Thursday, May 12, 2011

High Tea Buffet @ The Regent Hotel

I have never been a fan of high tea buffets but the great reviews stirred my curiousity. Not only that, one of my friends is willing to accompany me for this high tea despite her visiting this place barely a month ago.

Tea Lounge @ The Regent Hotel

Located at the ground level of The Regent Hotel, the ambience this lounge provides is somewhat like a study room furnished with wood furniture and comfortable sofas. Apart from that, the glass panels on one side of the hotel provides sunlight, making it a nice place to chill out with friends.

It is no wonder why this is highly recommended for the wide variety of both savoury and desserts, ranging from Live Carvings, Asian, Japanese, on top of the English High Tea and desserts crafted by the hotel Pastry Chef Phillips.

Scones

Scones are one of the must-haves of this buffet and this buttery pastry that melt-in-you-mouth comes with a good selection of clotted cream, lemon curd and an extensive selection of Tiptree Organic Jams. For your information, the scones are available for take-away at Something To Go from noon onwards daily.

Puff pastries

One of the items which I truly enjoyed are the puff pastries which are so light and crisp, be it the Sausage Rolls or the delightful Beef Pot Pies, I went back for a second serving despite a full stomach. The buttery pastries are so thin that goes particularly well with the mashed potato and addictive beef stew. Quiche was the other top favourite of mine for that afternoon.

Quiche, Pot Pies, Beef Wellington

Baked Salmon and Roasted Leg of the Lamb were the highlights during my visit and it is indeed an added bonus to have these stations served during a high tea buffet.

Carving station

While the variety is extensive, the selection of sandwiches is alot lesser than what is offered by L'Espresso. Judging from how much I enjoyed the Egg Mayonnaise served on a slice of soft white bread, I am curious with the other types of open sandwiches The Regent Hotel can offer.

English sandwiches

Japanese station serving salmon sashimi and sushi is popular among the diners and hence is of no surprise that this is one of the stations that ran out of stock.

Asian corner

Chicken satay and the spicy mid-joints at the Asian station is another thumb-ups for me. Well-marinated meat, tender to my liking. Lovely, I would say.

Crepe, waffle and pancake station

The selection of desserts is pretty extensive with live stations featuring waffles, pancakes, crepes and souffles. With an option of complimenting with chocolate or vanilla ice-cream, sauces and fruits, I have to admit that I enjoyed the crepe served with sweet strawberries, vanilla sauce and vanilla ice-cream. The texture of the crème brûlée and soufflé are fantastic but sad to say, passionfruit isn't my favourite fruit, hence sour to my liking.

Chocolates

Having eaten Hilton's array of desserts the night before, I have to admit that the desserts were a little disappointing when compared to the savoury. Not because they are not good but most of the desserts which I have took were sour to my liking (*Note that I didn't try all the desserts and this comment is based on the 8 desserts I have took). But I have to admit that I love the chocolate fudge cake for its soft chocolate sponge with a chewy fudge and the blueberry pavlova for its melt-in-your mouth meringue.

Desserts made by Pastry Chef Phillips

Coffee, hot chocolate and a good selection of tea are also served with the buffet and reservation is a must. This is no doubt a nice place to unwind on a weekend afternoon and in this case, it is the savoury that left a deeper impression, making me so full till I have no room for desserts. In addition, the service is fabulous and I agree with the masses this is one of top when it comes to a weekend high tea buffet.

Weekend High Tea buffet is priced at $44++ with no credit card promotions.

Lastly, many thanks to Ms. Siew Leng, Public Relations Manager of The Regent Hotel for acceding to our photography request and also to Mr. Anshul Kaul, Director of Food and Beverage and Ms. Phoebe, manager of Tea Lounge for the warm hospitality and introduction to the high tea buffet.

