Flavours of India 2016: Melt Cafe in Mandarin Oriental Singapore
One of my favorite time of the year is here and we only got 2 weeks to enjoy it!
It's time for Melt Cafe's annual Flavours of India promotion and if there's any buffet theme that I love the most about Melt then this would probably be it. You see, Melt Cafe offers a wide range of dishes from a good selection of fresh seafood to an interesting line-up of salads, roasted meats, desserts, cheese, Western and Asian dishes but did you know that they also serve one of the yummiest Indian dishes in town? For instance, always make sure to try their freshly made prata (I love the garlic and cheese variants) as well as their curries and tandooris too.
I was fortunate to try last year's Flavours of India where we had an interesting wine pairing dinner which was actually my first time to have wine with Indian food. Normally, I'd go for some Mango Lassi to balance out the possible spiciness of some of the dishes. This time around, Chef Santosh Kumar outdid himself again with these mouthwatering dishes which are all part of the buffet selection for both lunch and dinner from 16 to 31 May 2016.
Let me take you through some of the dishes that really stood out for me in this special buffet line-up:
Kachemas Ki Biryani (Whole Lamb Biryani)
This sits at the head of the buffet section and take my advice and help yourself to a generous serving of this flavorful and really tender lamb biryani. This has been cooked for 10 hours if I'm not mistaken so expect the lamb meat to easily flake off by just using your fork and the rice was just so delicious. I was even so lucky to have Chef Santosh personally served a good amount of biryani on my plate.
Prawn Curry
If I'm not mistaken, this has been part of Melt's buffet line-up for years and yet it's really one of the best that I've tasted so far. I just love the crisp, fresh prawns simmered in thick and really flavorful curry sauce. The best way to enjoy this? Either have it with a plate of garlic prata which they also prepare on the spot or a cup of basmati rice. Yum!!
Tiranga Pulav (Tri-Colored Rice)
This really caught my attention from the moment I got to this part of the buffet set-up. I love how the rice was arranged to represent the Indian flag. Flavor-wise, it just tastes like your typical fragrant basmati rice but I got to give them A for effort and creativity.
Aloo Patty with Foie Gras
Sure, we know all about Indian curry, paneer, papadum or tandoori but it was my first time to try this interesting creation of creamy potato patty made into bite-sized portions and topped with a generous slice of foie gras! OMG! Such delicious thing to indulge on and I have to say that it was really yummy.
Dal Saat Nizam (Lentils Curry)
I love dhal and I have to say that this one was really good. The spices were very distinct and I just found out that Chef didn't made use of one type of lentils but inside has 7..yes s-e-v-e-n types of lentils.
Bhel Puri
Readers of this blog knows how crazy I am over chips and junk food (sorry Mommy!) so I immediately fell in love with this interesting mix of puffed rice, tomatoes, onions, nuts and what looks like fried instant noodles. It reminds me of cereals or those mixed nuts that I love munching on while watching a movie. The station for this Bhel Puri is located at the side near the glass door leading to the barbecue station so do not forgot to drop by and try it yourself.
Of course, aside from these interesting dishes, I couldn't resist but get some of my usual favorites at Melt Cafe. I got to admit that other hotel buffets may have a wider selection of dishes but the reason why Melt Cafe remains to be one of my favorites here in Singapore is the fact that they put so much effort on serving top quality dishes and the taste is always consistently good
For example, I can go back 10 more times and I can be assured that my favorite piece of lobster will always be fresh and meaty. Also, I know that when I start my meal with sushi, I can be assured to have my favorite salmon sashimi together with some yummy wasabi and good quality soy sauce.
Then, as I move on to the main dish, I always end up discovering a new favorite. From what began as the baked salmon and roast duck, I discovered that they also served this delicious Polenta Mashed Potato so it's pretty much corn + potato but it's the only type of corn that I can take. So I happily ate away. Lastly, dessert at Melt Cafe is something that I always look forward to. Be it their homemade marshmallow, their fresh cut-up fruits and juice to their delicious Chocolate Cake, I also make sure that I visit the crepe station and each time I would try a new combination which has never failed to delight my taste buds.
After typing all these, I'm really craving for more of that delicious Lamb Biryani.. hmm I really want to go back soon!
Buffet Rate:
Lunch Buffet : S$62 (Mon to Sat) / S$98 (Sunday Brunch)
Dinner Buffet :S$78 (Sun to Wed) / S$88 (Thurs to Sat).
Melt Cafe is located at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore in 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797. Call them at 6338-0066 to make reservations.
I was fortunate to try last year's Flavours of India where we had an interesting wine pairing dinner which was actually my first time to have wine with Indian food. Normally, I'd go for some Mango Lassi to balance out the possible spiciness of some of the dishes. This time around, Chef Santosh Kumar outdid himself again with these mouthwatering dishes which are all part of the buffet selection for both lunch and dinner from 16 to 31 May 2016.
Let me take you through some of the dishes that really stood out for me in this special buffet line-up:
Kachemas Ki Biryani (Whole Lamb Biryani)
This sits at the head of the buffet section and take my advice and help yourself to a generous serving of this flavorful and really tender lamb biryani. This has been cooked for 10 hours if I'm not mistaken so expect the lamb meat to easily flake off by just using your fork and the rice was just so delicious. I was even so lucky to have Chef Santosh personally served a good amount of biryani on my plate.
Prawn Curry
If I'm not mistaken, this has been part of Melt's buffet line-up for years and yet it's really one of the best that I've tasted so far. I just love the crisp, fresh prawns simmered in thick and really flavorful curry sauce. The best way to enjoy this? Either have it with a plate of garlic prata which they also prepare on the spot or a cup of basmati rice. Yum!!
Tiranga Pulav (Tri-Colored Rice)
This really caught my attention from the moment I got to this part of the buffet set-up. I love how the rice was arranged to represent the Indian flag. Flavor-wise, it just tastes like your typical fragrant basmati rice but I got to give them A for effort and creativity.
Aloo Patty with Foie Gras
Sure, we know all about Indian curry, paneer, papadum or tandoori but it was my first time to try this interesting creation of creamy potato patty made into bite-sized portions and topped with a generous slice of foie gras! OMG! Such delicious thing to indulge on and I have to say that it was really yummy.
Dal Saat Nizam (Lentils Curry)
I love dhal and I have to say that this one was really good. The spices were very distinct and I just found out that Chef didn't made use of one type of lentils but inside has 7..yes s-e-v-e-n types of lentils.
Bhel Puri
Readers of this blog knows how crazy I am over chips and junk food (sorry Mommy!) so I immediately fell in love with this interesting mix of puffed rice, tomatoes, onions, nuts and what looks like fried instant noodles. It reminds me of cereals or those mixed nuts that I love munching on while watching a movie. The station for this Bhel Puri is located at the side near the glass door leading to the barbecue station so do not forgot to drop by and try it yourself.
Of course, aside from these interesting dishes, I couldn't resist but get some of my usual favorites at Melt Cafe. I got to admit that other hotel buffets may have a wider selection of dishes but the reason why Melt Cafe remains to be one of my favorites here in Singapore is the fact that they put so much effort on serving top quality dishes and the taste is always consistently good
The best part? Being served your dessert with a warm big smile. :)
After typing all these, I'm really craving for more of that delicious Lamb Biryani.. hmm I really want to go back soon!
Buffet Rate:
Lunch Buffet : S$62 (Mon to Sat) / S$98 (Sunday Brunch)
Dinner Buffet :S$78 (Sun to Wed) / S$88 (Thurs to Sat).
Melt Cafe is located at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore in 5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square, Singapore 039797. Call them at 6338-0066 to make reservations.
