Festive Dinner Buffet at Novotel

Festive Dinner Buffet at Novotel

Prior to this tasting, my impression of Novotel (when it comes to food) is mainly wedding banquet but little did I realise there is a very comfy restaurant located at level 7, serving a lovely international buffet.


Adopting a minimalistic decor with tables comfortably spaced and the buffet spread presented neatly at a corner, I adore the light hearted setting. The choice of maroon and black gives a nice contrast between homely and stylish. In addition, the balcony area at the other side of the restaurant brightens the restaurant in the afternoon and dims the restaurant at night, providing a nice transition from dusk to night.

With Christmas round the corner, the festive dinner buffet at The Square can be considered as an option for large families and gatherings.  With an affordable price tag, The Square will blow you off with a simple yet extensive selection, not forgetting the usual christmas offerings at their live stations. Both the roasted turkey as well as the baked gammon ham deserved special mention for their tender, succulent and nicely-marinated taste.


Apart from the festive roasts, we were quite surprised by the selection of appetisers offered. We are usually not big fans of appetisers but the wide selection of Italian starters ranging from cold cuts, salads, sandwiches, and anti-pasta intrigue us to try. Among the extensive selection, some of the items that are worth a mention were the potato salad, which is light on the dressing and generously tossed with bacon bits; bruschetta where the bread is contrast nicely with cheese and tomato; the refreshing pasta salad and parma ham though would have been better if it is shaved more thinly.


The house specially is the risotto which is prepared a la minute and stirred into the cheese bowl for the additional cheesy effect. However if you are not a cheese fan, this is probably not for you. It also comes with the special variant of laska sauce. Those who loved their laksa sauce rich with shrimp taste may find this novice.


The seafood section consists of fresh oysters, mussels, prawns, tuna sashimi and the poached salmon. One of the must-trys in the buffet would definitely be the poached salmon for its soft and juicy meat. This simple dish retains the sweetness of the fish but yet does not have an overpowering fishy aftertaste.


Within the hot food section, Fen's favourite was the Irish Mutton Stew. Though most would have dreaded the gamely taste of the mutton, this is surprisingly acceptable to non-mutton lovers like me. The stew is so intense with the flavours that Fen ends up slurping the gravy. According to her, the meat is tender, the potatoes are well-soaked with the essence of the stew, the carrots are juicy. Perfect combination.  


The buffet also offers Asian dishes such as fried rice, mee tai bak, beef rendang, sweet and sour pork and kimchi chicken. Kimchi chicken caught my attention for the mild spicy flavour but didn't earn a thumb up from Fen as she is not a kimchi lover. On the other hand, beef rendang earns her nods in this station.


Since it is nearing Christmas, you will find log cakes, christmas pudding, christmas cookies on the dessert bar. We personally found the log cakes unique as it is made of strawberry sponge and pandan sponge (separately) as opposed to the usual chocolate/vanilla sponge. While the sponge is soft and "old school", the downside would be the large amount of buttercream for the pandan log cake which would have been perfect if they replace the filling with kaya.


You will also find chocolate fondue which often appeal to kids. However what really steals the show is the durian pengat. The paste is so smooth but yet does not compromise on the durian content.


All in all, the selection is pretty extensive considering this is pitted against mid range buffet suspects such as Straits Cafe, Cafe Mosaic and Cafe 2000. While most of these mid range buffets focus on local specialities and seafood, The Square aims to bring in a variety of cuisines to their buffet line.

In addition to the lovely Italian starters, traditional Irish Mutton Stew and the marriage of Kimchi & Chicken, Chef Jean-Philippe Couturier, a French, has also introduced a few memorable fusions such as the Laksa Cheese Risotto and Seafood (mussels are served in their buffet line while cod is available in their a la carte menu) with Spicy Coconut Cream sauce. Another plus point of the buffet is having an in-house pastry chef that brings about a decent selection of pastries and also the local favourite, durian pengat.

In short, the ambience is simple, the dishes are memorable and the price tag is affordable.

Special thanks to Mr. John Paolo Tan, Marketing & Direct Sales Manager of Novotel Singapore for the invite to enjoy this festive dinner.


Festive Dinner Buffet is available from now to 1st Jan 2013, everyday from 6pm to 10pm.
$52++ (Adult) / $35++ (Child/Senior Citizen), from Sunday to Thursday
$62++ (Adult) / $38++ (Child/Senior Citizen), Friday and Saturday


For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year Eve Dinner,
$68++ (Adult, buffet only)
$88++ (Adult, with free Prosecco Sparkling Wine, Tiger Draught Beef, house wine and 2 kinds of juices)
$48++ (Child)



The Square Restaurant
Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
177A River Valley Road
Singapore 179031
Tel 6433 8790
Website

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A La Carte buffet brunch @ Dolce Vita

A La Carte buffet brunch @ Dolce Vita

All our dining experiences with Mandarin Oriental Singapore have been pleasant and the most recent Sunday Brunch at Dolce Vita was no exception. I am glad that the restaurant allows babies in the dining premises and I can push the stroller or coax the baby outside the restaurant without much hassle. In addition, the friendly service and the comfy corner the restaurant has allocated to us makes a long meal with an impatient baby comfortable and manageable.


