Heritage Flavours at Ellenborough Market Cafe, Singapore
Singapore's 50th National Day has passed already but the celebration continues! After all, the country has such a colourful history and it's really amazing to see how far they've come and how much everyone have all worked so hard to make Singapore what it is today -- a pretty awesome place to be!
In the foodie front, Singapore has made itself Southeast Asia's food mecca. With a wide array of cuisines to choose from, I tell you, you'll immediately be spoilt with choices here. Craving for Italian? Indian? Malaysian? French? even Austrian food can be found here! However, what makes Singapore unique are it's heritage dishes that withstood the test of time and these are kitchen secrets that have been passed on for generations to generations.
A day before SG50, I was invited to dine at Ellenborough Market Cafe to check out the Heritage Flavours Buffet which will be available till Sunday, 23 August 2015. As you know, buffets can get pretty overwhelming so let me guide you through to make sure you don't miss out on the yummy ones.
Fish Maw and Crab Meat Soup
This is a good way to start your meal or before joining the battle, as they would say. Warm your tummy with this delicious Oriental-inspired Fish Maw and Crab Meat where you will surely get a generous serving of shredded crab meat and fish maw flakes in every spoonful.
Shrimp Mango Salad
I also wandered towards the salad station where I always make it a habit to have some greens or fresh pre-mixed salads and I spotted this. How can you no to getting all the plump shrimp and sweet mango cubes that you can fill your bowl with? Even my friend D enjoyed this one as well!
Nonya Laksa
Call me a late bloomer but it's only lately that I've grown fond of the famous Laksa. Ellenborough Market Cafe's version just had the right spicy kick and you'll love the creamy soup and the cut-up glass noodles with a piece of prawn too. Yum!
Assorted Japanese Sushi
I love sushi and this is one thing that I never miss when dining in buffets. Admittedly, the selection here was quite limited but I'm happy to get my favorite salmon sashimi and hand-rolled makis.
Slipper Lobster with Black Bean Sauce
Really delicious! I love that they have chopped the lobster open making it so easy to just pluck out the meat, swirl it onto the black bean sauce before taking a bite. Yum!!
Chili Crab with Mantou
Next to the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Laksa, this is one iconic Singaporean dish. I skipped in getting my hands dirty this time but I tried a spoonful of chili crab sauce with the mantou which was pretty good. It would have been better though if the mantou was softer and easier to bite into.
Assorted Satay
I love skewered meat and satay definitely sits on top of my list. I really can't resist the tender chunks of chicken, beef or mutton all covered with the delicious peanut sauce. D and I were trying out best to eat less as we still have dinner #2 after this but I couldn't help but get one plate of satay just for myself. No regrets!
Fried Carrot Cake
Pretty bite-sized pieces of wok-fried carrot cake came spilling out of the banana leaf cone. Just a-okay for me as I like my carrot cake bursting with more flavour.
Durian Fried Rice
It's almost the end of the durian season here in Singapore so now is the perfect time to indulge. I know that not a lot of people would go for this but take my word for it, go and try it. Who knows?! You might just like it! Luckily, I'm a fan of durian so I happily enjoyed my bowl of fried rice. It surprisingly complemented the savory fried rice.
Char Kuay Teow
If rice is not your thing, then head outside to get your fill of char kuey teow cooked on the spot. The noodles had a good bite and it's loaded with an assortment of seafood too.
What a feast! Now, are you ready for dessert?
Having dined at quite a number of hotel buffets in the past, I'd say that Ellenborough Market Cafe has one of the most extensive dessert spread that I've seen. It has everything from local hawker-style desserts, Malay kuehs, fresh fruits and cakes too!
Check out this Pandan-flavoured fondue where I tried to cover my stick of marshmallow and strawberry with. It was just alright and I still prefer the usual dark or milk chocolate.
For this season though, don't forget to head out as the limelight belongs to the "king of fruits" otherwise known as Durian. Look at that plump, creamy center! *drooool*
I really wanted to get my hands on those durian meat but I thought of my friend B whom D and I are meeting after this dinner and I was scared that she might faint upon smelling my durian breath so I skipped the chance to feast on this. I think I should pretty soon though!
