Flavours of Thai @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road

Recently, the wife and I (plus a group of bloggers) were invited to the Flavours of Thai buffet at PARKROYAL on Beach Road by the Marketing Communications Manager.

Since then, KopiKosongGirl has been nudging me to go back with her again for a meal, the next time paying from our own pockets because it's quite decently priced. We would not say it's the best Thai buffet around, but there are enough things that is nice plus some non-Thai items that has been staple in their buffet menu (like their very fresh sashimi, sio bak, drunken prawns, braised sea cucumber and soft shell crabs) that makes the wife wants to go back.

Here are some items that we had, we eat a little more usual that we usually do, but not stuffed ourselves silly.

As it was kind of a 'media' tasting, some of the food's served to our tables rather than from the buffet line. We checked, they were all looking the same at the buffet line except without these nicer serving plates and bowls.


Unlike most people, both of us like veggies and we love the Thai Papaya Salad.
Just be careful of the spicy and potent chillis!


This Thai Glass Noodle salad was quite appetizing too. I like the refreshing taste of the herbs and the slight sourish-sweet dressing on it that makes you want to have more of it.


Move over Thai Fish Cakes. Hello Thai Prawns Cakes!
You know how prawns always add a little natural sweetness to food. These prawns cakes had naturally sweet taste, nice crispy crunch and not oily at all. You can skip the sauce and eat it on its own.


The Thai Fish Maw Soup was a little salty for my tastebuds, but it was filled with delicious ingredients!


Yes, while enjoying the Thai buffet, we like to pause and indulge in some non-Thai stuff like drunken prawns!


The Thai Beef Noodle soup was quite good. Though a bit salty, it also has the slight sweetish taste to it. Probably more salty than sweet that night, it was a flavourful broth. 

Somehow the combi makes it quite a comfort food. The beef balls were those solid biting kind that gives you the satisfying 'bite'. The beef pieces on the other hand was tender yet stays in shape on your chopsticks, but when you bite it, just breaks apart in your mouth.


For those who like Roast Duck and Red Curry, the Thai Red Duck Curry would probably what you would like. KopiKosongGirl was especially happy with this curry.

Tender pieces of roast duck in a rich flavourful red curry. Already sounds quite sinful, but you can't help drinking one or two spoonfuls of that 'mesmerizing potion'. Detox can come another day.



For those who like Stir Fried Minced Pork Thai Style.
Somehow, I did not eat a lot of it, because it goes with rice, but I was not going to eat a lot of rice during a buffet. (hehe...)


Do you remember Plaza Brasserie had the 'catch of the day' buffet before?
My mother in law remembers this place by the order as much fish buffet place, we brought her here once for some celebration.

Their Executive Chef Jackson Goh knows people like their freshest catch of the day promotion, so from Mondays to Thursdays, Chef Goh will prepare Promfret, Sea Bass, Kee Fish and Tilapia fishes in one of the various styles: Spicy Thai Lime and Chilli, Thai Green Curry, Thai Red Curry or Basil in Coconut Cream.

Sounds good doesn't it?
These are just part of the menu, there are lots more stuff to try!

Some of the desserts we were served:


The Glutinous Rice that goes with the durian paste from the next photo!


The Durian Paste!
I know everyone was raving about it, but are extreme durian fanatics just tasted a bit of it! LOL!


Another of KopiKosongGirl's favourite dessert that night, the Tapioca with Coconut Cream.
Try it here if you like Tapioca dessert!


Another reason we like we having a meal here because of the variety, other than the Thai desserts like the above and Banana Fritters, Thai Red Ruby with Coconut Cream, Assorted Royal Thai Kuehs, I can have my choc cake!

This promotion runs from 5 September to 31 October 2012.

Flavours of Thai at PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591

Tel: 6505 5710

Prices:
Dinner (Mondays to Thursdays):  Adult $52  Child $31
Dinner (Fridays to Sundays): Adult $55   Child $33
Prices are subject to10% service charge and 7% Goods and Services Tax
For enquiries or reservations, please call Plaza Brasserie at 6505 5710.

Crab Feast Buffet @ Plaza Brasserie, PARKROYAL on Beach Road

Are you a crab fanatic? I know family members who are and the wife can think of friends who can eat crabs non stop at one sitting. This crab news would delight crabs lovers.

