12
1
1
Level4
333
3
2015-10-08 737 views
See my full reviews & photos at = http://chefquak.com/2015/10/08/good-value-peranakan-buffet-ellenborough-market-cafe-on-8oct2015/went with a friend, who is an accomplished peranakan home chef himself, to ellenborough market cafe for lunch today on 8.10.2015. ^^this my second time here this year, after a hiatus of probably 8 or 10 years. never get to use the FAR (feed at raffles) 50% vouchers for many years at this or other FAR restaurants either.ambience was pretty nice. friend who is more fami
Read full review
See my full reviews & photos at = http://chefquak.com/2015/10/08/good-value-peranakan-buffet-ellenborough-market-cafe-on-8oct2015/
went with a friend, who is an accomplished peranakan home chef himself, to ellenborough market cafe for lunch today on 8.10.2015. ^^
this my second time here this year, after a hiatus of probably 8 or 10 years. never get to use the FAR (feed at raffles) 50% vouchers for many years at this or other FAR restaurants either.
ambience was pretty nice. friend who is more familiar with this place thought it’s usually quite packed & was surprised that it wasn’t.
there was a cold appetizer section with prawns, yabbies, mussels.
prawns was good, i guess quite standard.
yabbies nice to look at & admire. as we know, not much meat & also meat is rougher that prawns, not as fine & sweet.
there was a salad section bread soup & bread.
there were 2 soup – a chinese lie tong type, pork ribs i think & a cream of tomato with basil. i wasn’t too interested so did not take photos.
i tried the lady fingers. pretty ok.
the prawn mushrooms. ok too.
there was only salmon sashimi & some maki sushi.
i started with sashimi, cold appetiser & salad.
didn’t look particularly great, but the salmon sashimi was quite excellent. fresh & sweet & i like the oily belly cuts. ^^
friend made 6 kueh pie tee (you have to add the ingredients onto the hat yourself).
they were nice, good standard.
i think the chinese ramen was the bestest dish!^^
ramen chef made a live demo, whacking the marble top with the flour noodles.
freshly made & rather thick.
but it was super nice! excellent texture, wholesome taste, a super broth to rival any tonkotsu & very tasty meatballs.
i liked the babi pongteh too. just perfect texture & so flavourful.liked the chicken too.
very nice curry, some very fragrant galangal taste & ginger fibre texture.
the hong kong steamed garoupa was also very well done.
problem with buffet – you take a tiny morsel here, and there & your plate & stomach are full.
the sea sumcumber duck was also very good.
duck was very tender, very lightly & nicely flavoured. i had a second helping.
did too for the babi pongteh & ayam buah keluak.
din take the fruits nor the ahborling (sesame dumplings) & most other dessert.
basically took some durian pengat.
they were very good.
usually i go for semi buffet where the main course is an ala carte order like at one ninety @ four seasons hotel or equinox or basilico, like a fine dining main course.
for buffets like the edge or carousel or olive tree (all i mostly don’t really like) or 10 at claymore with ala carte buffet items (which i like), i go for the appetizer & skips most of the main course.
here at EMC, there is very little appetizer to talk about (say c/w one ninety or equinox), fortunately main courses tasted quite well.
best thing was the price. just S$19++pax weekday lunch after 50% FAR discounts, nothing to complain about, and the best thing was that the dishes were really quite good.
& the great ambience, good company & conversation.
ramen chef live demo
131 views
0 likes
0 comments
babi pongteh
127 views
0 likes
0 comments
kueh pie tee
129 views
0 likes
0 comments
salmon sashimi
118 views
0 likes
0 comments
prawns & yabbies
111 views
0 likes
0 comments
chinese ramen par excellence
92 views
0 likes
0 comments
sea cucumber duck
96 views
0 likes
0 comments
salad section
89 views
0 likes
0 comments
durian pengat
80 views
0 likes
0 comments
ayam buah keluak
83 views
0 likes
0 comments
hk steamed garoupa
90 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2015-10-08
Dining Method
Dine In
Spending Per Head
$23
Level4
2015-08-14 535 views
For more photos, check out my blogpost:http://hazeldiary.com/2015-08-ellenborough-market-cafe-swissotel-merchant-court/August has been a fabulous month with the celebration of SG50, Golden Jubilee of Singapore and also my birthday month. I had a foodolicious over the jubilee weekend. One of the highlight is the food tasting session with foodies at Ellenborough Market Café, Swissotel Merchant Court. It was my second visit and you can read about my first visit here as a pay customer last year.What
Read full review
For more photos, check out my blogpost:http://hazeldiary.com/2015-08-ellenborough-market-cafe-swissotel-merchant-court/

