Showing posts with label ` Shangri-la. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ` Shangri-la. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Desserts we have tried in 2012

This is an entry on some of the desserts which we tried but didn't find time to blog about in 2012.

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Starting from the most recent is the Cheesecake from Ruth's Chris Steak House. I liked the sour cream layer which paired well with cream cheese. Though I must admit that the mini cheesecake given to the birthday person is actually richer than the original sized one. Nonetheless this is still one of the better cheesecakes in town.

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Next is Noel Treasures Cake from Haagen Dazs. This was one of the festive offerings for this year. It is made up of six chocolate balls which contain 2 Haagen Dazs Ice Cream flavours in each of them. Macadamia nut is paired with strawberry cheesecake and the caramel biscuit with chocolate. I believe I need not elaborate further on the ice cream but special mention must be made for the hazelnut praline biscuit at the base. Though sticky, it is crisp and goes very well with the ice-cream. This is also a very creative way of presenting a festive cake as it has 4 flavours with minimal contamination and easy to serve (simply halve the Christmas baubles).

BananaRama

The other memorable cake is the BananaRama from The Line - Shangri La Hotel. This was the cake of the month for October 2012 and the cake which Fen bought for my Birthday. I liked this cake for its strong flavour - rich chocolate mousse as well as sweet banana puree. This was one cake which even my parents asked for a second serving. Though this may be the cake of the month, the Line Shop may allow pre-ordering of the cake as Fen has ever ordered the hotel's Strawberry Vanilla Streusel Cake (needs to be ordered one week in advance) which was no longer sold in the Line Shop. So no harm sending an email to The Line Shop for enquiry.


Le Royale

Throughout the year, we continued to frequent our favourites such as Bakerzin and Canele. Specifically After recruiting former Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo from Hilton Singapore, there was a major change to their array of cakes. Not only the outlook has changed for their signature cakes, there seems to be interesting new creations. The Le Royale has gone through many modifications since we started blogging. Comparing with the previous entry on the Le Royale, there is now a second layer of chocolate mousse and there are improvements to the texture of the mousse.

Triple Chocolate Cheese Cake

As for the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, there is now a layer of chocolate fudge as compare to the previous version. There is also more chocolate which may delight the chocolate fans as oppose to the cheesecake fans.

Tuxedo Cake

Last but not least, Fen's favourite cake of the year. Tuxedo cake, ever since her first encounter with the cake, she has minimally made me return to Carlton 4 times last year to curb her cravings. According to her, she adore the moist chocolate cake which is not overly sweet nor cloying. This is one cake she recommends greatly to chocolate cake lover for the rich and moist texture which to a certain extent resembles a good toffee pudding.

Finally Happy New Year to all and I hope 2013 will be a fulfilling one.
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Monday, December 20, 2010

Mango and Yoghurt Log Cake

To most, log cakes are often chocolate and it has become a boring flavour if it is going to be the same every year. As I always mention in my previous posts, I prefer to order my pastries from hotels for their reasonable pricing, prompt services and also the new flavours introduced every year.

This Christmas, Shangri-la combine these Yuletide traditions with fruity flavours, introducing new flavours such as Chestnut and Apple Log Cake and Mango and Yoghurt Cake. Judging from my pool of friends, apart from chocolate being an all-time favourite, mango seems to be second to most liking.

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Basically, this cake has 3 major components, yoghurt mousse, mango mousse and vanilla sponge. While the mango mousse wins everybody's heart, the yoghurt mousse, though moist and soft, fall short on its flavour. Most commented that the mousse was bland and is akin to eating plain cream.

Priced at $48+ (i.e. $51.35), I would say this can be considered as a good non-chocolate log cake is relatively hard to come by.

The Line Shop
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore,
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Dining Website
Electronic version of Indulgence

Do note that the last order date is 22 Dec 2010, and the form is downloadable from here.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Mid-Autumn Treasures from Shang Palace

Custard Bird Nest Mooncake

In my younger days, I have never fancied mooncakes and Mid-Autumn Festival in my childhood is mainly the Piglet Biscuits, given my dislike towards lotus paste. The turning point came when someone gave a box of Bird's Nest with Custard in Snowskin to my dad. That was 15 years ago and the box was in a humble-looking plastic case.

