Tiffin Room @ Raffles Hotel Singapore

Christmas is coming, and each hotelier has its own way of celebrating this joyous occasion with its guests. If you would like to experience a cross cultural Christmas experience, dining at Tiffin Room at our iconic Raffles hotel this year may be a good option. For this festive month of December, Chef de Cuisine Kuldeep Negi has created a special buffet menu for lunch and dinner featuring some of the restaurant’s North Indian signatures.

Red Snapper 3.5/5, Spinach 3.5/5, Butter Chicken 3/5, Murgh Dum Biryani 4/5

Seldom that I will head straight to the mains instead of the starters, but I was magnetised by the array of curries and the golden bryani rice. I started off with a bit of each – fish curry, meat, greens, rice and yogurt. The Basmati Rice says a lot about quality. Perfectly cooked, each grain was close, yet separated from one another at the same time. Perhaps it is the rose water that it has been cooked it, it embedded a fragrance which elevates the overall taste of the basmati rice. The Red Snapper curry was milder than I imagined it would be, and relatively light on the palette. That discarded my worry of leaving this place ‘heavier’ than I should be. I particularly like the Spinach. It wasn’t oily, compared to what I have tried elsewhere. Despite being mashed, it still tasted ‘green’!.

There is also a vegetarian section, which is just as tasty as its counterpart. Apart from the Spinach, you should also try the Dal Makhani, a curry made with Black Lentils Cooked Overnight with Tomatoes, Butter and Cream. I saw quite a few going back for a few more servings.

Palak Ki Tikki 4/5

From their vegetarian section, don't miss out their deep-fried Spinach Patties. It has a very enjoyable chewy texture and robust flavour.

Roasted Stuffed Christmas Turkey 3.8/5

A Christmas spread wont be completed without live carving stations. Tonight the stars were the Roasted Stuffed Christmas Turkey and Glazed Christmas Ham. The turkey meat was juicy and tender. Its stuffing was served at the side. I had my fair share of roasted butternut and brussels sprouts, which were great accompaniments to the meat.

Keema Mattar 3.8/5

In between we had 2 Pass Around Dishes. I quite like the sweetness in the minced Lamb Curry, and eating it with the piping hot naan was comforting.

Khumb-e-Malai 3.8/5

The Grilled Mushroom filled with Cheese, Onion, Garlic and Cream Cheese was very juicy, something that I didn’t expect coming from Indian cuisine.

Tummy half filled, I visited the cold section. That was when I spotted an array of colourful chutneys. I have always love Indian Chutneys. Sweet and tangy, they complement savoury dishes really well. I tried a couple of them as I went for my second round of mains. I so regretted not taking them in my first round!

Bread and Butter Pudding with Brandy 4/5 

For desserts, I was quite impressed with its western desserts. I love its mini Bread and Butter Pudding with Brandy. The brandy sauce was so yummy that I almost drown my pudding in it. I adores its homemade Rum and Raisin ice cream. It was infused with cardamom, and hence it has a more complex flavour. It tastes as delicious as it smells.

Wines from India is also available if you would like to make it a real complete experience. Simple spread but the flavours are robust and intense enough to satiate my appetite. With its antiquated and charming surrounding, it does set everyone in the mood for Christmas!

North Indian Curry Buffet Lunch & Dinner with Live Festive Carving Station
Date: 1 December to 24 December 2015
Price
Lunch: $65++ per Adult, $35++ per Child
Dinner: $75++ per Adult, $40++ per Child

Photograph and written by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Tiffin Room
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 64121190
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12pm - 2pm
Dinner: 7pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Cut through Raffles City Shopping Centre. Walk to Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Walk to Beach Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Tendon Ginza Itsuki @ Tanjong Pagar Road

Tendon Ginza Itsuki at Orchid Hotel, Tanjong Pagar is Ramen Keisuke's eighth and latest concept outlet in Singapore. The newest concept offers delightful one bowl soul food meals to the diners, served in a special porcelain bowls by Arita (a 400 year old porcelain brand from Japan).

The menu at Tendon Ginza Itsuki is very simple. There are only 2 items on the menu. Special Tendon  - Tempura on Rice ($13.90) and Vegetable Tendon - Vegetable Tempura on Rice ($12.90). Complimentary pickled cabbage are served at the table. Diners can help themselves to them. Tempura is all fried stuff, so these pickles are very thoughtful to help cut through the greasiness.

Steamed Egg 4/5

Besides the complimentary pickled cabbage, the Tendon also comes with Steamed Egg and Miso Soup. It basically is like having a set meal.

Vegetable Tendon 3.5/5

The Vegetable Tendon comes with tempura pumpkin, shiitake mushroom, lotus root, eggplant and 4 pieces of other vegetables. This is a delightful rice bowl with abundance of vegetables to fill up the stomach. The other highlight is the tendon sauce that is drizzled over the rice bowl, which lifted the flavour of the tempura and rice. The tendon sauce is also available at table side if you want to add more of it.

Special Tendon 4.2/5

My recommendation would to go for the Special Tendon that comes with 2 pieces of prawn, 2 pieces of chicken and 4 pieces of vegetables. There is even a half boiled egg hidden underneath the pile of tempura. I find that this is a more satisfying rice bowl with the prawn, chicken, egg and vegetables. Drizzled with the tendon sauce, this accentuated the flavour a notch.

I think Tendon Ginza Itsuki is really value for money with its hearty and comforting bowl of tempura on rice. It was also quite entertaining sitting at the bar counter watching the chefs preparing each tendon upon order. However be warn that you will leave the place smelling like tempura. Do spread yourself with some Febreze fabric refresher provided at the cashier counter before leaving the restaurant.


Tendon Ginza Itsuki
101 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088522
Tel: +65 62216678
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 10pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Orchid Hotel. Turn right at Tanjong Pagar Road. Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road towards the row of shop houses. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]