Good Friday, April 6, 2007: After my swim this morning, I was all ready to go to Swisshotel Merchant Court for my buffet. This would be my first visit to this hotel, tucked at the corner of two busy streets near the Singapore River.
When I reached there, a short line was already formed. The hotel interior exuded a strong Balinese accent which I liked very much. The polished teak, porcelain, rattan flower-pot stands and other embellishments were coordinated to create a mellowed brown ambience of tranquility. The spacious cafe is decorated with tiles reminiscent of Peranakan houses and Portuguese-style ceramics. In fact I saw some Eurasians who looked Portuguese!
The feast derived from four generous spreads of food - quite a rarity in hotel buffets on Orchard Road- and I immediately felt my guilty conscience prompting. First, the vivid scene from a You Tube video clip on 'Daily Life in North Korea' was still lingering in my mind; next was the sudden disturbing appearance of the bloated me posing with Evelyn for a picture outside our dormitory on Seaview Street in Oahu (Honolulu). Ughh...Life is a journey of negotiating dilemmas, and it later turned out, a battle with onslaughts of temptations:
Sushi, sashimi, braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, fresh roast duck, arrow squids in chili, flower crab with a spicy gravy, beef rendang, chicken masala, steamed oysters, western salad spread, marinated abalone, roast chicken, duck in soy sauce, spring rolls, beef goulash soup and boiled shrimps; the dessert counters offered Thai Bubur Terigu, green tea brulee, brownies, Easter eggs with choc, Ah Balling (Peranakan glutinous dumplings with black sesame filling), 'foo chok pak kor' (a soupy dessert with bean sheets 'yuba' and ginko nuts), fresh tropical fruit platter, ice cream, apple and raisin crumble, bread and butter pudding, vanilla sponge...
I give thumbs up to the prawn noodle for its excellent authentic stock which contained some fallen shrimp legs, followed by the well-braised sea cucumber (namako)with mushrooms, the steamed oysters and the beef goulash. It was such pity that my stomach wasn't able to make room for everything in the buffet.
Finally I ended this gluttonous sojourn with several morsels of sweets that immediately melted in the intermittent sips of European style coffee. I'd to change my plan of finishing a paper at a quiet cafe in Marina Square and head for home!
What a guilty Good Friday - at SGD 31.35 (everything thrown in).
Other detail from the web (but I didn't see any lobster, abalone noodle, or durian pengat!):
Swissotel Merchant Court Singapore - Buffet Lunch & Dinner
When: Noon-2.30pm, 6.30-10pm daily
Cost: $19.90+++ for lunch and $24.90+++ for dinner on weekdays, $25.90+++ for weekend dinner.
Children pay $11.90+++ for lunch, $13.90+++ for weekday dinner and $14.90+++ for weekend dinner.
This spread with a strong nonya component has gained fame since 1997 and the star remains the durian pengat, a yummy mousse. Other must-haves include the slipper lobster in black bean sauce and abalone mushroom noodles.
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