The Line @ Shangri-La Singapore - The Line's Multi-Sensorial Buffet Experience Returns

The Line, Shangri-La Singapore’s buffet restaurant, has reopened its live theatre kitchens and culinary stations, where guests can now come up close and personal to catch the chefs in action preparing their favourite food and serving them. Accompanying this latest move is an update of its menu, including six signature dishes across Western, Middle Eastern, Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Start the feast with a variety of cheeses from the cheese deck or salad corner, where you can customise your own from a selection of salad choices.

Dive right into the Japanese section. Apart from the fresh seafood and sashimi, it now has a Tuna Poke Bowl, Salmon Aburi Maki and Salmon Sushi Aburi.

We had the Double Boiled Duck Soup, which was a comforting bowl of goodness prior to a night of indulgent feasting. The rich, flavourful broth was worth going for a second round.

Beef lovers will enjoy the two variations available. The first is with Hainanese-style noodles in collaboration with Wah Eng Beef Noodles, which popularised the dish, featuring a thick gravy and slices of tendon, pickled vegetables and grated peanuts. The second is the Roasted Australian Angus Prime Rib, marinated overnight with French mustard, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh herbs like thyme, sage and oregano.

Don't miss out on the laksa, a familiar favourite. The broth offers the right balance of spice and coconut milk. The piping hot bowl is topped with ingredients like prawns and fishcake.

From South Asia and the Middle East comes Matki Mutton and Lamb Ouzi, respectively. The former is slow-cooked in a traditional clay pot after the meat is marinated with yoghurt, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder and fibres of saffron. Expect a melange of aromas from the lamb ouzi explicitly hailed from Lebanon that has been stewed for 12 hours atop Arabic rice flavoured with an array of spices, nuts and raisins.

Take your pick from the scrumptious range of familiar Asian delights such as the crispy, tender Pork Belly or char siew, as well as the Chicken and Beef Satay.

Relish the Peranakan classic Babi Pongteh, where pork is braised in fermented soy bean sauce with garlic, coriander powder, brown sugar and dark soy sauce for more than an hour to yield bold, complex flavours. One of my Peranakan favourite is the Ayam Panggang. Likewise, the tender char-grilled chicken is aromatic and well-seasoned.

For something more substantial, go for the Seafood Ee Fu Noodles or Pork Fried Rice.

End the buffet on a sweet note with their extensive dessert options, such as the American Cheesecake, Cherry Blossom Cake, Coffee Roll, Rainbow Roll, Mango Mousse and Vanilla Roulade, as well as assorted Nonya Kueh. There are fluffy Waffles and different Ice Cream flavours available as well.

The Line’s signature Durian Cake, with fluffy layers of vanilla sponge and luscious filling of durian mousse, is a highlight in the dessert selections.

Flavours of the World Buffet
Lunch: 1230pm to 230pm
Thursday: SGD 68++ per adult, SGD 34++ per child*
Friday: SGD 78++ per adult, SGD 39++ per child*
Saturday: SGD 88++ per adult, SGD 44++ per child*

Dinner: 6pm to 930pm
Friday to Sunday: SGD 88++ per adult, SGD 44++ per child*

Seafood Extravaganza Buffet
Thursday Dinner: 6pm to 930pm
SGD 98++ per adult, SGD 49++ per child*

Sunday Breezy Buffet
Sunday Brunch: 1230pm to 230pm
SGD 98++ per adult, SGD 49++ per child

*Child price is applicable for children from 6 to 11 years old.

To make a reservation, please call 6213 4398 or email dining.sls@shangri-la.com.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Line
Shangri-La Hotel Singapore
Lobby Level
22 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258350
Tel: +65 62134398
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 6am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit 4. Walk towards Wheellock Place via ION. Exit Wheellock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Cross the road at the traffic light junction and turn left towards Royal Thai Embassy. Walk down to the end of Orchard Road. Turn right onto Orange Grove Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 23 minutes.[Map]

The Blue Ginger @ Great World City - Making Their Peranakan Food More Accessible To New And Younger Audience

With the revamped of Great World City, several new food establishments have opened at the shopping mall. One of these new restaurants is The Blue Ginger, an established Peranakan restaurant brands in Singapore with its flagship restaurant in Tanjong Pagar. This is only the brand's second outlet after being in the food scene for the past 25 years. The new restaurant strives to create a balance between contemporary and traditional, preserving the soul and heritage of Peranakan cuisine, while making their well-loved family recipes more accessible to a new and younger audience.