Our first visit to Dolce Vita was 2 years back during Christmas and I would say it was memorable. As the restaurant does not offer the regular a la carte menu on weekends afternoons, we have no choice but to opt for the a la carte buffet and we didn’t regret it. On top of that, the restaurant is located at the poolside with views of Singapore’s skyline, featuring the Singapore Flyer and the Marina Bay Sands, indeed dining in the day and night provides a very different atmosphere and I have to say both has its beauty.


I am not sure about the majority but at least for me, I am one that goes straight to the main courses or highlights at buffets and leave no room with appetizers and starters. When I visit a restaurant, I will usually stick to a main course and perhaps a dessert. Call this ignorant or lack of exposure but in short, I don’t usually go through a course of starters, soup, main course and desserts unless a set meal. The reason why I said this is because the niche of Dolce Vita’s a la carte buffet makes me dine in this manner and I gave a big thumbs up for that.

The buffet starts with a list of starters serving in an orderly and well-paced manner, allowing one to enjoy the food slowly and appreciate these combinations of small bites. It is indeed a perfect way to slow things down, making the afternoon a laid back one where one gets to enjoy the company of our dining companion.


A simple display of cured meats on a plate, these paper-thin slices of meat surprises us with a nice texture and a good distribution of fats. In addition, the meat is not dry nor stringy and the presentation of the dish gives it a visual bang to kick start the meal.

The starter platter consisting of (from left to right)

Foie gras mosaic with cranberry coulis, dried fruits and sesame tuile

Traditional Apulia burrata mozzarella cheese, served with vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, sea salt and oregano

Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing

Tartare of Angus beef tenderloin with quail eggs

Foie gras turns out to be Yuan’s favourite for the rich and buttery texture for the liver complements nicely with the tang of the cranberry coulis and dried fruits; and this is slightly less cloying than the seared foie gras that comes with a bit of crispy fat on the exterior.

The burrata served with cherry tomatoes is refreshing while the beef tartare is tender and well seasoned. Just like my first encounter with their beef tartare, this is not at all “bloody” but actually taste wonderful.

However, it is the crab timbale that steals the limelight among the four. The juicy crab meat is sweet and succulent and when eaten together with the mango salsa, the refreshing twist makes us request for a second round of serving. Unanimously agreed with two of my other friends.

Other starters serve for the afternoon includes (from top left, clockwise),

Veloute of roasted butternut squash

Wild forest mushroom soup

Timbale of crab with avocado mousse, accompanied by mango salsa and lemon zest dressing

Tasmanian rock oysters on ice with traditional condiments

Marinated grilled prawns with romaine salad and spring baby vegetables, marinated with a light beetroot juice dressing

Carpaccio of Australian beef tenderloin with arugula salad, shaved Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette

The main courses started off with several dishes of pasta dishes, namely (from top left, clockwise),

Homemade green pea-potato gnocchi with prawns and saffron

Orecchiette pasta with spring vegetables and Tuscan pecorino cheese

Homemade linguine with finest selection of seafood, Italian parsley and garlic-olive oil glaze

Acquerello risotto with black truffles

Have to admit that the pasta were not to our liking and made the meal heavy on the carbohydrates, leaving almost no room for the subsequent fish and meat dishes. Homemade linguine was tasty but was also very filling. The sauce for the gnocchi was too overwhelming and I reckon that I am not a fan of saffron since I felt the same towards the Salmon. Orecchiette pasta  earns a thumbs up from Yuan for the addition of Pecorino cheese to the pasta.

However, despite the rants, this also reminded us the meals we had in Italy where two main courses were served. The first being the pasta and the second being a meat dish.


Grilled yellow fin tuna was splendid in its texture. The varying texture between the seared and raw left an strong impression. With the tuna is nicely seasoned, these juicy chunks of tuna were enjoyed without much fishy smell. Do note that this is not available in the regular a la carte menu and is only served during their weekend brunch buffet.

Main courses for the afternoon includes (top left, clockwise), 

Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni with baby spinach and Parmesan cheese cream 

Norweigian Salmon with market fresh vegetables and saffron veloute 

Roasted rack of New Zealand lamb with Sicilian style egg plant caponata, sauteed new potatoes and rosemary sauce 

Braised barramundi with thyme scented vegetables and la ratte potatoes 

Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni  is one of the signatures of Dolce Vita and the meltingly tender oxtail simply sublime on the palette and goes very well with the baby spinach. Easily a crowd pleaser among the mains.

