The Square

Invited Food Tasting

"Are you Hot enough?"

That's the name of the new buffet spread offered at The Square at Novotel Clarke Quay. Cleverly manipulating chilli in a great number of their dishes(even desserts!), this is a buffet you wouldn't want to miss!

Meeting Jean and John was comforting because it's been a long while since I've met people who can't take chilli. Back in my junior college days, every single person around me couldn't take chilli hahaha but when I moved on to university, everyone could take chilli... And they said I'm really lousy ):


The usuals


Steamed salmon


Sushi


Asian platter and tapas






The "fire" extinguisher haha I liked the soya milk!


Three new dishes bearing tags that indicate their level of spiciness.

The three dishes are, in order of their level of spiciness

Spicy Pork - Level 1


Fish with Cream Sauce - Level 2


Chicken in Brown sauce - Level 3

 
Pretty display of desserts








Spicy fruit syrup








DIY station! You can make your own dessert with shaved ice and the huge selection of toppings!


Pure apple juice!


Yay jellyfish and Wakame seaweed!


I was actually pretty scared to try the 3 special dishes. Haha as you all know, both X and I are really bad at taking spice. However, to our surprise, the fish was not spicy at all! And I really liked it. It was coated with a light cream sauce that was savory and pleasant. The fish was also soft and very fresh! The second spiciest dish was the chicken. The spiciness came from the jalapenos that it was cooked with. And the spiciest one was the spicy pork! Even though it was supposed to be level 1. Haha maybe they mixed the signs up or something. The spiciest item in the buffet spread was probably the sambal squid haha it was super spicy!

We were telling John that the dishes weren't very spicy. I mean, if its anything that X and I can take, it probably is negatively spicy to the average Singaporean. Haha. And John said maybe the chefs took them too seriously as the three tasters who tried the new menu were all of foreign nationalities and are not accustomed to taking chilli. Haha so they must have said that everything was too spicy and the chefs reduced the spiciness accordingly haha


Laksa risotto
THIS WAS REALLY SPICY. One mouthful and I'm out. HAHA


Their signature Cheese Risotto.
This was really delicious! Infused with the sweetness of tomatoes and not overwhelmingly cheesy!


OMG I just realised that I didn't take a picture of the codfish in a delightful sauce which is a mix between laksa and French bisque. It was just a little spicy, but the codfish was so soft and nice and was really excellent with the rich and thick sauce! Can't believe I didn't take a picture of it.. I must be too excited to try it.


Ginger chicken, Black pepper Green Musssels, Prawns in Mayonnaise




Duck leg, Gammon Ham, Roasted beef


Nachos with salsa and cheese, siew mai and roasted potatoes


Seafood again!


Always my favourite part.
The orange tarts were great! And the chocolate ganache tart was so smooth and rich mhmm...


Poached pear in chocolate and chilli powder
A unique creation!


Marshmallows and mini fruit crumble
I love the fruit crumble! The crumble was so sweet and crunchy


Chocolate mousse with chilli
You're supposed to eat the chilli after the mousse... Haha obviously we didn't! There's chilli present in the mousse too. The sudden and sharp spiciness hits you fast but doesn't linger for long. Definitely a must-try!


Durian Pengat
A really popular item that durian lovers are bound to fall in love with! It might be a little sweet for some but it's really good!


For their CNY buffet, The Square is featuring a Do-It-Yourself Yusheng station! How cool is that. I'll steal all the golden pillows haha. And on Valentine's Day, "Love Is Hot" at The Square and their buffet spread will be going at $98++ for a couple! Screams "Value-for-money!"


"Are You Hot Enough" Buffet is available on 

Sunday- Thursday : 6pm- 10pm
-$48 ++ (Adult) $30++(Child)

Friday - Satuday: 6pm-10pm
-$58 ++ (Adult) $38++(Child)

Make a reservation here or call 66816667!


We'll like to thank John and Jean for having us and for such a pleasant evening! We really enjoyed ourselves!

177A River Valley Road

#07-00 Novotel Clarke Quay

Daily: 06:00 - 10:30, 12:00 - 14:30, 18:00 - 22:00

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Love, K

Azur

Invited Food Tasting

Chinese New Year is right round the corner and I'm sure everyone has been on the search for a restaurant for reunion dinners or CNY gatherings.

Located in the renowned Crowne Plaza Hotel, Azur might just be the perfect dining destination for you!




The restaurant is huge and they have round and square tables that can be arranged to fit a great number of people! Perfect for large families!







X and I took a few items to try before the the yusheng tossing

Boston Lobsters and oysters


Huge pieces of salmon and swordfish sashimi!


Giant table of yusheng!


Chef Alvin introducing the ingredients in the Three Treasures Yusheng!