Refreshing Japanese mochi rice cakes-like snowskin, creamy custard with chopped bits of swallow nest definitely suits a child's palate. Since then, I have seeked for a cheaper alternative, Mini Snow Skin Custard Mooncake from East Ocean Teochew Restaurant but realized it was a disappointing treat after eating mooncakes from more than 10 sources last year.

This year, I have camped on Shangri-la website to revive my liking towards this creation. Although the snowskin seems to have a higher flour content, rendering it to be similar to Kueh Tutu (Steamed rice flour cake), the fragrance emitted from the smooth custard simply makes each mooncake addictive. Notice, I didn't mention much about the bird nest? Well, it was the texture of the entire mooncake that score the bulk of the point.

A box of 8 costs $82+ and each piece is $12+.

Shang Baked Mooncake

Comparing the baked mooncakes from Jewels Artisan Chocolates, the lotus paste is sweeter and sticker. In layman terms, it seems to be thicker or more concentrated. However, having spoke to one of the chefs, such characteristic is due to the proportion of sugar and the temperature and time in which the paste is simmered (since the proportion of lotus seeds is roughly the same for most recipes).

So for those who prefers a richer, sweeter and sticky lotus paste, this will catch your attention, given how fragrance the baked skin is. Apart from the mentioned classics from Shang Palace, four novel mooncake flavours such as Baked Red Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Macadamia Nuts and Mini Snowskin Champagne Chocolate Truffle with Sesame and Hazelnut are also available in this year selection.

For more ordering information, the order form is downloadable from here.
Available from from 16 Aug to 22 Sept 2010.

Shang Palace
Shangri-la, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4448 / 6213 4473
Dining Website
Electronic version of Indulgence
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Opera @ The Line Shop

To me, it is always a joy to get birthday cakes for my family, friends and colleagues and that they enjoyed it. I guess good things are meant to be shared.

Recall I was searching for a good mango cake for my colleague. Well, you can say I fail in that mission. To find something better than Ritz Carlton's mango mousse is not an easy task so I have decided to settle with something I am confident it will be good.

Strawberry Vanilla Streusel Cake is one of the cakes that leave a deep impression when I first started this blog and I am very happy my colleagues love it as much as Ritz Carlton's mango mousse, if not more.

Note that this is no longer available on the shelf so if you are keen, you can drop The Line Shop an email, they can check with the chef if this cake can be done.

The cake looks pretty similar to what was served 2 years ago and a 1kg cost $51.35 nett after tax. Taste-wise, just as good as before. You can see from the photo my colleague has taken, this creation is made up of two layers of vanilla sponge sandwiching lots of strawberries and vanilla cream, topped with cookie crumbles.

And for those who are curious about the operas available at The Line Shop, read on...

Surprisingly, I have eaten more green tea operas than the classic French creation. Anyway, while waiting for my colleague to make payment, both the Opera cake ($6.75+) and the signature 'The Linecake' ($6.75+) caught my attention.

Opera

For a non-opera lover like me, I have gladly finished the entire slice. Although the layers of almond sponge cake ("Joconde" in French) are not soaked in coffee syrup, the overall has a nice balance of coffee buttercream and chocolate. The layers are so distinctive in each bite and the smooth texture of the buttercream with the slight chewy sponge cake makes each mouthful delightful. Perhaps, I prefer cakes that are not soaked so though this may not sound traditional but I feel that it works well for me.

The Line Cake

On the other hand, The Linecake is described to be a traditional modern opera cake layered with tangy orange & bittersweet chocolate. Comparing with the traditional opera, this is distinctively chocolately with a subtle tanginess. Somehow or rather, Yuan prefers this more than the traditional opera. I guess it is just different strokes for different folks.