Imagine this (I am just highlighting the dishes with crabs) :

Appetisers - Dijon Crab Cakes with Coriander Paste, Baked Crab Shell, Chilli Crab Roll with Vegetables, Crab Meat Gyoza with Dip Sauce, Bread Crab Claw, Mini Crab Meat Samosas, Olive and Potato Crabmeat Balls with Pesto, Crabmeat Paste.

Mains Crabs - Chilli Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Nonya Curry Crab, Butter Crab, Stir Fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolk, Thai Green Curry Mud Crab in Sichuan Style, Stir Fried Flower Crabs with Spring Onions and Ginger, XO Crabs.

Noodles - Crab Meat Le Mien with Miso Paste, Braised Tang Hoon with Live Crabs, Crabmeat Tempura.

Hot varieries - Crabmeat Fried Rice, Crispy Soft Shell Crabs. 



Just the other day, the wife and I had the pleasure of being hosted by PARKROYAL on Beach Road at Plaza Brasserie for the Crab Feast Buffet.

To tell the truth, we were so interested in the crabs, we totally skipped the appetisers and had only the crabs. It was only later that we started to have other delicious stuff they have at their buffet like sashimi, laksa and the whole offering of food. 

Here are the photos of the crabs. I asked Ms Chang, the Marcom Manager and she said that every night, diners would get 5 different flavours of the crabs flavours listed above.


Butter Crabs. If you like the fragrance of butter in your food, try this version. It's not white with lots of milky sauce like how many places serves it, but the flavour is quite intense and flavoursome.


The style that was my favourite that night. The Stir Fried Crabs with Salted Egg Yolk. The fragrance and the flavour just goes down well with me. The distinct flavour of salted egg yolks makes you want to eat more of whatever it is cooked with.

Even after a while when the crabs were cold, it still tasted good as I was still wanting more and did not want to waste the crabs in front of me.


Chilli Crabs. With so many choices, chilli crabs though it is nice, gets kicked out one rank.
Some people love eggs in the chilli crab sauce, this is the eggless version. It's a version of more sweetish than spicy crabs.


Nonya Curry Crab. These crabs for the Nonya Curry version are the flower crabs.
Personally, I think Nonya Curry goes better with steamed fish.


XO Sauce Crabs was something very different from the rest of the crabs. It does goes well as XO sauce is made from scallops and other seafood. I have not had XO Crabs before, my first time.


The man behind the different flavours and variations of the crabs, Chef Jackson.
His team must be quite innovative to come up with so many crab dishes every night.


Eating crabs alone has no carbs. However if you need carbs, have your crabs with the deep fried mantous. I was thinking of having non carbs that night, but I succumb when I saw these golden buns.

I also walked around and got tempted with more food, and had a bowl of laksa from the noodles section together with roast pork from another station.

Consider having crab dishes at Kopitiam Zi char around $40 for a crab, and around $80-90 for a crab at higher end seafood restaurants, the prices here if you can eat crabs plus their usual Asian and Continental delights is $52-$55 for adults is quite reasonable.

Sumptous Crab Feast at PARKROYAL on Beach Road
Date: 5 July to 31 August 2012

Dinner (Mon-Thu): Adult $52, Child $31
Dinner (Fri-Sun): Adult $55, Child $33
Prices are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal on Beach Road 7500 Beach Road Singapore 199591 Tel: 6505 5710

Festive Feasting @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road

How many of you have started the Christmas Feasting? Some like our family, will roast our own Turkey(s) every year and have it with at home with our family.

I know many can't cook or do not have the time to cook, and prefer to dine out. A few days ago, on the invitation of PARKROYAL on Beach Road, we had a Christmas / New Year buffet at the Plaza Brasserie.

Maybe for some of you who wants to head out for a Christmas lunch or dinner, this might be an option that is not that expensive.



You probably have read previously what they serve on their usual buffet, from the 15 to 31 December 2011, they have additional festive food for their Festive Feasting.





There's the delicious chicken rice, sashimi, laksa, soft shell crabs, spicy stir fried beef that makes you salivate. There are many more, but I shall focus this post on their Christmas and New Year offerings.




The 'live' station where a selection of "Roasted Turkey with Sausage Meat, Chestnut and Mushroom Stuffing", "Roasted Honey Glazed Ham with Pineapple and  and Cranberry Sauce", "Roasted Ribeye on Wagon served with Herbs Sauce" and "Duck served with Chili and Plum Sauce".