Tea Lounge
The Regent Singapore - A Four Seasons Hotel
One Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel: 6725 3245 / 6725 3246

Afternoon Tea is avaiable from Noon to 5pm on weekdays while
High Tea Buffet starts at 1:30pm to 5:30pm on weekends
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Monday, May 9, 2011

Seafood Buffet @ Hilton Singapore

There are changes to Hilton's buffets. Although the daily themed buffets are still available, buffet dinners are only restricted towards Friday and Saturday evenings, featuring the theme, Seafood and Japanese respectively. Not forgetting to mention that the Sunday Brunch is still available and apparently there are some new changes introduced to it.

Having being allergic to prawns, Seafood themed buffets will often not crossed my mind and this visit is due to 2 of my friends whom I would like to give a treat to.

Little Sea Port

When Seafood buffet is concerned, one can expect an extensive variety in this station. Chef Sandro called this a Little Sea Port, featuring a fresh selection of Homemade Mediterranean Salmon, Lobster, Alaska Crabs, Canadian Oysters and many more. To make this is more special, there are homemade cuts of tuna marinated with salt, sugar and herbs, which is sealed quickly before some sprinkles of pepper.

Live Station - Seafood Paella

Executive Chef Sandro has always focus on Mediterranean and Asian food and this time round, there are a few live stations introduced with the Spanish and French stations welcoming at the main entrance of Checkers Brasserie. Using Chicken, Australian Mussels, Squid and Prawns, the Seafood Paella is one not to be missed with freshly made portions at 20 minutes interval. Full of flavours with me going for the second serving.

Japanese Station

Sashimi, Sushi and other Japanese delights are available to avoid disappointment among buffet goers.

Cod Fish cooked in Tandoori style and Grilled Snapper

Following down the trail, most dishes are fish cooked in various styles such as Baked Salmon with Saffron sauce, Cod Fish cooked in Tandoori style and Grilled Snapper.

Fish Market Station

The main highlight of the entire buffet is the Fish Market Station. Chef Sandro is one person who is very particular with the freshness of the fish and not only is this station beautifully presented, there is a wide selection of fishes cooked in various style. All you need to do is to choose your fish, get a number and the dish is prepared a la minute.

Razor Clams

The variety available is Garoupa, Red Snapper, Cod Fish, River Prawns, King Prawns, Sting Ray and Fresh Squids. Razor Clams, highly recommended by Chef Sandro is minimally marinated to highlight the sweetness of the seafood. A little chewy on the teeth with each bite being succulent and additive.

Steamed Red Snapper

Other cooking style includes, Sambal, Black pepper and Chili XO sauce to suit the local palate and is fantastic when applied to fresh Squids and Stingray. Something to note, this is different from what is served in most hawker centres for the absence of MSG. Although it is on the bland side, one will appreciate not feeling thirsty after a seafood feast.

Grilled Squid and Stingray

As expected by some, Mediterranean style is available as an option, with the fish baked with herbs, garlic, olive oil, fresh tomatoes and shallots.

Mediternean way of cooking

Another must-try in this buffet is the Live Drunken Prawns Station. Using lots of Chinese wine coupled with the hotel's stock (said to be a secret recipe), this is of no doubt good. Freshness is guaranteed, for the prawns are freshly caught from the tank.

Live Station - Drunken Prawns

The dessert section is meant to be small as Pastry Chef Christophe wants his diners to focus on some of his special creations. In addition, to ensure that the desserts are presented at its best, there are designated chefs to serve.

Desserts with Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo

As seen from the photos, one can expect surprises from this humble station, ranging from Mango Panna Cotta served with fresh mango bits and mango jelly to Chocolate Mousse shaped into a lollipop coated with peanuts. Millefeuille is one of the main highlights for the evening and the crisp pastry with its heavenly delightful custard was no doubt a crowd attractor.

Chocolate lovers will be further delighted with a good selection of chocolate desserts, featuring Crispy Chocolate which is different from the classic Hazelnut Royaltine in terms of the cream, buttery crumble and the type of chocolate used. In short, a lighter alternative.

3 kinds of truffles are also introduced with flavours, such as Plain, Milo Caramel (to cater to the local taste) and Whisky chocolate, all meltingly addictive till the extent Yuan came back with a bowl full of the Milo Caramel Truffles.

