Food Review: Orchard Cafe reopens with Signature Class Buffet at Orchard Hotel, Singapore 238879

December 26, 2018

After 4 months and a million dollar renovation, the iconic Orchard Cafe at Orchard Hotel is now ready and open to the public once again! I'm happy to report that it is now better than ever, having tried their Signature Class buffet for tasting a couple of weeks ago. With the new decor, they aim to bring the outdoors in for a more relaxed vibe, which you can see with the use of plants and even outdoor furniture. This international-with-a-local-spin buffet is also very value-for-money, with weekday lunch (Mon - Fri) at S$58 and dinner (Mon - Thu) at S$78. Weekends lunch (Sat, Sun) are at S$62 and dinner (Fri - Sun) at S$88. You get free flow of all sorts of seafood AND roasted meats plus a delightful selection of Asian dishes which is not that common outside. That to me, is worth it.


Like I mentioned, very fresh seafood. Those Canadian oysters were plump and juicy!


The decor is very chill and comfortable.


Some of the "Signature Class" items which makes this more than just a regular buffet is their Tau Kwa Pau, which is stuffed tofu. I find this rather unique and definitely not a common food item!


This isn't a signature, but the slipper lobster looked really good as well.


The buffet also boasts of roast meats from the famous Chinese restaurant, Hua Ting. You can actually get a plate of decent char siew or chicken rice here!


There's also a live noodle station for you to get your ba chor mee (minced meat noodles), which I heard was a big hit that night among the diners. I didn't manage to try it because I was TOO FULL :P

Apparently the trick when it comes to eating more at a buffet is to not consume ANY form of liquid , as that will cause the food in your stomach to expand. So save all the drinks (even iced water or soup) to the end! 


Another Signature Class item was the Lobster Roti John, which was again something of a top indulgence, localised!


In fact there's a whole corner for curries, which I love.


And even better, a corner that showcases EIGHT types of sambal such as pineapple, lime and ikan bilis. Yes you heard right! I tried all of them, and loved that some were more sour, or sweet, but they were all not TOO hot, to cater for international guests... and me. This was perfect to go with some Braised Pork Belly Bee Hoon in Opah Leaf Pocket, which was so yummy.



We also have a open charcoal grill, which is very rare in any kitchen. This was ingenious because the racks could be adjusted to cool or heat up the meats, including some really delectable pork satays.


Here we see chef cutting up some glazed beef short ribs from the charcoal grill, which was one of the BEST items I've tried that night. Really. The price of the buffet was made, just with that one dish alone. It was tender, beefy and juicy but also with a hint of smokiness from the charcoal. 


We also had a delicious and refreshing cocktail. 


And of course there's desserts! There's a big variety of nonya kuehs available, and they were all so pretty to look at! I also tried Jasmine Tau Suan, as well as some yummy yam sponge cake, salted caramel brulee mousse and pulut hitam cake. I heard when its season there's also Durian Pengat! 


I also made my own Milo sundae, which was super fun. The desserts were really good so do save some space for them, and there's also a self-serve Smoothie Machine that will ice-blend your coffees or juice for you in a very cool way.


Anyway, I would say Orchard Cafe's relaunched Signature Class buffet is definitely one to check out if you are a fan of all-you-can-eat meals with a local emphasis. While some of their meats could be slightly dry, the short ribs and satay are not to be missed, as well as their sambal!


Orchard Cafe 
Level 1, Orchard Hotel at 442 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238879
6am to 11pm daily
Reservations

Thanks to Orchard Hotel Singapore and Leap IMS for the invite!

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