Akari Japanese Dining & Bar launches new Sunday a la carte buffet

Editor's note (updated 7 Sep): Do take note that this promotion is now only available on Saturday and the restaurant will be closed on Sundays. The promotion remains the same though!
 
I was supposed to go for Japanese food today, but ended up with German food. This leaves me with a strong sashimi and sushi craving!

So pardon me while I type and drool while typing this, because the images below will make you crave for nihon ryori as well.

Akari Sunday ala carte buffet.

Fit for a king... or queen! :)

Charles LaFitte champagne

Akari Japanese Dining & Bar, located at Marina Bay Financial Centre, is offering Sunday à la carte buffet with an option for free flow of Charles LaFitte champagne (this is   an award winner champagne with a high wine critic scores of 85/ 100), wine, beer and sake.

Sashimi.

The buffet is available every Sunday for both lunch (12pm-3:00pm) and dinner (5pm-9pm), and offers a selection of over 50 Japanese dishes such as all-you-can-eat premium sushi and sashimi, and Akari’s authentic Japanese favourites including Soki Tatsuta Age (deep fried, soft tender pork rib), Unagi Tofu, Gindara Saikyou Yaki (black cod with miso) and Saikoro Steak.

Desserts galore.

Lunch Buffet (12nn-3pm)
$68++ per person
$98++ per person (with free flow Charles LaFitte champagne, wine, beer and sake)
Dinner Buffet (5pm-9pm)
$78++ per person
$128++ per person (with free flow Charles LaFitte champagne, wine, beer and sake)

Bring your children along because one child under 12 eats for free for every two paying adults (additional children will be charged at $15++ each).

Akari Japanese Dining & Bar is located at #01-02 Marina Bay Link Mall. Call 6634-0100 for reservations.

Editor's note (updated 7 Sep): Do take note that this promotion is now only available on Saturday and the restaurant will be closed on Sundays. The promotion remains the same though!

Fisherman's Market comes to Singapore, at The Central

Fisherman's Market, a premium Japanese-Western seafood buffet restaurant is finally in Singapore, at The Central. The Japanese company that runs this brand has more than 110 food concepts all over the world.

I was invited for its media tasting last week and the first thing that struck me is the massive size of the restaurant. The two-storey restaurant takes up 10,000 sqft in total, and can seat a total of about 360 people.

Another impressive feature of the restaurant is that it boasts of a river view. Most "window seats" that restaurants offer don't really have a very good view, but what Fisherman's Market has is pretty good.

I invited Thaddeus to be my guest at the tasting. He has a blog too, do visit him and show him some love.

And here's me, looking slightly fatigued after a hard day's work.

Let me bring you around the restaurant and have a look at the spread it offers:

The above is the cheese fondue, an a la carte item at the restaurant. Simply make an order by placing pegs that are found on your table at the ordering counter, and the dish will be served hot to your table. The cheese fondue is also one of my favourites at the restaurant. The warm cheese seems to go really well with any food (yes, it's not just limited to the bread, broccoli and potato that it's served with!) so go on and try dipping other foods into it.

No self-respecting seafood restaurant is complete without a good spread of sushi and sashimi. These are made on-the-spot by native Itamae (or sushi chefs). If you're looking for fanciful or "creative" sushi, Fisherman's Market may not be the place to go to, but you'll definitely be satisfied by the all-time-favourites.

Another not-to-miss item at the spread is the DIY ice-cream. I know it sounds really ridiculous to some since ice-cream is not something that most people will look out for at a seafood buffet restaurant. The ice-cream is super creamy and soft and there are many different types of toppings available

By the way, if you're thinking of going for its buffet, remember it's only available for dinner, and it's priced at $39.90++ (Mon-Thu) and $49.90++ (Fri-Sat). At lunch, it offers an a la carte menu consisting of sandwiches and appetizers.

Fisherman's Market is located at #01-15 and #02-17 The Central.