When it comes to cheesecake, Hilton has always been a known favourite and this time round, Chef Christophe has decided to use the same recipe and steam the cheesecake to achieve a light aftertaste. In addition, the base is made of crumbles, which is further mixed with butter, to make it extremely crumbly

Petite Delights

Diners with a sour tooth will not want to give the Blackforest shooters and Chou Pastries a miss for the former is assembled with Chocolate Cream, Crumble, Marmalade and Vanilla Chantilly and the latter has Raspberry Sauce encapsulated using a thin layer of Gelatin, creating a lava effect on the vanilla or strawberry choux pastry.

It is always nice to visit a good buffet with a different theme and concept. Comparing our last visit, the overall feel of this place is so different and new, making us so curious about the new stations introduced. The fact that we didn't manage to try all the dishes and that we have given the cheese, soup and even some of the seafood on ice a miss just concludes that this is worth a mention and is bound to bring in nice surprises even for those who has tried Hilton's buffets previously.

Executive Chef Sandro Falbo and Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo of HIlton Singapore

Thank you very much for Ms. Joyce Moo, Marketing Communications Manager for acceding to our photography request, the complimentary bottle of champagne and the arrangements to get Executive Chef Sandro Falbo and Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo to introduce us the various stations and highlights of the buffet. Not forgetting the warm hospitality of Ms. Yeo Yen Lin, Marketing Communications Executive of Hilton Singapore and all the chefs and service staff for making this meal so wonderful and memorable.

Looking forward to blog out their new Sunday Brunch. Stay tune.

Checkers Brasserie
Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Road
Singapore 238883
Tel: 6730 3390
Website

Seafood buffet is priced at $52++ with a 10% discount for major cardholders.
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Flor Patisserie II

Flor Patisserie is one place that most would recommend for good Japanese cakes for Chef Yamashita prides on using the freshest and best quality ingredients in their pastries that have been sourced from overseas (Japan, Belgium, and France), and locally.

Every visit to Flor Patisserie has always been delightful for me as this patisserie has been constantly introducing newcomers on their shelf. Placing strong emphasis on using fruits as the main ingredients, the shelf is always filled with colour, making it a visual treat before we lay our hands on the cakes.

The only problem lies in them closing early at 7pm (from Monday to Saturday) and 6pm (on Sundays) so it can be hard for me to pick them up after work. As for weekends it would be a trip specially to Duxton Hill since there isn't any reasons to be in the vicinity.

The Vert

From the selection of cakes, one can expect that I am in the mood for Matcha and coming from a chef with over 20 years of Japanese baking techniques, and has spent a year and a half tailoring their cakes to suit the climate and local palette, you can roughly guess what I am going to write next.

A good green tea cake in my opinion is a rare gem in Singapore as it can be too mild in its flavour or the texture is horribly wrong. Vert ($6.50) from Flor Patisserie achieve this two aspect positively for a slight rough green tea sponge base, layered with a yummy-licious vanilla cream and green tea mousse. As an added bonus, the think layer of green tea layer has a slight chewy texture, mimicking the texture of a mochi.

Wakakusayama

Wakakusayama ($6.80), further emphasize the beauty of a good green tea sponge for its intense green tea flavour with a decent degree of softness. This swiss roll of honey-infused green tea sponge coupled green tea and red bean cream, is a real treat for green tea lovers.

Chocolate Pudding

However, when it comes to chocolate, somehow or rather, Japanese patisserie isn't our cup of tea for the chocolate is often weak to our liking. Hence, this chocolate pudding ($6.50) aught Yuan's attention more for its pudding which forms the lower layer and when eaten with the fresh cream and sponge, . Chocolate mousse was just average in his opinion.

Flor Patisserie
2 Duxton Hill
#01-01
Singapore 089588
Tel: 6223 8628

Operating hours:
11am to 7pm (Mon to Sat)
11am to 6pm (Sun)
Website
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