Big Hearty Buffets for June!

Pen all these down! Lots of big, hearty buffets going on in town (Singapore) until end June featuring crabs, durians and unpretentious feasting! Best if you bring along a big group of ardent eaters. Many may not be fine dining, but they are good dining at happy prices!

 

Eat Turkey. No, not the bird but the country! Fairmont Hotel’s Asian Market Café has flown in Guest Chef Mustafa Güngör from its sister property in Istanbul to whip up Turkish cuisine for hungry people here. The buffet spread includes Midye Dolma, Turkish stuffed mussels with rice; Sigara Böreği, crispy cheese filo pastry; and flavourful vegetarian dishes such as Mercimek Çorbasι, lentil soup, and Pilaki, bean salad. I loved the döner Kebap, lamb kebab, and Patlιcan Musakka, eggplant stew – tastes a lot better than it looks. When I was picking through the dessert spread, a Turkish man pointed to a shapeless pudding in a little dish all dotted with nuts and raisins and stuff, and said I had to try it. Turns out this is Aşure, also known as Noah’s Pudding, made from a mixture of grains, fruits and nuts. It was thick and rich, not too sweet and lovely. Also enjoyed the Tulumba Tatlιsι, crispy dough soaked in sugar-sweet syrup. The Turkish ice cream man from Clarke Quay has also been dragged into the promo, and he has his performance going on at this ice cream station which will no doubt thrill the kids. Be warned that the tea station, where the man ‘tariks’ Turkish tea, is a real hit. I waited forever to get my tea cos the queue was so long. I can’t say for sure, but I think there are a few kinds to choose from.  (Good to know: this restaurant recently turned halal. So in my books this is only one of three really smart & stylish halal restaurants in town.) Until 29 May only, lunch and dinner starting from s$45++. Tel: 65 6431 6156

 

Get Crabs. Err…no, not the undesirable version of course. Crabs the Crustacean that is. From 27 May to 4 June, AquaMarine at the Marina Mandarin Singapore is serving up a crab buffet spread with over 15 dishes of the clawed creature. Just a sampling, there’s Citrus Crab Salad on Cured Watermelon with Passionfruit Dressing, Alaskan King Crab with Smoked Avocado and Mango, Black Pepper Crab with Egg Crepes, Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab and Braised Crab Bee Hoon. Slurp! Only dinner, from $68++. Tel: 6845 1111/112

 

The Ultimate Crab and Durian Feast!!! If you read this far, you are duly rewarded with this great piece of news! Which true blue Singaporean can resist these two great sins all rolled deliciously into one? Served at the Sentosa Boardwalk with the sunset and the harbour as your backdrop, plunge all 10 digits into Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Wok-Fried Chilli Sri Lankan Crab and other crab dishes. For dessert, dig into durians, delivered fresh from Malaysia every day and opened a la minute! This is an all-you-can-eat, so-sinful-its-divine, cholesterol overload. Too good to miss, and definitely worth starving a week for, and the perfect family treat for the June hols! At The Promontory, Sentosa Boardwalk from 9-26 June, dinner only from 6pm. Prices $38++ per adult and $21++ per child. Tel: 6279 1767 (11am to 9pm)

 

Free Flow Durian. Cafebiz at Traders Hotel Singapore doles out durians from 2-10 June as part of its international buffet from Thursdays to Sundays. Make room for dessert ‘cos you can load up on whole durians by the basketsful served a la minute at the understandably alfresco station! Good unpretentious stop with the girls after a day’s exertion shopping at the GSS. Dinner only at $58 (Adult) $29 (Child) Includes free flow soft drinks. Tel: 6831 4374

 

Great Value Thai. Swiss Hotel Merchant Court’s Ellenborough Market is forking out a Thai buffet with chefs from their sister property in Bangkok, so you know the flavours are fabulously authentic. At only S$48++ per person for dins (daily), and $40++ for lunch (weekend only), this is the place to head to if you need to treat a big group of friends. Expect over 50 Thai dishes, and over 10 Thai desserts plus live stations of pad thai fried noodles (yums!!) and green papaya salad. What’s even more compelling, their usual Peranakan spread is also served during the promo. This is a huge restaurant so expect to queue a little at the buffet, but with prices like this, the value is hard to beat. Time to fatten up! Tel: 65-62391848