As mention earlier, the Norwegian Salmon isn’t my cup of tea for the overwhelming sauce which practically masks the sweetness of the fish. For both the Norwegian Salmon and the Roasted rack of lamb, the meat is close to medium rare where the centre part of the meat is raw and we felt that this isn’t very well accepted as compared to the other mains.

Braised barramundi, another dish that earns a thumb ups for its flaky and juicy meat. The freshness and the natural sweetness of the fish makes this dish simple yet memorable. In addition, the potatoes served have a nutty flavor and the cooking is just right without having the potatoes overly hard nor extremely soft and mashy.

Red wine braised wagyu beef cheek, of no doubt is another main course that warrants a second helping. Just like the Braised oxtail-foie gras cannelloni, the meat is rich in its seasoning and tender that a knife is not needed to slice the meat. In addition, the gratin potatoes served were seamlessly layered, giving this simple potato dish another dimension of presentation and texture.


Desserts are presented at the kitchen counter in a buffet format where one can expects a cheese platter, a hot dessert (either bread and butter pudding or rice pudding) and a selection of miniature shooters and tartlets. The selection of desserts is specially put up by Mandarin Oriental’s Executive Pastry Chef Cassian Tan.


Do not miss out on the heavenly tiramisu that has chocolate balls embedded with the fluffy mascarpone layer with liquor-soaked ladyfingers and the signature Riccotta cheese tart. Yuan loved the tiramisu the most for the high expresso content.

Though there are hits and misses, this meal is memorable for the way the buffet is served as it allows one to appreciate antipasto before starting the meal proper. Though it was painful for Yuan's pocket, he was satisfied by the quality of the food, the presentation of the food and the pace of the meal. Last but not least, the bulk of the items served in the buffet are available in the regular a la carte menu, allowing one to sample several dishes in miniature portions all in a go.

The weekend Champagne brunch at Dolce Vita is available from 12pm to 3pm every Saturday and Sunday. Pricing as follows,
$108++ per person, food only
$148++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices
$248++ per person with unlimited free flow of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices
$488++ per person with unlimited free flow of Dom Perignon 2003 champagne, house white and red wine, beer, soft drinks and juices

We would like to express a big thank you to Director of Communications, Usha Brockmann and Public Relations Manager, Shu Yun to allow us to take photos of the restaurant prior the start of the buffet and the meal couldn't be any much better without the warm hospitality of Assistant Restaurant Manager, Giuseppe Guida.

Dolce Vita
Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue
Marina Square
Singapore 039797
Tel: 6885 3551
Website

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Bountiful Flavours of Kochi & Kagawa @ Triple 3

Bountiful Flavours of Kochi & Kagawa @ Triple 3

Triple 3 has been our most frequent and also one of our recommended buffet restaurant in Singapore. It may be pricey to most but the selection and variety of food offers by the restaurant has always been a positive surprise in all our visits.

From now till 4 March 2012, Triple 3 presents the best of the Kochi and Kagawa prefectures, with dishes made from specially sourced ingredients, flown in fresh from the island of Shikoku. On top of the regular buffet suspects such as seafood on ice, sashimi, Indian's specialities by Chef Suraj Kumar Negi and roasted Barbequed meats by Chef Liew Tian Heong, one can expect an interesting selection of dishes infused with Yuzu, to provide a fragrant citrus, fresh and refreshing taste.




However, before we go into details of these dishes, the main highlight of the buffet is the award-winning Udon Master Chef Shiochi Mori. Udon was first introduced to Japan 1,200 years ago and the Kagawa prefecture perfected this to become the originator of the Sanuki Udon 300 years ago. Known as the Udon Kingdom owing to its abundance of wheat and salt in Kagawa, and also with the skills of Master Chef Shiochi Mori, one can expect the Udon noodles to be outstanding in its texture, which is described to be slightly heavy and chewy.

The Sanuki Udon soup served with it, made from Iriko (dried small sardines) and Shoyu (soy sauce), is a very light and flavorful broth that makes me go for a second helping despite a full tummy.




If you like Maguro sashimi, you should really try the Katsuo Tataki (Seared Bonito Sashimi), particularly when this is hand-picked by Group Executive Chef Shigeru Akashi. Most of the ingredients used in this buffet are air-flown fresh from the Kochi prefecture and the slightly cooked edges of the fillet makes the fish more tasty than Maguro sashimi itself.