Ramadan Iftar Delights at Asian Market Café

This year's Ramadan is from 1 August to 30 August. And as our Muslim friends break fast in the evening, why not join them at Fairmont's Asian Market Café where the usual buffet spread is made more interesting with Middle Eastern and Malay fare.

Buffet spread at Asian Market  Café  

Dessert spread at Asian Market  Café.  

Look forward to authentic and traditional Middle Eastern specialities such as Harira (Moroccan Soup with Tomato, Lentil and Chickpea); Fattosh Salad (Mixed Vegetables with Pita Bread); “Ouzi-style” Lamb Leg from the live carving station; and Samak Sayyadiyah (Pan-roasted Gulf-style Fish Fillet with Spiced Arabic Cumin Rice).

Ramadan dishes

Besides the more exotic cuisine, you can also feast on delectable Asian highlights comprising Ayam Berempah (Malaysian Roasted Spiced Chicken); Sayor Lemak (Malaysian Mixed Vegetables); and Tiram Daging Lembu (Malaysian Black Pepper Beef). End your sumptuous dining experience with a variety of sweet indulgence such as Umm Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding); Muhallabi (Turkish Milk Pudding); and Kadayif (Turkish Baked Pastry with Sugar Syrup and Fresh Cream).

Ayam Berempah

Sayor Lemak

Tiram Daging Lembu

The sumptuous buffet is complemented by live action stations and salad, appetiser and dessert stalls - usual highlights at Asian Market Café. To further enhance the traditional breaking fast experience at Asian Market Café, television monitors will be placed around the restaurant indicating Salat al Isha (the time to break fast) and each table will receive a complimentary plate of dates, dried fruits and a serving of Ayran (Yogurt Drink) for diners. To provide additional convenience for diners and guests, Fairmont Singapore offers separate male and female prayer areas adjacent to Asian Market Café. If you ask me, I think that's very thoughtful of the hotel.

Live Carving Station

The Ramadan Buffet is only available for dinner and is available at $55++ per adult / $30++ per child (6 – 12 yrs)

Asian Market Café is located at Level 2, Fairmont Singapore.
Lunch: Daily – 12:00pm to 2:30pm
Dinner: Sun to Thu – 6:00pm to 10:00pm / Fri, Sat & PH – 6:30pm to 10:30pm
High Tea: Sat, Sun & PH – 12:30pm to 4:30pm

Call +65 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@fairmont.com for reservations.

 

10 at Claymore presents Plates of Pleasure - Thrill of the Grill

10 at Claymore is Pan Pacific Orchard's signature restaurant and it's famous for its Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Beef, which has a marbling score of 9+. Fyi, the highest rating for wagyu is 11, so 9+ is a very rare and impressive score.

I was there to sample its latest Plates of Pleasure menu. This is an a la minute menu that the bistro provides on top of its regular spread. It changes once every two months and is served straight from the kitchen when you order it. The July-August menu is called "Thrill of the Grill" and consists of  five items: US Petite Black Angus with Malbec Reduction, Blackmore Wagyu Patty with peppered gravy and St. Louis “Fingering” Pork Rib glazed with Vintage BBQ sauce served with Cajun-Fat Chip, Prawn “Fleur de Sel” with Mango Ensenada and Chilli Lemongrass Drizzle and Aussie Farm-Raised Lamb with Sweet Plum Jus. 

Plates of Pleasure - Thrill of the Grill

Of them, my favourite was the US Petite Black Angus. The slightly charred angus steak is juicy, tender and very flavourful. The Boyfriend (who was my guest at the tasting) also liked the Wagyu Patty, however, I found it a little tough and "synthetic" for my liking.

Besides the seasonal Plates of Pleasure menu, you should also check out the restaurant's live oysters and lobsters. These are fresh and naturally sweet. I particularly enjoy the lobsters when seasoned with wasabi mayonnaise. 

The dessert spread, while not exactly extensive, is of superb quality. Remember to check out the cakes, macaroons and chocolate fondue! 