Three Treasures Yusheng - $68++
(serves 8)

Asian-fusion Yusheng topped with Hokkigai Surf Clams, crispy wanton skin, ginseng and yuzu dressing and accompanied with Japanese pickled radish, picked cucumber, golden radishes, carrots, Wakame seaweed, tamago, Chinese pickled mango, pickled papaya, black fungus and bak kwa strips.

For those who will like more "yu" in their yusheng, Azur is offering Meikajiki Toro (Swordfish Belly) at $28.00+ and Fresh Norwegian Salmon at $18.00+!

And if you can't get enough of the Hokkigai Surf Clams, fret not! They can be added to the yusheng at $38.00+! 

Other toppings that are available will be Sliced Abalone at $48.00+ and the delicious Yuzu Ginseng Dressing at $8.00!

Isn't this yusheng impressive!


Also, has anyone noticed the snake head? Haha


Looks good doesn't it! But wait, it gets better!




Tadah! Sprinkled with crispy wanton skin!

Just looking at it now, makes me really hungry haha


All ready to toss to the Year of the Snake!


Here we go!!! *Chants some chinese phrases*




What's your favourite part of yusheng? My favourite is actually the golden pillows! HAHA
But this time round, the Hokkigai Surf Clams won my heart!

The ginseng and yuzu dressing is really delicious. I don't take vegetables but I didn't mind eating the vegetables in the yusheng because they were so tasty and sweet! Who knew ginseng and yuzu were such a killer combination!


Special CNY drink!
Apple juice, passion fruit juice and dragonfruit

A very unique and refreshing concoction of several flavours and textures. It's brilliant, how they could come up with this!

On top of their already impressive buffet spread, Azur is featuring special dishes that are only available for the Chinese New Year Buffet! Here are some of them!

Treasures of the Ocean Seafood Soup
Fish maw, crabmeat, dried scallops

It tasted very much like shark fin soup except that there is no shark fin! A really great appetite whetting dish!


Wok Fried Sea Prawns with Mixed Berries Infused with Margarine and Milk

This is a rendition of their butter prawns. It may seem unimaginable to some, how prawns and berries could go hand in hand. Well, we were a little surprised when we heard the combination too. And even more surprised by how good it tasted!

The prawns were extremely fresh and juicy and were bathed in a tantalizing sweet sauce that does not carry an overpowering berry taste. This delectable dish will definitely sweep you off your feet! Our favourite dish for sure!


Confit of Salmon accompanied with Darjeeling Beurre Blanc

Wonderfully soft and moist, the flavour and taste of the salmon is brought out delicately in every bite. This was my second favourite dish! The Darjeeling Beurre Blanc and caviar harmonized perfectly with the nicely-sized salmon and I'm very sure that this is gonna be really popular!


Braised Sea Cucumber, Baby Abalone with Superior “Conpoy” Gravy

Featuring all the usual favourites in a light and delicious sauce, this dish may look simple but the mix of top quality ingredients and a carefully crafted sauce will lead you to deeply appreciate the goodness in this dish! Oh those abalones...


Fragrant Glutinous Rice with Pork Belly and Pork Lard

For someone who doesn't fancy glutinous rice to really like this, can you imagine how good it was? Crazy tender pork belly which when paired with the soft and fragrant rice, delivered a surprising hint of sweetness that will leave you craving for a second portion!


Tempura Nian Kow, Lychee and Osmanthus Jello, Mandarin Orange Mousse


I love nian kow! Haha so I really liked this. Nicely crisp with a sweet sticky centre! Yum yum


The tart-like base was buttery and fragrant. A strong burst of mandarin orange exploded in my mouth as the mousse melted delicately. Powerful punches of flavours packed in a small delight!


The Chinese New Year buffet will be available from 9th-24th February. With other signature dishes such as the drunken prawns and a free flow of yusheng, this buffet is definitely a bargain at these prices!

Chinese New Year Eve Dinner( 9 February) 
– S$88++ (Adult) S$44++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Brunch (10 – 11 February) 
– S$58++ (Adult) S$29++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Dinner (10 – 11 February) 
– S$78++ (Adult) S$39++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Weekday Lunch (12 – 15, 18 – 22 February) 
– S$48++ (Adult) S$24++ (Child)

Chinese New Year Weekday Dinner (12 – 15, 18 – 22 February) 
– S$58++ (Adult) S$29++ (Child)

What are you waiting for? Make a reservation right now at 68255354! [:

We'll like to thank Carrie and Chef Alvin for having us and Derrick for this wonderful opportunity! [:

75 Airport Boulevard

2F Crowne Plaza Hotel

Daily: 06:00 - 10:30
12:00 - 14:30
18:30 - 22:30

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Love, K