August has been a fabulous month with the celebration of SG50, Golden Jubilee of Singapore and also my birthday month. I had a foodolicious over the jubilee weekend. One of the highlight is the food tasting session with foodies at Ellenborough Market Café, Swissotel Merchant Court. It was my second visit and you can read about my first visit here as a pay customer last year.
118 views
2 likes
0 comments
116 views
1 likes
0 comments
What’s so different of this month buffet is that they are having “Heritage Flavours” from 6th August till 23rd August 2015. In conjunction with Singapore reveling in her 50th birthday of the month, the dinner buffet here showcase the tastes, sights and sounds of Little Red Dot’s pioneering traditional cuisine on top of it’s usual dishes. And mega love with the bounteous offering of Fresh Durians and durian-based dishes to delight your palate.
85 views
2 likes
0 comments
155 views
2 likes
0 comments
There are live stations for satay, teh tarik ‘pulled’ right in front of you, deep-frying fried durians, pick up roasted nuts from the Kacang Puteh station and many more. What attracts me is the free flow of Mao Shan Wang durians where freshly-opened durians are served on the spot! Look at the mega display! Warning Sign: Try other dishes before indulging in durians as it can be very filling! But if you are aiming on the durian feast, this would be an ideal buffet for you too!
94 views
2 likes
0 comments
Other than the King of fruit and fried durians, there are durians and bacon fried rice to explore! It is my first time trying this and I think the durian taste mid in the fried rice. Nevertheless, it’s a good try dish for nostalgia moments. Durian Pengat and some other durian desserts are served at the dessert counter.
85 views
1 likes
0 comments
Grandma’s home cooking dishes are available during “Heritage Flavours” such as Chicken Feet Kerabu, Achar Awak (Nyonya Pickled Vegetables), Lor Ark (Braised Duck) and Steamed Patin Fish with Nyonya Sauce. Their signature slippery lobsters with black pepper sauce were well-received. It was clear every time I walked past and the staffs are quite efficient in re-filling the portions to cater to diners.
115 views
2 likes
0 comments
86 views
2 likes
0 comments
On top of these, their usual spreads are available as well. Do not miss the DIY kueh pie tee where you can customize your own ingredients for savoury. Local fried carrot cake and some of the signature hawker foods are available as well. And their chili crabs are served separately with mantou/ buns to dip with the gravy. Peranakan cuisines such as Ayam Buah Keluk is available.
Desserts stations are not to be missed. Serving all kinds of traditional and western style desserts that spoilt you with choices. There is also pandan flavored fondue instead of the usual chocolate fondue to suit the theme of the buffet.Kudos to the chef and management for being so innovative on the dishes.
There are hit and misses on some of the dishes but overall it’s worth pocket friendly buffet. Especially paying S$68.00++ for the buffet that includes international dishes and free flow durians. I would say give it a GO!
100 views
1 likes
0 comments
Other Info. : Snap a Selfie Contest: Dress up in swinging 60s chic, snap a selfie, check-in at Swissotel Merchant Court and stand a chance to win a pair of Weekend High-Tea Vouchers at Ellenborough Market Café! Contest Ends 26 August 2016. Three pairs of vouchers to be won. Winners will be notified via Facebook.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2015-08-08
Dining Method
Dine In
Type of Meal
Dinner
Dining Offer
Tasting Event
Recommended Dishes
  • Durians
  • Slippery Lobster with Black Pepper
  • Fried Durians
Level1
1
0
I went for a dinner buffet at Ellenborough Market Cafe on Monday, 14 October 2013 with 4 other friends. During the buffet dinner, we noticed that the crabs did not taste fresh. The next day, all 5 of us developed symptoms of food poisoning - stomach discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea. Our symptoms worsened and all of us went to the doctor's. One of my friend's symptoms were so severe that she had to be sent to the hospital and put on a drip. I myself vomited anything I ate or drank for 3 days. A
Read full review
I went for a dinner buffet at Ellenborough Market Cafe on Monday, 14 October 2013 with 4 other friends. During the buffet dinner, we noticed that the crabs did not taste fresh.

