Tuesday 25 October 2011

Buffet Town International Seafood Mixed Grill and Teppan Yaki

Buffet Town is a pretty new (about 3 months) buffet restaurant located on basement 1 at Raffles City where Shokudo Japanese Food Bazaar used to be. The concept of restaurant is quite similar to Kiseki Japanese Buffet Restaurant at Heeren's where you could see a spread of international food in different allocated stalls with 450 Seating Capacity. And for families with active kids, there is a mini playground where young children (between 2 to 8 years) can enjoy themselves with various games and parents can conveniently watch over them whilst eating too.

About three weeks ago we were there for a lunch buffet on Friday and have to join in a long queue(as there were about more than 50 people in front of us) since I could not get through their Reservation Hotline even after a few days of calling.

After about 45 minutes of queuing time we were finally being bought to our seats which were so cramp due to the overwhelming crowds that afternoon. But since everyone was hungry due to the long waiting hour we decided to start with the food without much complaints.

As my boy cannot find his favourite sushi over at the Japanese Counter he decided to settle with some chicken rice. According to him the rice was a oily and not fragrant compared to the usual one he loves to eat but the accompany chicken was still quite tender and juicy.  My aunty and I are both Sashimi lover so after eating the above items shown we both agreed that the Sashimi and cold seafood served are really fresh and definitely worth the price. But on the downside the replenish time was rather slow and a lot of sushi and maki plates were empty each time we went to the Japanese counter.

I was caught by this Rojak Counter while roaming around to check out the different serving counters. My favourite combination of Rojak is always fried fritters(you tiao) with the pairing sauce. But for a chance I decided to try the usual mixed combination and surprisingly the pairing here were rather good and flavorsome too.

You could find Western Food Counters at the right side of the entrance ranging from seafood/mushroom pizza, German sausages, array of pasta cooked according to your choice, soup of the day and etc. And at the back row of the buffet you could also pick up some grilled satay, salmon head, saba fish, king prawns and etc. But bewared of the food from this grilled counter as they are always being snatched off from the serving plates once the cook replenished the items.

After eating all the desire main courses, you can relax at your seats with a cup of freshly brewed coffee/tea or even homemade soya bean milk/beancurd from the beverage counters. To go with your drink, pick your choice of cakes from the Dessert Counters or any waffles or pancake.

Overall Buffet Town has a wide varieties of food which is freshly prepared and served but the only set back is the replenished time of the food is rather a bit slow perhaps due to the overwhelming of crowds or shortage of manpower. If not try to be early and get into the buffet on time in order to sample more choices of food especially those on the Grilled Counter and Japanese Counter. So is like either you get to EAT or you DON'T if you are not fast enough to get the food. Do share with us your dining experience if you have tried Buffet Town before.

Buffet Town International Seafood Mixed Grill and Teppan Yaki
Raffles City, #B1-44E
252 North Bridge Road,
Telephone: (+65) 6837 3793
Website: http://www.buffettown.com.sg/index.html

Operating Hour:
11.30am to 3pm daily (Last order at 2.30pm)
6pm to 10.30pm daily (Last order at 9.30pm)

Pricing for Lunch Buffet:-
Monday to Friday: Adult : $23.80++; *Child : $16.80++
Saturday, Sunday, Eve PH and PH: Adult : $28.80++; *Child : $16.80++

Pricing for Dinner Buffet:-
Monday to Friday: Adult : $33.80++; *Child : $19.80++
Saturday, Sunday, Eve PH and PH: Adult : $38.80++; *Child :$19.80++


  • *Child age 6 to 12 years old
  • Prices are subjected to Service Charge and any other prevailing taxes.
  • Mode of Payment: Cash / NETS / MasterCard / VISA /


  • Monday 24 October 2011

    Maritime Experiential Museum And Aquarium

    On 15th October 2011, Singapore's first maritime museum, the Maritime Experiential Museum And Acquarium(MEMA) opened its doors at the Resorts World Sentosa. With its unique maritime theme design and interactive exhibits which involve visitors’ participation, the museum has transform from a traditional gallery showcasing Southeast Asia’s maritime trade history.

    The museum is divided into 6 zones with an outdoor exhibit showing some historic ships at the harbour behind the museum.