For your information, here are the list of cakes The Line Shop has,

500grams @ $24+
Chocolate Truffle
Chocolate cake, a luscious dark chocolate sponge base, coated in smooth dark chocolate, topped with raspberries

Traditional Cheesecake
An old time favourite. A cold set mousse cheesecake

Strawberry Pistachio Shortcake
A delicate combination of vanilla sponge layered with pistachio cream, surrounded with strawberries

Maronnier
Hazelnuts with chestnuts cream will awe all nut lovers

Tiramisu
A charlotte of creamy mascarpone mousse and kahlua-soaked sponge nestled in espresso dipped savoiardi biscuits

Mixed Fruit Flan
Colorful cut fruits with delicious vanilla sponge, layered with fresh cream

Black forest
Traditional layered German chocolate sponge cake with brandied cherries, covered in dark chocolate shavings & decorated with a cross motif

Le Jubilee
Almond sponge cake with cherries, topped with chocolate mousse

500grams @ $26+
Durian
Our special fresh durian meat with vanilla sponge. covered with meringue.

Mango Cheesecake
Cheesecake topped with mango slices

500grams @ $18+
Strawberry Tart
Apple Crumble Tart

1.1kg @ $52+
Signature 'The Linecake'
A traditional modern opera cake layered with tangy orange & bittersweet chocolate


The Line Shop
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore,
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Website
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Strawberry Tart @ The Line Shop

The Line Shop situated in Shangri-La Hotel provides a quiet and excellent environment for afternoon tea and its wide array of desserts will leave its customer spoiled for choice.

The Line Shop @ Shangri-la

Apart from sliced cakes, this is one place Fen will recommended for birthday cakes due to its reasonable pricing and reputation.

Most of the 0.5kg cakes are priced at $24+ and one will be amazed by the selection offered. On our visit last Saturday, the entire shelf is filled with whole 0.5kg cakes ranging from The Line Shop's bestseller, the Chocolate Truffle; local favourite, the Durian Cake; fruity selection such as the Fruit Flan and Strawberry Pistachio Shortcake; the classic Blackforest and many more.

Arrays of bakes

For non-cake lovers, the array of muffins, doughnuts and tarts is bound to tempt any walk-in customers.

Strawberry Tart

This tart is a simple combination of a tart pastry base, custard and a generous toppings of berries. The Strawberry Tart pastry is slightly different from the usual tart base due to its ëgg-y taste", similar to eating egg rolls. To some, this taste maybe ordinary for its price tag, $6.75+ but for Fen, she likes it this way that she gobbled the entire tart on her own.

Whole tarts (500gm, Apple Crumble or Strawberry) are also available at $18+. There is no credit card discount but a 30% discount for whole cakes and 50% discount for sliced cakes after 6pm everyday.

The Line Shop
Shangri-la, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Website for The Line Shop
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Monday, November 23, 2009

Tiramisu @ The Line Shop

Tiramisu

You won't miss this unique pryamid shaped tiramisu at The Line Shop.

On first bite, you may easily mistaken this to be coffee mousse cake however the sticky texture is a giveaway of mascarpone. What I particularly liked about this tiramisu is the kahlua-soaked, espresso-dripped savoiardi in the middle (note that we are refering to the top layer, not the bottom layer of sponge) for its "expresso oozing out" effect.

Tiramisu II

Something different from a conventional tiramisu since the coffee is also infused in the mascarpone layer and given the densely soaked savoiardi and moist sponge, it is a refreshing treat when served chilled.

Each slice of tiramisu costs $6.75+. There is no credit card discount but a 30% discount for whole cakes and 50% discount for sliced cakes after 6pm everyday.

The Line Shop
Shangri-la, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Website for The Line Shop
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Friday, November 20, 2009

Chocolate Truffle @ The Line Shop

Chocolate Truffle

The Line Shop's bestseller and also the hotel's recommendation for a chocolate cake. This dark chocolate sponge base with chocolate mousse, coated in smooth dark chocolate and raspberries, will impress most chocoholics for its velvetly smooth dark chocolate mousse. With a layer of chocolate fudge and chocolate sponge, the entire experience was like eating a superior chocolate ice cream cake.