Kerabu Timun 4.2/5

Something new on the menu, at least for me is the Kerabu Timun ($8.50). I have not eaten this dish, whereby crunchy cucumber and chicken gizzards are tossed in a spicy dressing. I was told the chilli used is quite spicy, but I didn't feel it. This is probably balanced by the refreshing cucumber.

Kerabu Kacang Botol 4/5

Another refreshing starter is the Kerabu Kacang Botol ($11.50) in which crunch wing beans are tossed in a spicy, tangy dressing and topped with shallots and toasted grated coconut.

Beef Rendang 4.8/5

Not to be missed is their Beef Rendang ($20). The beef cubes which uses shin meat are cooked to fork-tender, infused with the aromatic and damn shiok rempah. You just have to enjoy this with a plate of steamed rice to savour the delicious gravy.

Ayam Panggang' Blue Ginger' 4/5

 Another delightful dish is the Ayam Panggang' Blue Ginger' ($16). The grilled boneless chicken thigh is cloaked in a rich sauce permeated with the nuances of lemongrass, galangal and coriander.

Terong Goreng Cili 4/5

The Terong Goreng Cili ($13) is cut into batonnets, deep-fried and crowned with fresh chilli paste. To balance the spiciness, sweet soya sauce is drizzled over it. I like that it still retains a soft interior, with contrasting crispiness on the exterior.

Pork Ribs Assam 4.2/5

Instead of the usual pork belly, Blue Ginger's rendition uses pork ribs instead. The Pork Ribs Assam ($16) is braised in a tamarind sauce with fall of the bone meat. The sweet and sour flavours are very appetising that will definitely whet up the appetite.

Sotong Keluak 4.8/5

The dish that got me all excited is the Sotong Keluak ($22). Unlike the usual sotong hitam that uses the squid's black ink sauce, Blue Ginger replaces it with buah keluak. The squid is stir-fried in the nutty black sauce further elevated by the addition of tamarind juice. Having tried buah keluak with chicken and pork ribs, I am surprised that sotong is my new favourite pairing. I hope more Peranakan restaurants will adopt this pairing in their menu.

Kerabu Laksa 3.8/5

Nonya Noodles 4/5

For diners looking for a quick meal, there are three one-dish meals to choose from. They are Kerabu Laksa, Nonya Noodles and Buah Keluak Fried Rice. All priced at $15 each. Probably new to a lot of people is the Nonya Noodles. It is not commonly served in restaurants as it is a treat customarily reserved for birthdays and special occasions. Quite similar to our local hokkien mee, the yellow noodles are cooked in a rich prawn and pork stock with bean sprouts, kang kong and garnished with omelette and cucumber julienne. What makes it different to the local hokkien mee is the addition of tau cheo (fermented soy bean paste) in the sauce which enhances the dish umami flavours.

Chendol or Durian Chendol 3.8/5

Not to forget to end your meal on a sweet note with a bowl of Chendol ($5). For durian lover, you may go for the Durian Chendol ($7). We thought the green rice flour jelly is a bit firm in texture as we prefer it to be softer. Hopefully, the restaurant will make that small adjustment.

Founded in 1995, The Blue Ginger is one of Singapore's oldest Peranakan restaurants, and one of the first to share the delights of Nonya cuisine outside the Peranakan home. It is great to see that they have opened a second restaurant after 25 years, making their delicious heritage food more accessible to the new and younger audience.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


The Blue Ginger
Great World City
1 Kim Seng Promenade
#01-106
Singapore 237994
Tel: +65 62357042
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Great World (TE Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun, PH: 11am - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Great World MRT station. Take Exit 2. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]