The Teppanyaki Live Station has always been a highlight for all the buffets served at Triple 3 but to make this even more outstanding than before, Triple 3 has introduced two types of Sole Fish into the menu. The fish is sweet, juicy and definitely of no doubt, fresh. However, being one of the more popular stations in the buffet, one may expect a queue to lay your hands on this wonderful treat.




Surprisingly bread is something that I would often avoid but these extensive display of buns makes it so irresistible. Green Tea Bun was exceptionally flavorful while the Yuzu bread is refreshing with its filling. Be warned, these tummy fillers may deprive you of the other delicious treats available at the buffet.




We usually find soba at buffets but somen is rarer. Somen is the finer version of udon and if you like mee sua, you will surely like this.




Sashimi station brings in 3 newcomers, kinmedai (Golden Eye snapper), Red Snapper and Seabass which is rarely seen in most buffets. However, regular salmon and tuna lovers may find these sashimi chewy and fishy, to a certain extent, acquired.




Chawanmushi and Steamed Potato may sound humble to most but we felt that they deserved a mention. While the Chawanmushi is flavorful and smooth, the steamed potato deserved a thumb ups when served hot with sea salt butter for its soft and sweet texture.




We have previously gave a big shout out to the pasta live station of Triple 3 and this time round, they surprised us further with the imported Olive pasta. Unlike the regular pasta that is served al dente, this type of pasta has a soft exterior and chewy interior. When served the Yuzu Khosho sauce, both its texture and taste is memorable.

Having showcased the photos of the special items introduced for this buffet, one can also expect Yuzu to be infused in some of the regular dishes served previously in Triple 3. For the Indian Station, Yuzu Paste has been ingeniously infused into the Chatny Tikka while the Yuzu Koshi Demi Glace Sauce is served with Chef William's Roast Prime Rib and Honey Baked Glazed Ham.

In addition, the Tempura station brings in Kintoki Ninjin (Red Carrot) and Nabana (Canola Flower) from Kagawa where the former is so crunchy and sweet that it can easily fake off as a sweet potato. Other things that should not be missed in this buffet are the Shiira Ika No Surimi (Pan-fried Fish Cake) and Japanese Pumpkin Cake.




Just like the other stations, there is a distinct focus on Yuzu for the desserts. The Yuzu Meringi Tart is a good variant to the conventional lemon version minus the sharp tangy taste of lemon. Other desserts that showcase the beauty of Yuzu were the Orange & Almond Cake which uses the Yuzu Zest, Yuzu Sorbet, Yuzu Cream Puff and Japanese Cheesecake with Yuzu juice.

Desserts such as Strawberry Panna Cotta is splendid for the hint of Yuzu and blends very well with the tanginess of the strawberry jelly. Matcha swiss roll is nice in its humble way for the sponge is soft and the cream is light. Matcha mousse with azuki paste steals Yuan's attention for its rich flavors and contrast in textures.

A quick glance across the buffet line may give the misconception that the food served during this period is the same as Triple 3's regular buffet dinner but having tried the food served last night for this special event, we thought it was something not to be missed as most of the items used are imported and not commonly seen. In addition, with a strong team of chefs incorporating a common ingredient, Yuzu in each of their specialities, one can expect a refreshing twist. Last but not least, an award-winning Udon Master Chef serving hand-made udon on the spot, need us to say more?

Many thanks to Ms. Janice Azupardo, Regional Vice President, Branding and Communications of Meritus Hotels & Resorts for the warm hospitality. We appreciated your time to sit through the dinner with us. Also a big thank you to the Marketing Communications team of Mandarin Orchard Singapore (Ms Ruth Soh, Ms Crystal Lim, Ms Nicole Ann Chew) for the kind invitation to be able to try this wonderful buffet and the complementary door gifts. Last but not least, Executive of Branding and Communications, Ms Grace Ho for the warm hospitality for the evening.

Bountiful Flavours of Kochi & Kagawa
24 February to 4 March

DINNER (6:30 -10pm)
Adult : $118++ ($138.90 nett)
Child : $33++ ($38.85 nett) – 5 to 12yrs old
Toddler : $9.99++ ($11.75 nett) – 2 to 4yrs old

J Plus Magazine and Mangosteen Club readers will also enjoy the 1 for 1 promotion* when they produce the cut-out coupon from those magazines. These publications are targeted at Japanese expatriates living in Singapore.

*Service charge and tax applies to complimentary diners. Maximum of 8 Adults per card.
*Children not included or entitled to discounts.
*Not valid in conjunction with other special discounts and privileges.