Each slice of chocolate truffle costs $6.75+, a 0.5kg cake $24+ (can serve up to 6 people) and a 1kg cake $48+. Although the 0.5kg cake is available off the shelf, The Line Shop would need 3 days in advance for cake booking.

There is no credit card discount but a 30% discount for whole cakes and 50% discount for sliced cakes after 6pm everyday.

Chocolate Truffle II

The Line Shop
Shangri-la, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Website for The Line Shop
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Strawberry Vanilla Streusel Cake

Although we don't drive, we seem to have the hang of walking along orange grove road to Shangri-la and back to orchard. It just proves how good their food is. Our first visit to Shangri-la was during 2007 Quest for a good chocolate cake for daddy, with us walking from Delfi Orchard to Shangri-la and hitching a ride from the hotel to Delfi Orchard.

Our second visit to the Line for their International buffet whereby Yuan walked from Orchard MRT to the hotel and we walked from the hotel to Cineleisure while today was getting a birthday cake for my best friend, in which we walked from Far East Plaza to the hotel and back to Orchard MRT...

Got her a Strawberry Vanilla Streusel Cake since my target was a good strawberry shortcake.

A delicate combination of chantilly cream & french vanilla mousse surrounded with strawberries & topped with freshly baked streusel...
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Fen's comments

I didn't regret coming to the Line for this cake. In fact, from the description I was alittle skeptical on how good it will be... cream + mousse + streusel... hmm...

Anyway, this cake is generally very light and considering we are all overloaded from the buffet lunch, we are able to finish the cake and find it so nice, I guess this is definitely a thumb ups. The vanilla mousse has a slight jelly texture with a refreshing after-taste and the crumbles on the cake makes it very light. The strawberries are not sourish and they are pretty generous with the strawberries. The crumbles has a similar sweetness and fragrance as honey oats clusters. The bottom layer is a layer of tartlet pastry, soft and fluffy...

Recommended if you like crumble or pies and that you want something different from a conventional japanese strawberry shortcake.
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Yuan's comments

Overall this isn't exactly a cake. It is kind of like vanilla mousse with bread crumbs. You would love this cake if you like tarts or crumbles. Coupe with rich vanilla mousse and strawberry, the effect is heavenly. In sum, I would say this is worth the walk in considering that I was craving for more despite me being bloated after buffet.
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The Line Shop
Shangri-la, Singapore
Orange Grove Road,
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4377
Email: theline@shangri-la.com

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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Cakes at The Line (Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore)

Since our focus has always been desserts and cakes, I shall only focus on these 2 sections. Just for your information, this buffets has one of the largest selection I have ever since but as usual, the food is good but not the best...

Have a peep at the dessert bar...

Simply irresistible...

Alright, since Yuan allocate this page for cakes, I will post another link for the remaining desserts...

1. Chocolate cake
Tastes pretty ordinary. A bit like the cold version of the typical warm chocolate cake.

"When I first saw this, I thought it was a soufflé but having ate it... it is actually a chocolate cake. Thought it would taste better warmed up. This texture is pretty soft and smooth but was disappointed that it was a cake rather than a soufflé or chiffon,,, I actually like the chocolate taste, not too sweet and it is very rich...

Anyway, the best-seller of the Line (in terms of cakes) is their Chocolate Truffle Cake... I suspect the luscious dark chocolate sponge base will share a similar characteristics as this cake except that the truffle cake is coasted in smooth dark chocolate with raspberries.

Having talked about dark chocolate and raspberries, all the chocolate I have is rich, smooth and not too sweet while the raspberries I have eaten during the buffet is sweet and fresh..."

