Hearth and Heat at The Carvery, Park Hotel Alexandra

Fire up the grill!

For the past weekends since April, buffet diners of The Carvery have been enjoying a very indulgent meat buffet where the meat are carefully roasted over the restaurant's brand new Argentinian Grill. What makes this different from all other barbecue pits or grills is that it has an adjustable platform allowing the chef to control the heat depending on the type of meat being grilled. He can raise the platform higher for those that shouldn't be in close contact with the fire and lower for those that should have a smokier flavor. It also evenly cooks the meat as all are laid down on the platform and are cooked in one go. As you all know, the secret to getting that perfect barbecued meat lies on the wood being used to cook. Chef Robert Chan specifically made sure that he uses a mix of firewood -- Hickory and Mesquite to bring out a distinct flavor that we later got to enjoy in our cuts of meat.

For our preview dinner, we got to try a good selection of roast meats and an equally impressive spread of sides. Let me start with the Hickory Pulled Pork with Fried Bun. My friend V has been raving about this saying that this has been everyone's favorite so far. I personally am not too wild over pork but one bite and I immediately knew what she loves it. The shredded pork literally melted in my mouth and I love the addition of slaw inside the fried bun. It's served in bite-sized portions so I can imagine one having more than 4 buns in one sitting.



We also had the Argentinian Ribeye. From the time I first dined at The Carvery, I fell deeply in love with their steak selection and this one was a winner too. Admittedly, I think it's my first time to have Argentinian steak as it's not one that's widely available in restaurants. This one has a robust flavor with a good lean meat to fat ratio. I guess it would be perfect to have this served medium or medium well but Chef Robert was so sweet to prepare a perfectly well-done steak for me. I was a bit hesitant thinking that the steak might come out to be so tough but I was wrong! I barely exerted any effort in slicing through the meat and despite the absence of blood, my steak stayed so tender till the last bite. Really really good! My plate was literally having a meat party with pork, beef and chicken on it!

The Honey Lemon Chicken was also very delightful and this is one that kids will probably love. These tender chicken slices where coated with honey and topped with lemon before grilling it to perfection. It's no wonder why we get a good sweet-sour flavor notes up until the meat nearest to the bones. Chef suggested we pair this with his homemade honey mind yogurt which I loved so much.

As for our sides, the best things to enjoy with your meat are some veggies. Of course, we gotta have a well-balanced meal. I went for the baked sweet potato which were fantastic! Can you imagine how simply this was but it was so good! These sweet potatoes were coated with sea salt and wrapped in aluminium foil before baking in the oven. I would still daydream about it today. I think it's time to recreate this at home.

Seafood lovers won't also feel out of place here as Chef and his team has prepared the Mesquite-grilled trout with Citrus Salsa.

One thing that makes The Carvery stand out is that the selections may not be a much as most hotel buffet restaurants but as it centers on it's grilled meats, all the other dishes around the buffet area were created and added to complement these. I love the thoughts and attention to detail Chef Robert and his team always give to whatever they serve to their growing patrons.

Just take my word for it, do not miss the Pasta Station. I know you're not supposed to indulge on carbs when dining at a buffet but pasta fans will low their delicious choices of pasta dishes which the Chef will prepare on the spot for you. There are a couple of sauces available and my favorite is always a mix of cream and tomato based sauce with some penne noodles.

It's also a good idea to start or end your meal with cheese. There's a good mix of hard and soft cheese available and I also find this to be a good palate cleanser in between your plates of grilled meats.

I'm feeling so sad while typing this given that I'm miles away from Singapore right now and how I wish I can go back this weekend to enjoy all these yummy selections once again. Please do me a favour and head over to The Carvery to enjoy a good slice of steak, a couple of Pulled Pork Buns or some Grilled Chicken for me.

Buffet rate:
Saturday and Sunday Lunch: S$52 (Adult), S$32 (Child)
Friday - Sunday Dinner: S$62 (Adult) - inclusive of a glass of Asahi beer, S$32 (Child)

Check out The Carvery at Level 7, Park Hotel Alexandra, 323 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159972.