Bank promotions:

Standard Chartered - 1 for 1 promotion
DBS – 40% discount on total food bill + 1 soft drink
American Express – 15 % discount on total food bill
ANZ/CITIBANK/HSBC/MAYBANK/OCBCUOB and NTUC Membership card – 10% discount on total food bill

Triple Three
Mandarin Orchard Singapore
333 Orchard Road
Singapore 238867
Tel: 6831 6288/71

Operating Hours-
Noon – 2.30pm (Lunch)
6.30pm – 10.00pm (Dinner)
Noon - 3pm (Sunday Brunch)
Website

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Hilton Seafood Brunch

Hilton Seafood Brunch

Our 3rd visit to Checkers Brasserie and from now till 16 October 2011, Checkers Brasserie introduces a new theme to their Sunday Brunch, The Seafood Sunday Brunch.


For those who are familiar with Hilton Hotel's buffets, one will know about their Friday's Seafood Buffet Dinner. While the Friday's Seafood Buffet Dinner focus more on the fish market, this Sunday Brunch offers not only a luxurious seafood on ice including fresh oysters, mussels, clams and Alaskan king crabs but also a series of hot food which includes a wide array of live stations, presenting seafood hot dishes, prepared a-la-minute.

While more players emerge with buffets priced affordably, Hilton Hotel decided to take a different approach by introducing more live stations. Apart from the brunch items (e.g. Raclette cheese, Japanese teppanyaki, sashimi and sushi, pan-fried Foie Gras and famous roasts such as the Leg of Lamb and Veal) they have introduced previously, the hotel aims to share with their diners some of the more uncommonly seen items such as the Northern Indian street food, Tawa, Iberian ham, Scrambled Egg with Vodka, Pasta prepared by the crew from the hotel's poolside Italian restaurant, il Cielo.


Although the layout of Checkers Brasserie does not permit many live stations, credits have to be given to Indian Cuisine Chef Santosh to introduce Tawa, a Northern Indian street food prepared using convex disc-shaped metal griddle.

With your choice of vegetable or meat (Chicken, Mutton or Prawn), Chef Santosh uses his home-made spices to prepare the curry according to one's preference. According to Chef Santosh, preparing the curry on the spot retains the aroma of the spice in the curry which would otherwise fade with time.

Served to your table, the splendid bowl of curry is perfect with piping hot naan bread (Cheese, Garlic or Plain), making this station one of the main highlights of this buffet.

What we like about the freshly made naan is the "clean" taste unlike some with a "smokey" and charred finishing. In addition, the naans are of a good thickness and are not overstretched.

Cheese naan is soft and chewy, well-stuffed with cheeses while the garlic naan outshines with its garlic buttery herb toppings.


Sunday brunch at Hilton Hotel would mean a bigger spread for Kaspia Bar (which is located outside Checkers Brasserie) opens up to cater more selections.

Unlike the regular Sunday brunch that features Mediterranean food and roasts, this section of the buffet now houses several live stations, featuring Chinese-styled prawns freshly prepared upon order, Seafood Paella, Italian pasta and risotto prepared by the chefs from il Cielo.

I first fall in love with the hotel's risotto when I had it at the Christmas Media Event last year and since then, it has been the best one I have ever come across. In fact, I briefly made a comparison with the ones I had in Italy and have not found one that second to this. The smooth and rich cream-textured base with al dente grains easily earns a mention for this buffet. This station also features Iberian Ham shaved on the spot and a selection of pastas prepared in various style upon order.

Brunch will not complete without eggs and unlike the regular omelette and poached eggs served in most brunches. One can expect Volka in the scrambled eggs. Topped with caviar and sour cream, this is indeed something different.

Grilled Foie Gras has become a permanent feature at Hilton's buffet for its popularity with the diners. Served with balsamic and chips, the foie gras is nicely seared with a meltingly core, making it one of the better ones which we have eaten so far.


Seafood Paella, also available on the Friday Seafood Buffet, is another station that deserves a shout out. As mentioned in my previous post, one can expect this to be extremely flavourful with just the right amount of Australian Mussels, Squid and Prawns. Like the risotto, what I like about the Seafood Paella is that the rice is not exceedingly soft nor mushy.


Live Drunken Prawns in XO Chinese Wine and Large Prawns with Salted Egg are the highlights of the Chinese station. These are prepared upon order and the freshness is of no doubt for the live prawns are kept in a tank and cooked upon ordering, ensuring the prawns serve to be at its freshest.


Black Pepper Flamed Duck is another new introduction to the buffet.


As mentioned in my post on Hilton's Sunday Brunch, the hotel uses slow cooking to prepare their meat and the famous Leg of Lamb and Veal are available at the craving station.

Senior Chinese Chef Aw Yeong also showcases his specialities in this buffet which include 48-hour Braised Baby Abalones and Baked Cod with Fried Ginger and Caviar. While the baby abalones are succulent and juicy, the baked cod is slightly sweetened with a crisp seared exterior.