Taken with my phone :)

10 at Claymore is located in Pan Pacific Orchard. For reservations, call 6831-6686 or email eat.sgo@panpacific.com. Dinner is available at $48++ per person, and brunch at $52++ per person. 

Which item on the buffet spread do you look forward to most? 

Melting Pot buffet at Holiday Inn (Outram): review

It's the first time I've been to Holiday Inn and I was at Melting Pot for its buffet lunch.

My first impression is that the hotel looks extremely 90s. Imagine a Channel 8 drama that's filmed shortly after Zoe Tay won Star Search. The plot is a virtuous wife goes for high tea with her spendthrift friend for the first time and unfortunately witnessed her husband going up the glass lift with a super pretty woman. Yes, this will be the exact place they'd have sourced and filmed at.

But I don't actually mind it. In fact, I found the ambience rather cosy. The Melting Pot is more a family hang out than say, where yuppies go to after work. Or at least that's the vibe I got when I visited it today (a lazy Sunday afternoon).

The spread is mainly Mediterranean, although they do offer some Asian fare.

These are a few picks from the salad and starters bar:

Tomato with cheese, mushrooms with olive oil, grilled veg and jellyfish.

They offer around five types of sauces for you to pick from.

My fave from the spread is the pasta, which is cooked instantly. The other cheesy selections (e.g. veg lasagne) also make for great comfort food.

Ultra cheesy comfort food!

Meat-lovers won't be deprived.

Satay, sirloin, oxtail, mashed potato.

Here's a peek at the (round) table I'm at, the (free flow) Sprite with grapefruit and the rest of the restaurant.

I know of people who go straight for the seafood counter at buffets, because they know that's where they can get a bang for their buck. But at Melting Pot, don't bother. The seafood really isn't their best offering. In fact, they're just bland and obviously not too fresh. Go for two more servings of the wonderful pasta instead.

Masala prawn, and (not so fresh) prawns and shellfish.

Chinese food.

They don't have a huge dessert offering, but it's decent. There were at least eight different types of cakes, two types of ice-creams with several toppings, and waffles.

If you only have stomach for one, go for the waffles. You might have to join a short queue (because they only have one waffle maker, 48 squares (as in the small square) each time only, but waffles are just yummy with maple syrup and butter.

Cakes and waffles.

Zoe Tay will see her onscreen husband going up that glass lift. Can you see it?

And this is her spendthrift friend.

The Melting Pot is located at Level 4, Holiday Inn (Outram Road). And its lunch buffet would make you poorer by less than $30.

Do you know of any good and affordable buffet venues?

Global Kitchen at Pan Pacific Hotel

If you can't make up your mind on what cuisine to go for, check out Global Kitchen. It is so called because it offers cuisine from all over the world (except Russian, complained one of my colleagues).

It's interesting because, instead of having different "sections" for different types of food, foods of varied origins are placed next to each other. So, rosti is placed next to chicken rice and tom yam soup near mushroom soup.

We were there for the interns' farewell and I liked the cosy and quiet setting. We managed to get a round table that's slightly "cordoned" from the rest of the restaurant  by curtains.

My second helping:

Indian, Cantonese, Singaporean, Mediterranean, Italian foods. Could you tell which is which?

This is what another colleague had on her plate. I'm not a fan of seafood so gave the following a miss.

Seafood!

 They had a decent selection of desserts there. Yes, and a chocolate fondue.

There's nothing like desserts to make the meal complete.

All of us!

I'd say that the overall experience was pretty good. The food is tasty. I just wish that had more variety, because compared to the buffet places that I really like, such as Melt the World, Carousel and Todai, going around to sample everything they offer is really too effortless - and that's not a good sign for a buffet restaurant. However, they're running a UOB promotion at the moment, offering 20% off the bill, so it's quite a steal.

Global Kitchen is located at Pan Pacific Hotel, Level 3.

Which is your favourite buffet restaurant?