    ZHENG HE EXHIBITS
    And Bao Chuan Show


    Greeting you upon entering the museum will be Admiral Zheng He's massive treasure ship known as "'Bao Chuan" where one can learn about the epic voyages he took from China to the ‘Western Ocean’ as the greatest explorer in Chinese history. There is a short video clip at the open-style theatre where you can watch an animated video about Admiral Zheng He’s voyages from China to the Western Ocean.


    LIFE AND TRADE ON THE 
    MARITIME SILK ROUT
    Sealing your very own Passport


    Before you entry the Souk, remember to grab hold of a "Passport" in order to chop with the 8 different seal at each ports. And also don't forget the "All Aboard" booklet where you read more about the Life and Trade on the Maritime Silk Route.


    THE SOUK(market)


    Check out the ports of call at the Souk(market) where visitors could experience the interactive touch-learn-play information panels and various bazaars cultural emporium which Admiral Zheng He explored along the Maritime Silk Routes. Visitors can have some hands-on making Chinese Junks and puppet using the prepared template at the allocated area.


    MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY GALLERY


    This gallery houses the museum's first major acquisition of maritime artefacts from the Bakau shipwreck that can be dated back to the early 15th century and showcases a wide array of archaeological finds that traces Singapore's early involvement in the Maritime Silk Route trade.



    INTERACTIVE GAMES AT THE GALLERY


    For kids or other with more artistic hand you can try creating some virtual pottery on the interactive touch screens available at level B1 near the Archaeology Gallery. Upon finished you can even sent your finished art piece via email to yourself or friends.


    HISTORIC SHIP HARBOUR


    At the back of the Maritime Museum you can see life-size replica ships such as Javanese jong, an Indonesian borobudur and with 3 others arriving soon. Due to safety purpose the ships are not for passenger boarding at the moment.

    We did not visit the 2nd attraction which is known as "Typhoon Theatre" (additional charges applied). But if you are keen you can take your seats on the deck of a ship that's about to sail where a 360-degree screen will immerse you in a breathtaking shipwreck simulation with special effects.


    VISITOR INFORMATION


    LOCATION
    Resorts World Sentosa
    8 Sentosa Gateway Sentosa Island
    Singapore 098269
    Official Site: HERE

    ADMISSIONS AND TICKETING
    General Museum Admission:
    Adult: S$5.00; Child (4 - 12 years) S$2.00; Senior Citizen (65 years and above) S$3.00
    *Exclude admission to Typhoon Theatre

    Typhoon Theatre Admission:
    Adult: S$6.00; Child (4 - 12 years) S$4.00; Senior Citizen (65 years and above) S$3.00
    *Exclude admission to Museum

    HOURS OF OPERATION
    Museum:
    Monday to Thursday: 10am - 7pm
    Friday to Sunday and  P.H: 10am - 9pm

    Typhoon Theatre:
    Monday to Thursday: 10am - 6pm
    Friday to Sunday and P.H:10am - 8pm


    Saturday 22 October 2011

    {Hawker Food Trail} Ghim Moh Food Centre

    Sometime it is fun to gather a few friends who loves to eat and keen to try different types of food from different locations. And for the month of October, with the opening of the 12 new stations from the Circle Line,  Derrick from "SG Food on Foot" has organized a food trail to Ghim Moh Food Centre(CC22 - Buona Vista) whereby we get to try some of the Best Hawker food found within that food centre.

    With 16 Adults and 2 Children we conquer 10 different local delights plus 2 dessert with a spending of S$8.00 each Adult. Looking at these spread above I am sure this is a good catch for our October hawker food gathering.


    HEAVEN'S INDIAN CURRY
    Stall Unit: #01-15
    Opening Hours: 6.00am – 2.00pm, Daily


    First we have 3 signature dishes from Haven's Indian Curry such as Putu Mayam, Thosai and Appoms. As you can see for both Putu Mayam(vermicelli-like noodles) and Appoms(disc shape with egg in the middle) are served together with some fresh grated coconuts and orange sugar. Personally I love their Appoms which is sort of  wafer-thin and super crispy with soft, chewy and slightly sticky central. To eat it you can top with some grated coconut and orange sugar to have different texture and flavour on your each bites.