[OpenRice: user had verified this was during the October 2013 “Catch the Crabs” promo where several crab dishes were consumed]

The next day, all 5 of us developed symptoms of food poisoning - stomach discomfort, vomiting and diarrhea. Our symptoms worsened and all of us went to the doctor's. One of my friend's symptoms were so severe that she had to be sent to the hospital and put on a drip. I myself vomited anything I ate or drank for 3 days. Another friend had diarrhea for 4 days. The doctor's diagnosis in all 5 cases was food poisoning.

I lodged a formal complaint with the hotel and their reply was that they did not receive any complaints from the other diners for that night. This I have no way of verifying.

What I am certain, is that apart from that fateful dinner buffet, we did not had any other food in common in the days before and after that dinner buffet - and all 5 of us came down with food poisoning at the very same time.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2013-10-14
Level4
814
2
2013-07-27 1123 views
Before we went to join in the nightlife at Clarke Quay, we had a feast at Ellenborough (if I don’t recall wrong , it’s pronounced as brou, like “dough”) Market Café. Variety of food ranges from peranakan to local to international. I found myself spending more time mainly at the seafood/hotfoods stations. The salt baked crab preserves its original taste, somehow the salt makes the meat much more sweeter. Firm and juicy, I went back for multiple servings and eventually tired myself out breaking op
Read full review
Before we went to join in the nightlife at Clarke Quay, we had a feast at Ellenborough (if I don’t recall wrong , it’s pronounced as brou, like “dough”) Market Café.
Variety of food ranges from peranakan to local to international. I found myself spending more time mainly at the seafood/hotfoods stations. The salt baked crab preserves its original taste, somehow the salt makes the meat much more sweeter. Firm and juicy, I went back for multiple servings and eventually tired myself out breaking open crabs.
I didn’t eat much of the assorted sashimis as my tummy doesn’t handle mixtures of hot and cold savoury foods well and I wanted to eat my “maximum potential” at this buffet.

The colourful and appealing assorted nonya kueh was my other favourite section, especially loved their kueh dar dar. Soft pandan flavoured skinwrapped with sugar caramelized coconut flakes.