2. Starting from top left (clockwise)

Cheesecake with chocolate walnut; Caramel Pie; Mango Mousse

For the cheese cake, the layers are excellent on their own, however i feel that cheese and walnut are a bad match. As for the caramel pie, only the true caramel lover will love it, its kinda sweet and has a slight burnt smell. As for the mango mousse, it is sort of sour, the top layer seem to be coated with some jam which makes the mousse very sour. I would say that the mango mousse from ritz is better.

" The texture of the cheesecake is smooth but I prefer the conventional New York Cheesecake. Maybe because it didn't have the slight saltiness of cheese and that the choco walnut taste was a little strong. Thus, it fails to bring out the goodness of both.

The caramel tart was surprisingly not tat sweet nor did it stick to my teeth. However, the tart base is not the crunchy sort but rather a soft buttery biscuit. The after-taste of this dessert is pretty strong, thus leaving an impression that the caramel is burnt.

This little cutie mango mousse looks tempting but was a complete disappointment. After the review on the Mango Mousse from Greenhouse, Ritz Carlton, my expectation of mango mousse certainly has increased. The taste of the mango is not as refreshing as the one from Greenhouse and the extreme chocolate base with a nutty hazelnut biscuit tasted better on its own. Bottom line, mango and chocolate seems to be extreme on both ends."

3. Choco Banana Mousse

This chocolate mousse is smashed because it is kind of soft thus difficult to slice from the desert bar. Despite its ugly sight, it is worth the try. The sweet banana paste coupe with the excellent chocolate mousse is an excellent combination.

"Haha, chocolate mousse... Ahh... not easy to pass our taste buds after all the chocolate goodies yuan and I had over the past 2 mths... I am never a fan of bananas, if you catch me eating one, it means I am suffering from constipation... I am serious...

From the state of this cake, the mousse has melted and is no doubt, extremely smooth that it melts in my mouth. It actually has a crunchy chocolate crisp with a rich banana paste.

I can only say it will be a fave for those who likes chocolate banana cakes..."

4. Tiramisu

This tiramisu tastes more like a coffee cake as the coffee taste covers that of the cheese and alcohol."
Shangri-la's description of their Tiramisu...
A Charlotte of creamy mascarpone mousse & kahlua-soaked sponge nestled in espresso-dripped savoiardi biscuits, topped with milk & white chocolate shavingsI thought the balance between the mascarpone cheese and cake sponge is just right.

Usually, Tiramisu has very high content of mascarpone cheese and at times, it can be quite a nightmare to finish it when you are weight conscious. Hence, at times, Tiramisu with a higher cake content like this one, can be a black beauty."

6. Orange chocolate cake
This is one of the slightly better choco orange cakes which i tried. The chocolate taste is stronger than that of the orange.

"I didn't quite like this one. I thought it was ordinary and frankly speaking, unlike yuan, I would prefer the orange taste to be a little stronger to show a difference from the rest. The cake didn't have the springy texture like the flourless chocolate sponge of the chocolate amer from Baker's Inn.So, nothing special apart from the high quality chocolate used..."

Here are the desserts we have tried at the line. Keep in mind that we didn't try all the flavours of the ice-creams and crepes. I think I missed out one of the cakes too. We are just too full...
Let's start off with the desserts served in the glass. Starting from the left

  1. I couldn't figure out the flavour of the cream on top but Yuan claims that it tasted alittle like Crème brûlée minus off the burnt caramel taste and is too sweet to his liking. I didn't try them separately so if you combine both mousse, it is a pretty smooth and light desserts. Somehow or rather the top layer didn't make this desserts as chocolately as the other chocolate desserts.
  2. Mango Sago... Whenever I drop by traditional desserts hut, I will never fail to order either 杨枝甘露 (aka mango with pomelo) or 白果,薏米和腐竹 (ginkgo beancurd with barley) and frankly speaking I prefer the traditional mango desserts over mango mousse. This dessert, as you can see in the picture has a mango custard which is sweet, not sour and is layered with soft and chewy sago. This is one of my favourite among the 4.
  3. Chocolate mousse with fruity jelly... The chocolate mousse is nice (I think this is the 3rd time I have praised their mousse) but the moment you mixed this with the jelly and fruits at the bottom layer... You will get a combination of sweet and sour taste. Didn't quite like it actually, thought it would be better with nuts than something so extreme that stimulates your taste buds all together.
  4. Raspberry jelly... It is just sour with a tint of alcohol. Either you like it or you don't. Basically, Yuan and I don't.
The line actually have a crepe section and Yuan ordered a crepe s with Vanilia ice-cream and Chocolate fudge. The crepe has an ideal thickness which is not oily nor dry. The chocolate filling enhances the soft and chewy taste of the crepe. The ice-cream makes it just right, not soggy at all.

