I’d give up every kind of food, except seafood. I’ve been relishing all kinds of seafood ever since I can remember. My parents tell me I used to enjoy fried fish and prawns more than candy. And to tell you a secret…I still do! So you can imagine I was mighty excited when Novotel Clarke Quay in Singapore invited me to try out their special, limited period seafood buffet at The Square restaurant.
From April 6 to May 26, 2018, The Square is serving up a fabulous seafood buffet. And I can’t wait to tell you all about it. For starters, I love buffets. They’re a total value for money and you get to sample so many dishes. This one, in particular, is a steal as it features several expensive and exotic seafood.
At The Square, the spread is crazy expansive – there’s so much variety. There’s a whole section for freshly cooked (and raw oysters) yummies from the ocean. I sampled a piece of it ALL – poached prawns, stone crabs claw, baby maroon lobsters, poached muscles, poached clams, scallops, bamboo clams, Alaskan king crabs, langoustine, Dungeness crabs and two kinds of oysters (US & Irish).
Everything was so fresh, cold, clean and tasty. And and and… No two things tasted the same. My favourites (as hard as it was to choose) were the yum baby maroon lobster, textured scallops, cool bamboo clams, sesame infused octopus salad, the sweetest langoustine and the fresh oysters.
Oh, and I haven’t even come to the mains yet. Wok-fried crayfish in two kinds of sauce (salted egg and pepper) – I couldn’t possibly eat both (wish I could) but I tried the pepper one. So good – the inside was perfectly cooked and the outside was wok-fried that made it tastier! And the country’s favourite dish, chilli crab cooked in a delectable sauce. It tasted diving with soft and golden-hued mantou buns.
Even on a regular, non-seafood buffet day, Novotel Clarke Quay is famous for its Laksa. I had to make a beeline for it. I’m a picky Laksa eater, so a DIY station made me happy. I piled a concoction of fresh ingredients into a bowl and handed it to the chef who put together a mouthwatering laksa with a broth that was not too thick.
I liked that although there were two live stations dealing with heavily fragrant dishes (laksa and wok-fried crayfish), its scent didn’t overwhelm the restaurant. If you think about it, strong chimneys make such a difference to the dining experience.
And now to the massive dessert bar.
There’s an ice cream section with many toppings and classic and exotic flavours including a soothing green tea! There’s a sprawling table with cakes, pastries and chocolate fountain. Take your pick with the cakes – it’s hard to choose because everything looks beautiful. Even if you are too stuffed for dessert, you have to make room for the Wasabi cake (sweet to taste with wasabi-zingy aftertaste), the light meringue and the sinful caramel mousse pastry.
Apart from Laksa, The Square has another speciality – Durian Pengat. Although I personally haven’t acquired the taste for this exotic fruit, all the other food bloggers on my table were humming in praise. So if you’re a Durian lover, you ought to give this a try.
This is one of those leisurely buffets where you can sit and hammer every shellfish in sight, relish exotic seafood in Asian flavours that you might have never tried…and finally finish off with the sweetest treats and warm tea.
Okay, so how much is this buffet you ask?
Dinner buffet on Friday, Saturday, Eve of and Public Holidays
(6pm – 10pm)
Adult: $78++
Senior Citizen (above 55yrs): $55++
Child (5 – 12 yrs): $39++
++ 10% service charge and thereafter 7% GST
Where is it?
The Square Restaurant
Novotel Clarke Quay
(closest MRT is Fort Canning but can also get there from Clarke Quay MRT)
Level 7
177A River Valley Rd,
Singapore 179031
For reservations
Tel: +65 6433 8790
Email: H5993-FB8@accor.com