    LIAN HE CARROT CAKE
    Stall Unit:#01-30


    For your information Lian He Carrot Cake is just beside the Ghim Moh Chwee Kueh mentioned below. Out of the 5 person from our group this plate of fried carrot cake scores 2 votes out of 5. Most of us feel that it is still not well fried with the amount of scramble eggs and dark sweet sauce, perhaps a tiny bit more of minced garlic and chye poh will add extra flavour to this. But for those who prefer your fried carrot cake to be lighter in colour and taste, this might be a good catch if you are staying around that area.


    JIU JIANG SHAO LA
    Stall Unit: #01-45
    Opening Hours: 11am – 7.30pm (Closed on Wed)


    Next we try this plate of trio-platter with Roast Pork, Char Siew and Roast Duck from Jiu Jiang Shao La. This is a very common combination that is often ordered by most Singaporean. Out of the 3 items we love the roast duck which comes with a layer of crispy skin laying on top of the juicy and tender duck meat. Other than roast duck I also love their roast pork which is slightly salty but with a crispy outer layer that is simply irresistible.


    HAKKA YONG TAU FOO
    Stall Unit: #01-14
    Opening Hours: 7.30am – 3pm (Closed on Mon)


    Although I have read a few good reviews on this stall but then we were quite disappointed with the food we had that day. Their so called "must try" fried tau kwa was very dry and salty which seems to be a bit over fried. Overall the 5 of us in our group don't really like this version of fried Yong Tau Fu, perhaps having them in soup together with noodles/rice will be better choice.


    TECK HIN FRIED HOR FUN
    Stall Unit: #01-44
    Opening Hours: 10am – 3pm, 5pm – 8.30pm (Closed on Mon)


    A plate of good beef hor fun is a challenge for the cook as you don't want to have either over/under cooked beef. What you are looking for is a plate of fragrant fried Hor Fun(noodle) with slices of beef that are tender and juicy when eaten. One thing to praise is that the hor fun at this stall are freshly fried and imbued with the char aroma from the wok which makes it so tasty when pairing with whichever choice that you order such as fish, beef or seafood.


    GUAN KEE FRIED KWAY TEOW
    Stall Unit: #01-12
    Opening Hours: 9.30am – 2.30pm (Closed on Mon and Fri)


    Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow has the longest queue among all the stalls in Ghim Moh Food Centre and they stall owner insists to fry his Kway Teow plate by plate despite of how many plates you order. We managed to try this "famous" fried kway teow after almost 40 minutes of queuing time and for your information their version is slightly towards the wet version making it making it less greasy and yet moist when eaten.


    RONG YUAN COOKED FOOD STALL
    Stall Unit: #01-19
    Opening Hours: 9.30am – 2.30pm (Closed on Mon and Fri)


    Read from ieatishootipost forum that this stall has pretty good chee cheong fun but it was sold out by the time we were there so we have to settle for 2nd alternative which is their Steamed Yam Cake. Surprisingly the texture of these yam cake was soft, fragrant and tasty compared to some other stalls. As you can see it also comes with some peanuts which added extra texture and taste to this dish. And most importantly these yam cake taste really "homemade" with real ingredients instead of more flour less yam.


    GHIM MOH CHWEE KUEH
    Stall Unit: #01-31
    Opening Hours: 6.15am – 7pm, Daily


    I love chwee kueh especially the one at Bedok Food Centre because of it soft texture kueh and fragrant fried "chye poh(fried turnip). But if you are hunting for traditional type of chwee kueh this stall at Ghim Moh would be the one that you are searching for. Their chye poh is fried using lard that gives it a traditional taste and unique fragrant like those sold in old school days.

    Perhaps we are too used to the usual sweet chye poh and soft steamed kueh, those from our table comments that this traditional flavour tends to be bit salty and dry on the Chye Poh toppings which does not bringing that unique taste of this local snack.


    GOLDEN SWALLOW DESSERT
    Stall Unit: #01-53


    Interesting indeed! These are Tadpole Bo Bo Cha Cha from Golden Swallow Dessert if you are looking for a change on the usual plain Bo Bo Cha Cha! These colourful tadpole balls add bouncy and bursting effect whenever each spoonful is being sent into your mouth. And moreover these fragrant bo bo cha cha soup base are made using freshly squeeze coconut milk which add extra bonus point to this all-time favourite dessert.

    Thanks for the great company and food. I am sure everyone enjoys this session and also thanks for all the "professional queuers" who help to queue and buy the food from 8 allocated stalls. Looking forward for the next food gathering in another hawker center soon. Once again Derrick and all those who help to queue for the food.

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