Rum Baba is the highlight for the desserts. Using a dry dough sponge which is cooked in butter, sugar and orange juice, this dessert is subsequently flambé with the rum. This caramelized dessert has a nice orange tang that finishes with a strong doze of rum.


The selection of desserts, though small but memorable. The hotel makes it a point to present a selection of delicate creations to allow their guests to try the sweets that are not sold at Checkers Deli. For instance, the lemon tart has more sugary crumbles in its tart base while the Strawberry Cheesecake is a lighter variant than the ones available for take-aways. In addition, one can also expect the popular mille-feuille and is often the first dessert to run out.

Checkers Brasserie offers a very unique selection of seafood dishes and to make sure the food is served at its best, the hotel has introduced several hot stations to ensure the food to be served at its freshest. Despite being the third visit to Checkers Brasserie, there are a few items which are my must-haves and I will never mind the multiple helpings, which includes the Raclette cheese, Risotto, Seafood Paella, Roasts, Pan-fried Foie Gras and desserts such as the signature Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecakes.

It has been a wonderful Sunday afternoon to be able to dine with Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Joyce Moo and we would like to thank her for her time and the complementary meal.

Sunday Seafood Brunch Buffet
Available from now to 16 October 2011, every Sunday from Noon to 3pm.

Prices:
$85++ per person (with free flow of juices)
$110++ with free flow of wine / 3 glasses of Louis Roederer Champagne
$160++ with free flow of Louis Roederer Champagne
$35++ for children aged 6-12 years

Citibank Cardmember gets to enjoy a one dines free for every 3 paying adults for the Sunday Brunch from now to 16 October 2011.

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

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Taiwan Porridge @ Goodwood Park Hotel

Taiwan Porridge @ Goodwood Park Hotel

We were first introduced to the Taiwan Porridge buffet when we visited the hotel in 2009 to blog about their famous durian desserts and it was then we realize that the Taiwan Porridge at Goodwood Park Hotel has been popular since its debut in 1984. In fact, we were surprised that there is no international buffet at Goodwood Park and the buffets offered in the hotel are the Taiwan Porridge Buffet and High Tea Buffet at L'Espresso.

In general, the hotel has a lovely colonial elegance and it is extremely pleasant to have a bowl of hot porridge with a selection of 28 dishes cooked a la minute. Do note that it can be extremely crowded, especially on Sunday afternoons so reservation is a must.


One of the niches of this buffet is that the dishes are cooked a la minute and served hot to the table. From our experience, this buffet seems to be best enjoyed with a minimum of 4 diners as the dishes are in (relatively) huge portions. For people with small appetite, Coffee Lounge serve a “Design Your Own Local Degustation Set Menu”, allowing tasting portions of each dish in 4-Course and 5-Course sets. Be it the porridge buffet or the degustation set menu, a mini dessert buffet is included.

The menu is split into various categories and for the appetisers, one can expect the following,

• Salted Fish with Salted Egg
• Taiwanese Sausage
• Baby Squids in Sweet Oyster Sauce
• Fried Taman Fish with Sesame Seeds

One of the must-trys is the Fried Taman Fish with Sesame Seeds and according to Yuan, it is rare to come across such huge and crispy fish; and he gave a huge thumbs up on all 3 visits. Consistent and good.


Three types of omelettes are served in this buffet and I can only say, choose wisely as the serving is still large for 4 diners.

• Fried Omelette with Prawns & Onions
• Fried Omelette with Chye Poh
• Fried Omelette with Silver Fish

Among the beancurds served, my personal favourite goes to the Braised Beancurd with Minced Meat. The beancurd is smooth and the fried exterior is well-soaked with the Meat Sauce. Other beancurd dishes offered are

• Chilled Beancurd in Japanese Soya Sauce & Pork Floss
• Braised Beancurd with Chicken & Salted Fish

The porridge buffet offers a wide range of vegetables and depends on your personal preference, the choices are as below,

• Stir-Fried Broccoli with Garlic
• Stir-Fried French Beans with Dried Shrimps
• Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish
• Stir-Fried Eggplant with Minced Pork
• Stir-Fried Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce
• Stir-Fried Kang Kong with Sambal

The buffet offers 3 dishes each for chicken, pork and beef respectively.

• Sauteed Chicken with Dried Chili
• Sauteed Chicken with Spring Onion & Ginger
• Fried Chicken with Prawn Paste

• Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soya Sauce
• Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Egg Yolk
• Mui Choy with Pork

• Braised Beef Brisket with Brown Sauce
• Wok-Fried Beef with Black Pepper
• Wok-Fried Beef with Spring Onions & Ginger

Both the Chicken with Spring Onion & Ginger and the Beef with Spring Onion & Ginger are our personal favourites for a reasonable degree of Wok's breath. In addition, the meat is tender and the sauce is sufficiently salty to eat with the porridge.

