm

* * * Now closed * * *

My fourth, her third, another’s second, and many others first. Our common love for food. That’s how it all began. At the heart of East-Meet-West. Persimmon.

Kopitiam, the symbolic of our local heartlands. The place where everybody grew up sipping their milo & coffee, where everybody settled their three meals when their mother was on strike, and the gateway to many delicious heritage hawker food.

Persimmon is quintessentially a swanky and upmarket kopitiam, retaining the traditional feel by using the classic kopitiam furnitures and floor tiles. The furnishings were a combination between comtemporary and rustic. And not to mention her location is right in the middle of Tiong Bahru, with the shophouses and kopitiam lining side by side.

Choices of desserts pick from a la carte buffet. Bread pudding, carrot cake, mango pudding, panna cotta, chocolate mousse. For the discerning us, perhaps only the carrot cake made the cut.

The kong ba bao (stewed pork belly) was way off my radar. The bun was hard and dry, the meat was not fatty enough, and lacked the delicious gravy. And oh ya, it wasn’t part of our menu, but was under the a la carte buffet offered.

Inspired by NoSignBoard white pepper crab, Persimmon white pepper Crabcake is all about that. Enjoyed the white pepper “crab”, no doubt in the form of crabcake, without any hassle. Under the sunny weather, the crab was toned prefectly brown, with a crisp-cross shell, and savoury meat within. Adiós

The crown of Persimmon. Hainanese Chicken Salad. Featured in almost all the media publications, there isn’t any excuse for you to miss this dish. The concept is simple, Singaporeans loved their chicken rice, but dreaded the calories. So what do you do? Remove the rice, throw in some greens, and voila! Singapore’s very own Hainanese chicken salad. Poach chicken, fresh local herbs & mesclun greens, rise crisps, and special dressing.

Tomato base pasta? Boring! How about our rich cream base instead? I hate cream! Right, why not try our Linguine laksa leaf Pesto? Specially created for your exquisite taste buds, the laksa infused linguine will definitely blow you away with its unique taste. Think laksa, but swop the thick rice noodles with pasta. Some felt that the laksa leaf was too heavy and overwhelm the whole dish. On the other hand, i thought the pasta was perfectly fine. Innovative with a big I.

Mixed blonds (fusion) are interesting in some ways, and the 8 treasures certainly roused my curiosity. Three mushrooms, two nuts, chinese sausage, parmesan cheese and risotto. What happens when Italian Risotto combine with the 8 treasures? You get the 8 treasure Risotto! The intial impression was Glutinous rice, but it was way better. I need to be honest, i couldn’t taste all of you. But in the end, it doesn’t really matter, you are all mine!

Staying true with the principle of fusion food, we have the European-style steak meeting heads on with our Asian carrot cake. The grilled ribeye with “chye tao kueh” carrot cake is bound to make your eyes popped out. The carrot cake was fried with XO and balsamic, with the latter providing a sour taste. A vast contrast with the steak. Not everyone could accepted sour carrot cake with steak though. Aspiring combination, but somehow failed to sizzle with the seemingly weird taste.

Eaten alone, the Slow poached salmon with zuchinni ribbons didn’t come as tender as we thought it will. But dipped in the green curry sauce, the fish went through a make-over in the taste department. There was cucumbers used in the green curry, which caught my attention. Like what one of our fellow friend say, when you don’t understand, just say “fusion!”

Our humble Otak is given a upmarket transformation by going créme brulée. With richly flavoured spicy kaffir lime & coconut used as the main ingredients, there was fish mousse hidden beneath the otak. The otak creme brulee is a very creative fusion dish indeed, but the experiement could perhaps be better. Some of us found the otak to be too watery, and maybe it’s meant to be this way. But is créme brulée ever so soggy?

There was a slight tweak to the menu compared to the one i previously shown. And the cost per person was 20 dollar nett, which everybody agreed was a reasonable price given we managed to try a variety of food. I hope everybody enjoyed their meal, and see you all at the next LIC food outing! We had 27 people for this outing, which was quite a healthy figure.

Well, like what some of you mentioned, it was a case of hits and misses, fusion food is pretty much an experiment between the Asian and Western cuisines, and it was certainly interesting to try some food which we’ll never get to try elsewhere.

And not to forget, LIC outing is all about the fun, joy and laughter during the event, and getting to know more friends. I’ll also like to take the opportunity to thank Helena and Sharon, the co-owners of Persimmon for having us there.

Do add me on facebook, if you missed the links earlier.

Read Jaime-la-nourriture chinese post on the outing here

For those who missed this Persimmon outing, you can get the best discounts when you mentioned ladyironchef while you are at Persimmon. So do go down and give the fusion food a try.