For those who do not want to get their hands dirty, try the durian-filled desserts available such as the Durian Crepe, Deep Fried Durian Pengat and Durian Crumble. I personally liked the Deep-Fried Durian Pengat the most.
Make it part of your weekend schedule to head over to Swissotel Merchant Court in Clarke Quay and take part of the Heritage Flavours Buffet at Ellenborough Market Cafe. It's such a good deal for only S$68 ++ (adult) / S$34 ++ (kids).
Ellenborough Market Cafe is located at the Ground Floor of Swissotel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Road, Singapore 178882. Closest MRT station would be Clarke Quay.
In the foodie front, Singapore has made itself Southeast Asia's food mecca. With a wide array of cuisines to choose from, I tell you, you'll immediately be spoilt with choices here. Craving for Italian? Indian? Malaysian? French? even Austrian food can be found here! However, what makes Singapore unique are it's heritage dishes that withstood the test of time and these are kitchen secrets that have been passed on for generations to generations.
A day before SG50, I was invited to dine at Ellenborough Market Cafe to check out the Heritage Flavours Buffet which will be available till Sunday, 23 August 2015. As you know, buffets can get pretty overwhelming so let me guide you through to make sure you don't miss out on the yummy ones.
This is a good way to start your meal or before joining the battle, as they would say. Warm your tummy with this delicious Oriental-inspired Fish Maw and Crab Meat where you will surely get a generous serving of shredded crab meat and fish maw flakes in every spoonful.
I also wandered towards the salad station where I always make it a habit to have some greens or fresh pre-mixed salads and I spotted this. How can you no to getting all the plump shrimp and sweet mango cubes that you can fill your bowl with? Even my friend D enjoyed this one as well!
Call me a late bloomer but it's only lately that I've grown fond of the famous Laksa. Ellenborough Market Cafe's version just had the right spicy kick and you'll love the creamy soup and the cut-up glass noodles with a piece of prawn too. Yum!
I love sushi and this is one thing that I never miss when dining in buffets. Admittedly, the selection here was quite limited but I'm happy to get my favorite salmon sashimi and hand-rolled makis.
Really delicious! I love that they have chopped the lobster open making it so easy to just pluck out the meat, swirl it onto the black bean sauce before taking a bite. Yum!!
Next to the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Laksa, this is one iconic Singaporean dish. I skipped in getting my hands dirty this time but I tried a spoonful of chili crab sauce with the mantou which was pretty good. It would have been better though if the mantou was softer and easier to bite into.
I love skewered meat and satay definitely sits on top of my list. I really can't resist the tender chunks of chicken, beef or mutton all covered with the delicious peanut sauce. D and I were trying out best to eat less as we still have dinner #2 after this but I couldn't help but get one plate of satay just for myself. No regrets!
Pretty bite-sized pieces of wok-fried carrot cake came spilling out of the banana leaf cone. Just a-okay for me as I like my carrot cake bursting with more flavour.
It's almost the end of the durian season here in Singapore so now is the perfect time to indulge. I know that not a lot of people would go for this but take my word for it, go and try it. Who knows?! You might just like it! Luckily, I'm a fan of durian so I happily enjoyed my bowl of fried rice. It surprisingly complemented the savory fried rice.
If rice is not your thing, then head outside to get your fill of char kuey teow cooked on the spot. The noodles had a good bite and it's loaded with an assortment of seafood too.
What a feast! Now, are you ready for dessert?
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| photo by D |
I really wanted to get my hands on those durian meat but I thought of my friend B whom D and I are meeting after this dinner and I was scared that she might faint upon smelling my durian breath so I skipped the chance to feast on this. I think I should pretty soon though!
Make it part of your weekend schedule to head over to Swissotel Merchant Court in Clarke Quay and take part of the Heritage Flavours Buffet at Ellenborough Market Cafe. It's such a good deal for only S$68 ++ (adult) / S$34 ++ (kids).
Ellenborough Market Cafe is located at the Ground Floor of Swissotel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Road, Singapore 178882. Closest MRT station would be Clarke Quay.