Since the dishes are served hot, one can expect the Fried Chicken with Prawn Paste to be of reasonable tenderness and what makes it convenient is that the chicken are served boneless. These bite-sized chicken can be addictive on its own.


Among the pork dishes, the Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soya Sauce is a must-try. Tender and well-marinated; the porridge tastes even better with the sauce.


The buffet includes Sauteed Prawns with Dried Chili but the main highlight of the buffet are the Deep-Fried Pomfret with Black Soya Sauce and Steamed Sea Bass with Crispy Bean Paste.

Do note that one can only order EITHER the Pomfret OR Sea Bass and is limited to one order per table. One serving is served for 2-4 person and two servings for 5-8 persons.


To a certain extent, the Deep-Fried Pomfret with Black Soya Sauce does stir some childhood memories. Simple as described, the fish is fried to crispy with almost no traces of oil.


On the other hand, the Steamed Sea Bass with Crispy Bean Paste is tender and juicy. This steamed fish goes extremely well with the accompanying crispy bean paste.

Note that these two fishes are from two independent visits to the buffet (i.e. the first one was during the durian fiesta in July 2011 while the second one is visited today) and given how close the two visits were, the dishes served on our second visit is slightly salty than the first. Apart from that, all are consistent and good.


This station would be a major highlight during the durian fiesta for it showcases 6 of the hotel's durian desserts, including a live station of the durian pancakes. Since the durian season is over, one can expect a selection of 8 non-durian pastries, which includes the signature Chocolate Crunchy Hazelnut and Bread & Butter Pudding.


The non-durian pastries are pretty much the same on both visits and Yuan enjoyed the Pandan Praline Cake and Maple Pecan Nut Tart the most. Yuan likes the Pandan Praline Cake for its light hazelnut mousse which is akin to Kinder Bueno with the texture close to a 九层糕 (Jiu Cheng Gao or 9 Layered Cake). As for the maple pecan nut, the tart pastry is thin and crisp with buttery fragrance; on top of the pineapple-flavoured filling, this tart is topped with sugary crumbles, making it a variant to a pineapple crumble. Other desserts available at the buffet line include the Raspberry Mascarpone Cake, Dark Cherry Tart, White Chocolate Mousse and Raspberry Cake, Cinnamon Apple Cake and Banana Peanut Cheesecake.

In addition, there is also two Chinese desserts rotated on a daily basis. Barley with Ginko Nut & Quail Egg and Pulut Hitam (Black Rice Pudding) were served on our visit and complements well with the Chinese dishes served in the porridge buffet. Not forgetting the selection of fruits and Movenpick ice-cream as part of the dessert buffet.

Porridge buffet is available from noon to 2:30pm (last order at 2pm) for lunch and from 6pm to 10:30pm (last order at 10pm) for dinner; and is priced at $35.00++ per adult and $17.50++ per child. The buffet includes unlimited serving of porridge and dessert buffet (min 2 persons).

In our humble opinion, this buffet is definitely not cheap but what makes it special is to be able to enjoy a fare of popular Chinese dishes with zero MSG. Unlike most international buffets that are rich with seafood and cholesterol, the concept of porridge buffet seems to be a good alternative to dine in hotel comfort. In addition, with the dishes served a la minute, the quality offers is of no doubt. However, since the dishes offer may be simple and common, the novelty factor may diminish after repeated visits.

Many thanks to Marketing Communications Manager of Goodwood Park Hotel, Ms. Justina Loh for allowing us to take photos of the porridge buffet and the complementary tub of Homemade Durian Ice Cream.

Coffee Lounge
Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road
Singapore 228221
Tel: 6730 1746
Website

P.S. Do note that the second visit was dined as anonymous customers.

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Fullerton Chocolate Buffet 2011

Fullerton Chocolate Buffet 2011

Fullerton Hotel's signature chocolate buffet is something most chocoholics would not want to miss. Since our last visit in 2009, this is one of the buffets that has left a very deep impression, be it the desserts, ambience and experience.


This chocolate buffet has a legacy of nine years at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and is available on Friday and Saturday evenings at the charming Courtyard located at the hotel lobby.


These four cakes are the must-try in the entire buffet as they are the signatures of the hotel.

Starting from the left, Coffee Chocolate Fudge is a newcomer. Using Fudge Chocolate as the theme, the resulting effect is heavy but extremely smooth on the chocolate sponge. With a chocolate content of 75%, the coffee fragrance comes naturally from the cocao bean with no added coffee extracts nor espresso. In addition, the coffee glaze is prepared by boiling fresh coffee beans for 3 to 4 hours to get the coffee essence before incorporating with the other ingredients to form the glaze.

