The post-COVID-19 world has presented us with a new dining experience at both restaurants and eateries alike. I would say that dining has now become a more intimate experience. With social distancing becoming a norm, we have to be sat further apart from other groups of diners. That means diners get to enjoy a little more privacy since restaurants now are less packed with people.
Post-COVID-10 world welcomes a la carte buffets
Food would also have to be brought to us. The same goes for buffet restaurants like Spice Brasserie at PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road where diners have to order from their a la carte menu. Though we could no longer walk from one live buffet station to the next to pile up our own plate, we could eat as much as we want to our hearts’ content – just like how we would usually do at buffet restaurants.
Spice Brasserie at PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
My recent a la carte buffet experience at Spice Brasserie was a pleasant one. I was welcomed by their friendly staff into their newly renovated all-day dining restaurant exudes a modern and sophisticated vibe.
They have just recently refresh their signature Asian Street Food spread, showcasing Asia’s popular street dishes that would ‘warm the cockles of many hearts’.
Enhanced Safety Measures
To put diners at ease, they have carried out enhanced safety measures such as distributing alcohol wipes to guests and cleaning surfaces with healthcare-grade disinfectants at an hourly basis. All of their staff have to put on gloves as well when handling food.
The measures implemented by the hotel are in accordance to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines.
A view of a live kitchen
Such live kitchens set a stage for the chefs to shine. It is a live attraction for diners observe how food is being prepared and served straight up to the dining table.
The bustling in the kitchen also helps to liven up the whole dining atmosphere. But if they had livestream the main kitchen, that would be another thing altogether. Welcome to the post-COVID-19 world.
Spice Brasserie Asian Street Food A La Carte Buffet Menu (Weekend)
To place your order, all you will have to do is just indicate the number of servings you would like to have on the menu chit and hand it over to the staff. Some of their menu highlights include Crispy Pork Roll, Charcoal Broken Rice Claypot Porridge with seafood and hand-tossed flavoured Naan cooked to order. There’s also the must-try all-time favourite Chilli Crab with Mantou, truffle noodles and Vietnamese Sugarcane prawns.
You can order as many servings as you want but bear in mind that it is best to order what you can stomach in bid to reduce food wastage. The dishes come in small portion sizes similar to the ones shown in the photo above. And these dishes will be served right to you at your table.
Dishes are served à la minute
Be prepared to wait for a little since the dishes are served à la minute. This ensures that the food is piping hot and fresh from the stove. I guess that’s a huge perk about à la carte buffets.
Buffet dishes I’ve tried
I’ve tried some of the featured buffet items listed on the menu. My favourites for the evening has to be their grilled carrot cake, Ramly-style chicken burger, garlic naan and black pepper slipper lobster. If I were to head there for a second visit, I would probably order a heap of their black pepper slipper lobster then try the rest of their delicious food items.
Cold Seafood Platter
Charcoal Grill delights
If you are a meat-lover, then you should not give their signature BBQ black Char Siew a miss.
Scallion Oil Noodles
The bowl of simple noodles tossed with scallion oil was quite a star at our table. The scallion oil adds a tad of fragrance to the hand-made noodles and it would be lovely if it is served with some fatty Char Siew slices.
Tandoor station: Assorted Naan with Fish Goan Curry and Butter Chicken
Their hand-tossed Naan is really delicious. I had the garlic naan as well as the cheese naan. All goes really well with the butter chicken gravy.
Hot favourites: Black Pepper Slipper Lobster and Chilli Crab with Mantou
Spice Brasseries happens to be really well-known for their seafood selection so it is going to be a pity if you leave this restaurant without trying their hot favourites like Chilli crab and Black Pepper Slipper lobster. For me, the black pepper slipper lobster was the highlight of my meal.
On the Griddle: Ramly-style Chicken Burger
I’m really glad that they include one of local favourite dishes into their Asian Street Food buffet. Where other buffet restaurants serve Ramly-style burger that tastes just like the one sold at our Pasaar Malams (night markets)? It’s one mouth-watering burger that would satiate your burger cravings . What’s missing is some chilli and mayo sauce.
Charcoal Broken Rice Claypot Porridge with Seafood
I ended my meal with a warm pot of seafood porridge served in a small clay pot. The broth has soaked up all the seafood flavours from the clams.
Desserts: Durian Pengat with Sticky Rice and Cempedak Crumble cake
To end the meal on a sweet note, I had some local-inspired desserts like Durian Pengat with Sticky Rice and Cempedak Crumble cake.
Cempedak is a tropical fruit which tastes somewhat like jackfruit. It’s sweet and has a nutty flavour to it. It’s definitely an interesting dessert to try and I quite like the taste of it.
If you are more into old school sweet delights, you can try their Ying Yang Muah Chee with Peanut and Black sesame.
Teppanyaki Ice Cream of the Day
Spice Brasserie also offers Teppanyaki Ice cream where the ice cream is mixed with other ingredients on a cold steel plate.
That evening, the chef made mango ice cream by mixing in fresh mango chunks with vanilla ice cream.
The teppanyaki ice cream turns out to be really lovely because it has a more even and creamier consistency since it is all well-mixed with fresh fruits.
Can’t wait to try all these Asian delights? Head down to Spice Brasserie at PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road. The Asian Street Food buffet is valid for lunch (12 pm to 3 pm) on weekends and dinner (6 pm to 9.30 pm) from Fridays to Sundays. It costs $58 per adult and $29 per child.
Prior reservations are recommended and this buffet will be on from now till 31 December 2020.