Last Saturday when we were there, we had the Turkey and Honey Glazed Ham.



Their specialty, the Roasted Turkey and the Roasted Honey Glazed Ham.



If you have been to their buffet last Christmas, the hotel continues the tradition of having 12 signature sauces to complement the Christmas Turkey.

Sauces include Laksa Sauce, Giblet Sauce, Cranberry Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Rendang Sauce, Thai Mango Sauce, Satay Sauce, Black Pepper Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Tong Gui Herbal Sauce, Sichuan Sauce and Pineapple Sauce.

My favourite sauce of all? The Thai Mango Sauce!




If Turkeys, Hams and Roast Meats are not the thing for you, you can just feast on their Christmas cakes and cookies.

Yes, I was the 'first' to go for desserts while others are indulging on other food. Probably my 3rd log cake this year so far.



Christmas Fruit Cake. One of my favourite cakes around is the fruit cake.
They also serve the Christmas Pudding with Brandy sauce. I did not see it though, probably it's for dinner or yet to be displayed out.



Ginger Bread and other assorted Christmas Cookies were also served.




Tempted? I was, that's why I took some first!



I snagged the corner piece with the chocolate. I should have gotten some ice cream and have it together with the cakes!

So how much does it cost? Depends on what day and whether it's lunch or dinner.
Quite affordable I reckon.

Here's the Festive Feasting prices:

Festive Period	Dates	Lunch	Dinner
Pre-Christmas	15 to 23 December 2011	Adult: $38 Child: $23	Adult: $48 Child: $29
Christmas Eve	24 December 2011	Adult: $38 Child: $23	Adult: $78 Child: $47
Christmas Day	25 December 2011	Adult: $58 Child: $35	Adult: $58 Child: $35
Pre-New Year	26 to 30 December 2011	Adult: $38 Child: $23	Adult: $48 Child: $29
New Year's Eve	3 December 2011	Adult: $38 Child: $23	Adult: $78 Child: $47
New Year's Day	1 January 2012	Adult: $58 Child: $35	Adult: $58 Child: $35

Prices are subject to service charge and government taxes.


Plaza Brasserie's Festive Takeaway Gourmet Treats:

Christmas Takeaway Gourmet Treats Selection	Prices
Honey Baked Ham (1.5kg)	$68
Traditional Turkey (4kg) with 4 sauces per order, extra sauces at $5 each	$98
Honey Baked Ham and House Wine	$98
Traditional Turkey and House Wine	$128
Traditional Turkey and Honey Baked Ham	$148
Traditional Turkey, Honey Baked Ham and House Wine	$178
Traditional Turkey, Honey Baked Ham and Mumm NV Champagne	$228

Prices are subject to service charge and government taxes.


I liked their Honey Baked Ham and will be ordering one for a Christmas pot luck gathering with some friends.

Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal on Beach Road 7500 Beach Road Singapore 199591 Tel: 6505 5710

Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal Beach Road

If you like Asian Buffets, you should check out the Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal Beach Road. They have quite a good selection of Asian food and for this month (I know it's ending soon that's why I have to quickly rush out this post) they have a "Treasures of the Sea" promotion.

Quoting from their website:
"Indulge in a variety of fresh seafood, including flower crabs, queen scallops, tiger prawns, oysters, mussels, clams and much more! Enjoy rounds of sake oyster shots, chilli crab, bamboo clams and drunken prawns in herbal soup, all on the buffet spread.

From Mondays to Fridays, pick your favourite fish from our ‘Catch of the Day’ section and our chefs will prepare it in your preferred sauce and style."

Thanks to the folks at the hotel's PR department who hosted a few of us, we really enjoyed what we saw and ate.

Here are some of the samples of the food that you got to try. You pick the seafood you want from the counter and the way you want it cooked. The chefs will prepare it fresh for you and deliver it to your table.



Soft shell crabs with 5 spice powder.These were super duper crispy crabs, slightly on the salty side, but it was really delicious! I had one bite and loved it so much, I quickly had a second piece. My mum loves to use 5 spice powder in her food, so grew up liking the smell and taste of it. This dish really makes me happy.

They also have soft shell crabs on the buffet tables, but this "prepare as you order" version has 5 spice powder and taste crispier.