Fullerton Chocolate Cake, is a classic combination of rich chocolate ganache, crispy feuillantine, chocolate sponge, finished with a dark chocolate glaze. The richest cake among the 4 that bound to bring your level of endorphins to the maximum.

Manjari Lavender has a unique 7 layers with the focus on the chocolate mousse. To incorporate the floral beauty of lavender, fresh lavender flowers are dried and dehydrated before boiling with the cream for 3 to 4 hours. The lavender-infused cream is then used to prepare the chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse is so smooth and melts in the mouth with a nice floral aftertaste lingering in the palette.

Espresso Coffee Cake, the creation that earns a big thumbs-up for the delicate inter-layers of soft chocolate sponge and chocolate mousse. Like the Coffee Chocolate Fudge, the cocao bean used has a natural fragrance of coffee with no added extract nor components. This 64% bitter chocolate cake is amazingly delicate and fine with its layers that it is bound to make one carve for more. To create the shiny glaze of this cake, the hotel's Executive Pastry Chef Chris Busschaert prepared clear jam (made from pure fruits) and extracted the flavour of the jam before cooking with sugar, glucose and 100% cocao powder.


Apart from the absence of artificial extracts and components, Chef Chris makes sure each of the cakes are different by adopting different recipes and techniques in making the chocolate sponge, mousse, gauche and glaze so as to ensure that each of the chocolate creations are different and not repetitive.


Assorted Valrhona pralines are also part of the buffet selection.


For those who prefers their macarons shells to be lightly crisp, floral and chewy with a thin layer of chocolate filling, do not miss them out while visiting the chocolate buffet.

Banana Chocolate Tart and Salted Caramel Tart are delicious in our opinion. While the former has a light chocolate mousse infused strongly with banana, the latter earns the nods for the molten core of salted caramel oozing out to bring out the good contrast.


While the cakes are stronger in its chocolate content, the shooters are lighter and combined with various components to savour different flavours in a mouthful. One of the shooters is even topped with wasabi sponge and served with chocolate and lime to cater to the Asian crowd of this buffet.
Others that left an impression were the Lychee Tiramisu and Salted Caramel Popcorn with the use of lighter ingredients to complement the white chocolate mousse.

The cherry component of Hazelnut Chocolate Exotic Shooter, Cherry, Pistachio White Chocolate Shooter and Chocolate Vanilla Panna Cotta with Cherry brings along some tang and twist, making chocolate not so cloying nor boring when consumed in huge quantities.


The highlight of the chocolate buffet is the Hot Chocolate Connoisseurs' Bar, where a chef creates a bespoke cup of premium hot chocolate a la minute for guests who can choose from a selection of eight different percentage of cocoa. The selection includes

• Ivory (white chocolate)
• Noisette 32% (as the name suggests, with the fragrance of hazelnut)
• Jivara 40% (with notes of malt and vanilla)
• Tainori 64% (with strong fruity overtones)
• Abinao 85% (for strong, lingering bitter intensity)
• Araguani 72% (another one with fruity overtones)
• Guanaja 70% (with floral notes)

This is one of the stations which we enjoyed for each of the chocolates are distinctive in its own way and by drinking it back to back, it does allow one to distinguish the unique characterisitcs of each chocolate. To spice up the experience, don't miss out Xocopili (Chilli Chocolate).


Chocolate fountains are also available and don't miss out on the chocolate madeleines, orange madeleines and plain shoe puff pastry for chocolate dips.


A new live station introduced to the buffet, Crepe Suzette with Caramel Orange Sauce. This is one station that served the crepe flambé with orange sauce and alcohol.


Another favourite dessert of ours, Hot Chocolate Souffle, baked a la minute. This fluffy, light chocolate dessert is only baked upon ordering and served hot to your table by the service staff. This indeed completes the entire experience with great satisfaction.

With the orchestra trio playing in the Courtyard, the experience offered is beyond words. Although the selection has reduced compared to our last visit, most of the chocolate desserts were better and have left a very deep impression. It is amazing to have several chocolate cakes eaten back to back and yet each of them are distinctive and unique. In addition, the Hot Chocolate station allows one to appreciate the characteristics of chocolate and it was only after our visit in 2009 that makes us realize that chocolates is not just sweet nor bitter.


Many thanks to Marketing Communications Executive, Ms. Denice Lim for her warm hospitality and the complementary chocolate buffet. The photos would not have been possible without all her arrangements. Special thanks to Executive Chef Chris Busschaert for his time to introduce us to his creations.

Chocolate buffet is available on Friday and Saturday evenings from 8pm to 11pm and is served with unlimited coffee and tea at $38++ per adult or $46++ with a glass of dessert wine.

North Courtyard
The Fullerton Singapore
1 Fullerton Square Singapore
Singapore 049178
Tel: 6877 8129

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