Posted on Fri, 7 Oct 2011

Don’t Miss Carousel’s Spanish Feast!

Important points first. Carousel, in Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore, offers one of the best value buffet deals in town, and even though they are running this special Spanish theme buffet from now until 16 October, the price is kept unchanged – from only $46++ per adult for weekday lunch to $72++ for weekend dins.

So what’s going on here? A really hefty spread of authentic Spanish deliciousness from a lovely little tapas corner to a huge island of Spanish mains. I enjoyed the tapas, especially the chilled salads, the paella all al dente and creamy, and the squid ink paella. The roast beef and lamb were absolutely fantastic – tender, juicy, yielding and flavourful – and the oxtail and cod was good too. Keep some space for the seafood croquettes, lamb meatballs from Andalucia, Sevile roast duck and Madrid seabream.

Look out also for the pan of vegetable wrapped in pastry – freshly made and sliced like a strudel – and later, end off with a typical Spanish dessert of freshly made churras dipped in chocolate sauce (which the hotel is extremely proud of, as they had Chef Oteruelo heave the heavy gadget all the way from Spain). The three tier dessert section also tempts with crème brulee – nice and rich but thankfully in tiny sauce plates – a thick creamy rice pudding and a host of other mousses, creams and cakes.

To ensure the authenticity of the food, the hotel has cajoled its former chef Esmeraldo Oteruelo out of retirement to consult and oversee this two-week Spanish promotion. The Spanish native is the cutest little old man with his white bushy moustache, black beret and benign beady eyes. Make sure you catch sight of him when you are there and say ‘hello’!

At the same time, the seafood spread of chilled crabs, mussels and shellfish, and the sushi/sashimi bar are still in full swing.

To add to the Spanish flavour, Carousel has organised flamenco dancers and music too for the evenings, from 8-8.30pm and again from 9 – 9.30pm. You’ll see a motley threesome – a flamboyant-looking Spanish gentleman who plays a seriously mean guitar (and, I am told, who runs a flamenco school in Singapore); the singer, an Argentinian tai-tai who lives here in Singapore with her banker husband; and finally the dancer, a petite, svelte Japanese doctor who dances with the fire and passion of any Spanish dancer. Really, super cool! The performance, though modest, is authentic and really worth watching. You have to make a reservation in advance though. Be quick or you may just miss this!