Grey Prawns with spicy garlic sauce.
If you like prawns, this combination really makes you salivate. Prawns and garlic are a good combination and making it spicy is even better! By licking on the sweet, sourish and spicy sauce on the prawns, you know you would want more. The prawns were really fresh too.




White Clams with Spicy Onion Sauce
This was my favourite for that afternoon. It's probably because it's onions sauce! I think clams or shell fish that are smaller in size tastes better. Since the rest were busy snapping photos, trying to get their perfect shot, I was indulging in this. I probably finished quarter of this huge bowl of clams served.




Green Shell Mussels with black bean sauce.
These were nice, but I could only eat 2 and I have enough of it. I personally prefer smaller ones as bigger shell fish has this 'ocean taste' (not fishy, but this ocean smell or iodine aftertaste) that makes you control your intake to a few of it.




Fresh black mussels with sambal sauce.
I like this dish too, my personal bias to smaller shell fish. I can eat and eat and eat this stuff. Probably because it was small, you enjoy eating it without getting the stuffed feeling.




Bamboo Clams with Black Bean Sauce.
I personally find the bamboo clams chewy. The black bean sauce was nice though.
In my mind, I associate bamboo clams with lots and lots of garlic with light premium soy sauce. hehe. Like the ones here.




We were glad to meet Mr Jackson Goh the Executive Chef.
He's the guy who comes out and quality controls the food that comes out of his kitchen. He has done a pretty good job!




I went around the hot food buffet area and saw that they have sea cucumber too.
The way I like it done! Braised with Roast Pork! You should try this.




This was probably Miss Tam Chiak's or Hungrycow's bowl of laksa which I tasted a spoonful of.
Very nice!



I was told on certain days there will be chicken rice served.
I could not resist and helped myself to a small portion of it. Glistering rice and smooth tender chicken.




A portion of the roast pork, bbq pork and roast duck that I shared with fellow diners.
The BBQ pork has a taste of 'chinese wine', which I knew the wife would love if she comes here.




The buffet also has a dessert section which is quite good. The 'must try' I was told will be the Chocolate Truffle Cake. Was told it's to die for!


Guess what?
It was the wife's birthday this week, and the in-laws wanted to go for a buffet dinner and I said we should come here! I really think this place is worth the money spent so I recommended this place. Well, after the dinner, both parents-in-law thought it was really a good choice.

Well, they love fish and if you go on a week night, there's a "Catch of the Day" promotion. We were there last Friday and we had two fish.



The HK style steamed Seabream.



The HK style steamed Seabass.

Dad-in-law picked two fish and knowing mum-in-law loves fish steamed HK style, both fish were cooked the same way. We had 1 fish first and when we finished the first fish, we ordered another!




The food we ate last Friday night is exactly like the one prepared for the 'bloggers tasting'.
Well, just without the extra garnishing for photo taking. LOL

The wife finally got to taste the soft shell crab that I said was very crispy and nice.




Still did not really enjoy the bamboo clams.



But I loved the black mussels in onion sauce. Nice!



Also, the white clams with sambal sauce. We were full by eating seafood! Overeating!

Parents-in-law and the wife were indulging in the fresh oysters! It's scary how they can eat so many of it at one go. They did not believe I did not eat any at all! People always say I 'rugi' because I don't eat the oysters. I just say, eat more on my behalf! This was before our 'cooked to order' seafood arrived.

They only served 2 types of sashimi, but they were fresh. Momo thought the laksa as good too.
I don't know which brand of ice cream they served, but it was quite nice! Momo and I think it taste familiar, but can't put a 'brand' to it, I had like 4 scoops with those coloured rocks chocolate bits.

The parents-in-law enjoyed the Durian mousse that was on the dessert table too. The pulut hitam was nice too! You should try it!




We thought we would come for this self paid meal in 'stealth mode', so it was not under my name, but in dad-in-laws name for the reservation. The very observant PR director was quick to spot it and drop me a note on whatsapp. She knew it was the wife's birthday, but with so little time, she arranged for a little surprise! How cute right?

Parents in law paid for the meal with the UOB card and got 20% discount.


Treasures of the Sea buffet dinner
2 September - 30 October 2011

Mondays to Thursdays: Adult • S$45 | Child (3 to 12 years old) • S$27
Fridays to Sundays : Adult • S$48 | Child (3 to 12 years old) • S$29


Prices are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.





Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591

Tel: 6505 5710