Located in an obscure corner of Suntec City is a restaurant i've been patronizing at least 5 to 6 times throughout the years. In fact, its one of the first Cantonese Ala Carte buffets i was introduced to. Helmed by Hong Kong Master Chef Mok Kit Keung, the restaurant uses it as a selling point to promise authentic Cantonese cuisine at everyday prices.
Location: 1 Raffles Boulevard Convention and Exhibition Centre 3rd floor
Contact: 63329733
Price range: $30-40 per head
Location: 1 Raffles Boulevard Convention and Exhibition Centre 3rd floor
Contact: 63329733
Price range: $30-40 per head
All you can eat!!
All you can eat buffets are usually average and when you throw in ala carte, it would mean a reasonable amount of time is spent waiting. That's pretty much true about this place as well, but there are gems to be found in its menu. You just need to know what it is to order it, as early and as often as possible to get the most out of it.
With each set, you get the usual one order only items and in this case, it'll be the live prawns and the shark's fin. Both of which were pretty good imho. The prawns were all sweet and crunchy and fresh while the shark's fin was too starchy for my tastes but was redeemed by its balanced flavors and abundance of shark's fin.
Items you must order while you are here will be:
Roasted Pork Belly - a classic in any chinese restaurant, the pork belly is rather fatty here. Its also very juicy, comes in big pieces and has a nice charred taste on the skin. Complement it with some mustard and its one of the first things to have on my list.
Wasabi mayonnaise prawn - their rendition had a rather thick layer of batter which was thankfully light. The mayonnaise and wasabi combination was balanced enough to give you a kick but not enough to deter you from eating it and the best part was there huge prawns they used for this dish. Second must order dish, repeat orders recommended.
Steamed/ fried fish (any fish) - This is the final item i think everyone needs to order as many as possible of if you're trying to ensure you eat your due. My recommendation would be about 3-4 orders of different fish with different methods of cooking. Why so? Simply because its the best item to have here. Regardless of which cooking method you order, you get a whole fish. That's right, an entire fish for each order and it is almost always fresh, sweet and perfectly light so you can have as many of it as you want. Order this without hesitation.
Dim sum items (any) - Its a cantonese restaurant, so naturally, you should order its dim sum pastries and shrimp dumplings and such to go with your meal. For the record, their dim sum is average but worth a try.
With each set, you get the usual one order only items and in this case, it'll be the live prawns and the shark's fin. Both of which were pretty good imho. The prawns were all sweet and crunchy and fresh while the shark's fin was too starchy for my tastes but was redeemed by its balanced flavors and abundance of shark's fin.
Items you must order while you are here will be:
Roasted Pork Belly - a classic in any chinese restaurant, the pork belly is rather fatty here. Its also very juicy, comes in big pieces and has a nice charred taste on the skin. Complement it with some mustard and its one of the first things to have on my list.
Wasabi mayonnaise prawn - their rendition had a rather thick layer of batter which was thankfully light. The mayonnaise and wasabi combination was balanced enough to give you a kick but not enough to deter you from eating it and the best part was there huge prawns they used for this dish. Second must order dish, repeat orders recommended.
Steamed/ fried fish (any fish) - This is the final item i think everyone needs to order as many as possible of if you're trying to ensure you eat your due. My recommendation would be about 3-4 orders of different fish with different methods of cooking. Why so? Simply because its the best item to have here. Regardless of which cooking method you order, you get a whole fish. That's right, an entire fish for each order and it is almost always fresh, sweet and perfectly light so you can have as many of it as you want. Order this without hesitation.
Dim sum items (any) - Its a cantonese restaurant, so naturally, you should order its dim sum pastries and shrimp dumplings and such to go with your meal. For the record, their dim sum is average but worth a try.
Bill
The bill for 4 this day turned up at $140.05 for a reasonably satisfying and fun gathering of friends.
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 7/10 (not an average)
Last word:
As far as buffets go, this is still one of the places i'd visit for a reasonably affordable meal with passable food. Service is something they could improve since its either the horribly high handed superior or the temporary staff who can't be bothered and none are satisfactory. Otherwise, i'll be back with more friends just to attack the fish.
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall score: 7/10 (not an average)
Last word:
As far as buffets go, this is still one of the places i'd visit for a reasonably affordable meal with passable food. Service is something they could improve since its either the horribly high handed superior or the temporary staff who can't be bothered and none are satisfactory. Otherwise, i'll be back with more friends just to attack the fish.
