One of our favourite places to head to for buffets in Singapore is Colony. Located on level three of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, Colony is a well-appointed yet cosy restaurant offering the best of Singapore’s heritage cuisines. A dinner at Colony never disappoints.
We returned this week for Colony’s monthly “Farm To Fork” special, where monthly-exclusive dishes that are sustainable sourced, are brought right to your dining table. This promotion happens from now till June 2016.
In the month of March 2016, the featured sustainably farmed produce is the finest Irish beef by John Stone. This means that you can have free-flow quality beef steaks on top of the regular buffet spread. This is completely a steal!
And that’s not all. Quote “ladyironchef” when you make your reservation to receive a complimentary bottle of house wine for a minimum booking of 4 persons for the “Farm to Fork” promotion at Colony from Sundays to Thursdays between 21 March to 28 April 2016.
Colony (formerly Greenhouse) opened for business not too long ago in September 2015.The space still looks so new with a posh yet inviting interior whichexudes a charm that we cannot quite put into words.
Ample natural day light flows into the restaurant throughout the day, which lights up the entire area making Colony look absolutely stunning. When night falls, the space transforms into a romantic spot. We say date nights would be great here, as with gatherings of family and friends.
We love how the restaurant is segregated into various seating configurations – there are booth seats for more privacy, round tables for families, then there are long tables for bigger groups.
FARM TO FORK – IRISH BEEF
This March, enjoy some of the finest Irish beef by John Stone. Through sustainable farming practices, John Stone farmers use only locally-sourced and environmentally-friendly produced feed for their cattle. This means that the beef has lesser saturated fats which is linked to heart disease and is higher in Omega-3 and Omega-6 (healthier sources of protein), Vitamin E, among other health benefits .
Now we have even more reason to enjoy a good steak!
The meats by John Stone are all dry-aged for 28 days, using a traditional method that the John Stone brand has been using since 1975. Grilled to perfection with a lovely tenderness, the beef is available as part of Colony’s dinner buffet spread from Sundays to Thursdays this month.
There are three cuts available during this “Farm to Fork” promotion – sirloin, ribeye and tenderloin (fillet) – and the chefs are happy to have your preferred cut cooked to your choice of doneness. You can also choose to have carved servings from the pre-cooked meat platter, coupled with farm-fresh potatoes that make for a perfect steak dish.
The steaks are cooked on a charcoal grill for that nice outer char, and you can pile on the selection of side dishes such as baby carrots, maize, fries and mashed potato. We loved how juicy the meat is when done to a perfect medium rare, especially the ribeye cut. The fillet is much more ‘meaty’, hence less fatty and slightly less juicy, but still extremely tasty for anyone who loves a tenderloin cut.
In the following months to come, look forward to the monthly “Farm To Fork” specials that will include creamy homemade burrata and fresh tuna. We can’t wait to go back already!
A LAVISH SPREAD AT COLONY
The buffet dinner spread at Colony consists of 7 ‘live’ kitchens – The Ice Bar (Seafood), The Grill & Rotisserie (Meats), The Steam Basket (Hand-pulled noodles and dim dum), The Wok (Local dishes), The Tandoor (Indian delights), The Fruit Stall, and The Patisserie (Desserts).
We always go weak at the seafood spread where you can expect a multitude of fresh seafood including a selection of different oysters – from plump Irish oysters to the leaner Canadian oysters.
Yabbies, king crab legs, half shell scallops, black mussels and poached ‘live’ prawns are some of the other seafood that you can help yourself to at The Ice Bar.
We are usually unimpressed with the salad bars at hotel buffets, but the one at Colony is by far the best. The range of fresh greens aside, they offer delicious toppings that include avocado, beetroot, tuna, smoked duck, fresh prawn salad and feta cheese – on top of a whole range of dressings.
We don’t remember the last time we bothered with salads at a buffet dinner, so Colony, you win. We love your DIY salad bar so much!
LOCAL & ASIAN FLAVOURS
What too impressed us were some underdogs in the buffet spread. At The Ice Bar, you can enjoy local bites such as Kueh Pie Ti and Popiah.
Located at The Wok, the Singapore Chilli Crab is tasty with just the right amount of spice and flavour. The crabs were also plump and meaty.
Another must-try here is the Seafood Fried Rice with XO sauce.
The authentic Indian delights available at The Tandoor kitchen were so aromatic that we were drawn to it by the wonderful smell of spices. Our personal favourite was the rich Butter Chicken and the Tandoori Lobsters. The former was creamy and buttery, yet spicy – just the way we like our butter chicken curries to be. We would definitely recommend that you enjoy this dish with some naan.
While you may think that lobsters are usually grilled in Western cuisine, the brilliant chefs gave these crustaceans a delightful Indian twist with very flavourful seasoning. Voila! Tandoori Lobsters – the first we’ve tried, and nothing short of impressive!
The Steam Basket showcases the best of Singaporean and Asian delights including Colony’s signature Laksa with Homemade Lobster Ball, to Xiao Long Bao which is available at the dim sum bar.
The Lobster laksa is a classic and something that we’re sure many of you will return to Colony for With its spicy broth that has a rich coconut fragrance, complemented with huge lobster balls and cockles, this is a must-try when you dine at Colony.
You might think we are crazy for having roast meats and chicken rice at a grand buffet like this but once you have had a taste of the tender meats and fragrant rice, you will fully understand why.
The rice exudes an aroma unlike any other. Every grain is plump and coated with the fragrant essence of chicken oil. The chilli is one of the best we’ve had, and you bet the meats are well-roasted and flavourful too.
Honestly? This beats so many roast meat stalls in Singapore!
Colony is everything we want in a buffet and more – the selection is abundant and the quality of the food is top notch. It is one of those places that we will choose to return to if we don’t want uncertainty or a disappointing meal. It is also the perfect venue to bring your overseas guests to enjoy a meal, where they can enjoy a variety of local Singaporean favourites in a comfortable and sophisticated environment!
Remember to quote “ladyironchef” when you make your dinner reservations to receive a complimentary bottle of house wine for a minimum booking of 4 persons during the “Farm to Fork” promotion from Sundays to Thursdays at Colony between 21 March to 28 April 2016.
Prices:
- Breakfast
Monday to Sunday, 6.30am to 10.30am (last order at 10.15am)
Unlimited servings at seven conservatory kitchens
S$45 per adult, S$22.50 per adult (6 to 12 years of age)
- Lunch
Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 2.30pm (last order at 2.15pm)
Unlimited servings at seven conservatory kitchens
S$58 per adult, S$29 per child (6 to 12 years of age)
- Dinner
Monday to Sunday, 6.30pm to 10.30pm (last order at 10.15pm)
Unlimited servings at seven conservatory kitchens
Sunday to Thursday: S$78 per adult, S$39 per child (6 to 12 years of age)
Friday and Saturday: S$88 per adult, S$44 per child (6 to 12 years of age)
Tel: +65 6434 5288
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.colony.com.sg
Colony
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Daily: 6.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Promenade
This post was brought to you by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.