I thought this one is one of the better ones I had. In fact, I thought the one from Haagan Dazs is too plain and thin while the one from Shokudo has an artificial vegetable oil taste though the texture is more or less the same.

The only setback about this is, too huge for one person to finish as there are plenty more things to eat in this buffet.

The ice-cream is the yummiest of the entire dessert bar. If I am not mistaken, there were a total of 6-8 flavours, a mixture of sorbet and ice-cream and a wide range of ice-cream toppings ranging from gummy, biscuits, candies and nuts.

The vanilia ice-cream has a rich and fragrant vanilia taste which makes it as good as the one from Haagan Dazs (Swensons have nice old-fashioned vanilia ice-cream too). In fact, I always find that most vanilia ice-cream has a tint of articifical essence and more to the watery side. However, this one is velvetly smooth and is not as rich as Haagan Dazs. Thus, you won't feel so sin after eating it.

The green tea ice-cream has a very light matcha taste and is better than most matcha gelatos or soft-serve since it has a very smooth texture and is not very sweet. It is like drinking the Starbucks' green tea latte (without classic syrup). A good blend of cream and matcha...

There are 2 versions of this desserts and we took the passion fruit one. The nicest thing I felt was the toppings since the biscuit is not rich and buttery enough to be termed as a shortbread, neither was it crunchy enough to be a cookie.

The only macaron I have tried are from Baker's Inn and Canele and I don't quite like them as they are always very sweet. I never know how to appreciate this traditional French pastry despite the hard work needed to make this smooth and paper-thin, dome-shaped shells which its underneath is supposed to be a chewy, cake-like layer.

Hmm... sounds pretty technical...Anyway, I will include the photos of the macaron I had in Baker's Inn and Canele later at night since my photo database is at home...

Back to this, I simply fall in love with this baby. The vanilia taste is so distinct and the texture is just right. The shells literally melts in your mouth with the soft cream enhancing its vanilia taste. I clearly remember me looking at it and savouring as slow as I can. Even looking at this picture reminds me how much I have enjoyed this desserts, sending my saliva to drool...

In short, THUMBS UP!!!


I have no idea what is this but top white crown tasted like the softer version of either a mashmallow or meringue... It will be nice if it is not that sweet. Beneath this crown, is a raspberry tartlet which is like the Arnott tartlets.

Of course, chocolate fountain with strawberries and cookies were also served in the buffet. Need me to say more, the chocolate is dark, not too sweet and simply coats your mouth, sending your hormones rocket high...
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The Line
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Orange Grove Road
SIngapore 258 350
Tel: 6213 4275
Lunch (Mon-Fri) - S$45++ (adult), S23++ (child, 6 to 11 years old), 12pm - 2:30pm(Sat) - S$48++ (adult), S24++ (child, 6 to 11 years old), 12pm - 3pm(Sun) - S$78++ (adult), S39++ (child, 6 to 11 years old), 12pm - 3pm or S$95++ (adult with 1/2 btl of Veuve Clicquot Champagne)
Dinner, 6:30pm-10:30pm(Mon-Sun, except Tues/Thurs) - S$68++ (adult), S34++ (child, 6 to 11 years old)(Tues, Oyster's night) - S$88++ (adult), S44++ (child, 6 to 11 years old)(Thurs, Marine Harvest Night) - S$88++ (adult), S44++ (child, 6 to 11 years old)
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