Durian Pengat , was soooo creamy, thick and rich, I almost choked forgetting to catch my breath , I could eat this all day! It’s like melted durian icecream (without the ice), the combined coconut taste was a nice subtle touch.
So while it is great on its own, my “style” of preference is to put it together with bread as if it were jam!
199 views
0 likes
0 comments
227 views
0 likes
0 comments
216 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Spending Per Head
$50
Level4
2013-05-28 780 views
We have hold a fairwell lunch at this popular buffet restaurant for our colleague. Lots of choices to choose from,which definitely will have food that suit your taste buds. My favourite will be their cold fresh mussels. which is chewy and not tough. Their potato salad is also very fresh and appetitizing. Service here was really friendly and they clear our plates very fast as well. Restaurant is quite big and spacious too. A great venue to hold a party and gatherings.
Read full review
We have hold a fairwell lunch at this popular buffet restaurant for our colleague. Lots of choices to choose from,which definitely will have food that suit your taste buds. My favourite will be their cold fresh mussels. which is chewy and not tough. Their potato salad is also very fresh and appetitizing. Service here was really friendly and they clear our plates very fast as well. Restaurant is quite big and spacious too. A great venue to hold a party and gatherings.
189 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2013-05-09
Spending Per Head
$50 (Other)
Recommended Dishes
  • Buffet
Level4
2013-04-27 444 views
My fellow colleagues and I have decided to give ourselves a good treat after our long busy work week in the office. No doubt on the food here as lots of range can be found here. Personally I enjoy having their grilled fish with asam sauce which the fish is very soft in texture and really fresh and sweet. The asam chiili is also very fragrant and spicy. Their chicken satay is also equally delicious which the meat is tender and goes very well with the peanut sauce. The environment is spacious
Read full review
My fellow colleagues and I have decided to give ourselves a good treat after our long busy work week in the office. No doubt on the food here as lots of range can be found here. Personally I enjoy having their grilled fish with asam sauce which the fish is very soft in texture and really fresh and sweet. The asam chiili is also very fragrant and spicy. Their chicken satay is also equally delicious which the meat is tender and goes very well with the peanut sauce. The environment is spacious and bright. Service is not too bad and friendly too.
174 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2013-04-16
Spending Per Head
$50 (Other)
Recommended Dishes
  • Asam fish
Level3
37
0
2013-02-23 360 views
Went for high-tea buffet at Ellenborough market cafe at Merchant Court Hotel. There is a wide range of food - japanese sushi, laksa, noodles, chicken wings, nonya, pastries, fruits and of cos the famous durian pengat. Among all, I like their dessert best - a wide range of cakes, jellies, puddings, durian pengat of cos. Service is good, and price is reasonable. Can get good discount for some credit card.
Read full review
163 views
0 likes
0 comments
Went for high-tea buffet at Ellenborough market cafe at Merchant Court Hotel. There is a wide range of food - japanese sushi, laksa, noodles, chicken wings, nonya, pastries, fruits and of cos the famous durian pengat. Among all, I like their dessert best - a wide range of cakes, jellies, puddings, durian pengat of cos. Service is good, and price is reasonable. Can get good discount for some credit card.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2012-10-20
Level4
2013-02-12 274 views
The wide range of mini cut cakes served in their buffet spread is also a must have for me. The cooked foods are delicious,but still not as appearing as their dessert bar to me. Love to have their chocolate cake which is ful of the thick flavour of chocolate used in it. The sponge cake is also very soft and light in texture. The vanilla sponge cake is also equally good and love those thick fresh cream rolled in it. Have it with a cup of their freshly brewed coffee will even make your day fee
Read full review
The wide range of mini cut cakes served in their buffet spread is also a must have for me. The cooked foods are delicious,but still not as appearing as their dessert bar to me. Love to have their chocolate cake which is ful of the thick flavour of chocolate used in it. The sponge cake is also very soft and light in texture. The vanilla sponge cake is also equally good and love those thick fresh cream rolled in it. Have it with a cup of their freshly brewed coffee will even make your day feel really good as well.
145 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2013-01-28
Spending Per Head
$50 (Other)
Recommended Dishes
  • Chocolate cakes
Level4
2012-07-25 226 views
This seafood buffet is filled with wide spread of seafoods that are really suitable for those who loves having seafoods. My favourite among all the items will be their stir fried crayfish, which is very sweet in taste and the crayfish meat is very soft and juicy. Their stir fried vegetables are also equally delicious which are very crunchy and not overly seasoned.
Read full review
This seafood buffet is filled with wide spread of seafoods that are really suitable for those who loves having seafoods. My favourite among all the items will be their stir fried crayfish, which is very sweet in taste and the crayfish meat is very soft and juicy. Their stir fried vegetables are also equally delicious which are very crunchy and not overly seasoned.
151 views
0 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2012-06-15
Level4
2012-06-10 221 views
The Ellenborough Market Cafe is located inside the Swisshotel Merchant Court Hotel, just walking distance from Clarke Quay MRT (take exit B!) The restaurant has a nice colonial style decor- very nice and homely. There are two buffet stations- one near the entrance serves fresh, raw seafood, desserts and the other main station inside the restaurant offers the rest of the spread. Here are some highlights:Japanese/ Korean food counter- There’s free flow sashimi, freshly cut slices of salmon and tun
Read full review
174 views
0 likes
0 comments
134 views
0 likes
0 comments
158 views
0 likes
0 comments
143 views
0 likes
0 comments
117 views
0 likes
0 comments
The Ellenborough Market Cafe is located inside the Swisshotel Merchant Court Hotel, just walking distance from Clarke Quay MRT (take exit B!) The restaurant has a nice colonial style decor- very nice and homely. There are two buffet stations- one near the entrance serves fresh, raw seafood, desserts and the other main station inside the restaurant offers the rest of the spread. Here are some highlights:

Japanese/ Korean food counter- There’s free flow sashimi, freshly cut slices of salmon and tuna that are perpetually swept off the serving plates by eager sashimi lovers. Be prepared to face hoardes of hostile uncle and aunties bent on removing every single sashimi slice from the place. A sushi chef also furiously prepares various sushi pieces which are also constantly swept off the plates. I don’t envy the sushi chef’s job; if he is not cutting up sashimi, he’s rolling up sushi, or being stared down by impatient uncles and aunties. There was also some korean salad served with hints of kim chi which was rather meh.

Cold seafood counter- There are raw oysters, mussels and steamed prawns to choose from. I was suffering from a severe oyster craving, hence the pile of oysters on my plate. Oysters were quite fresh- didn’t have any stomach upset the next day hehe. Prawns were big, juicy and succulent.

Nonya food counter- A wide variety of authentic nonya dishes like Ayam Buah Keluk, Chap Chye, fish, Nonya otah. There is also a Kong Ba Pau counter where the chef will prepare the soft steamed buns with braised pork on the spot. There is also a Nonya dessert counter which serves out an assortment of mini bite size kuehs kuehs placed in erm, bird cages.

Hot food counter- The two must try dishes are Butter Fish with Broadbean Sauce and Stir Fried Slipper Lobster in Black Bean Sauce (above). The fish is an excellent dish with great texture and flavour, and its quality is comparable to those served out in expensive chinese restaurants. No wonder the fish meat is quickly polished off the plate once it touches the table. The slipper lobster is also another dish that is not exempt from diners’ relentless stomachs. The lobster meat is very fresh, retains QQ texture and goes really well with the black bean sauce that is not overly salty. Do examine the lobster shells carefully; you would want to pick the piece with the meatiest section (like the one shown above) and not some random shell part with no meat. And if you can’t do without your greens, do grab some Stir fried seasonal vegetables in abalone sauce, also available here.

Durian Pengat- The famous, MUST TRY durian dessert served here. It is essentially thick, luscious durian cream, pureed from high quality durian flesh. Each mouthful is bursting with fragrant, bittersweet taste of durians pulp and cream. Durian lovers would TRULYMADLYDEEPLYABSOLUTELY adore this. I was somewhat tempted to haul the whole vat of durian pengat back to the table, but I managed to restrain myself.

Dessert counter- Sorry, I was too lazy to arrange the items nicely on the plate, but you get the idea- this place serves an assortment of cakes and pastries. I was too full to stomach everything by then, but there were also local desserts and ice cream available!

BTW, they do serve coffee/tea, just ask the friendly waiters around. I also thought the waiters were quite prompt in clearing the plates; by the time you return from another round of food stacking, the dirty plates from your table magically vanishes!

The price of a buffet dinner for one adult is about $60 (after the addition of GST and service charges), which can be a little steep. But considering the spread of good, fresh food available, it’s worth the occasional binge fest.

For more details, do visit http://mrfoodnotes.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/ellenborough-market-cafe/
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Level4
585
5
2012-03-26 145 views
The bf and I celebrated our anniversary day. He decided to make reservations at the Ellenborough Market Cafe since I haven't tried it before. We had our lunch buffet at an affordable rate of $35+ per pax. There was quite a variety of Chinese food and some international ones. Started with some soup, salads and yam rolls which was really good (maybe because it was hot from oven!) Then we headed for the cold section - Salmon, crabs, prawns, which wasn't really fascinating! Anyway, there was much to
Read full review
91 views
0 likes
0 comments
102 views
0 likes
0 comments
The bf and I celebrated our anniversary day. He decided to make reservations at the Ellenborough Market Cafe since I haven't tried it before.

We had our lunch buffet at an affordable rate of $35+ per pax. There was quite a variety of Chinese food and some international ones.

Started with some soup, salads and yam rolls which was really good (maybe because it was hot from oven!) Then we headed for the cold section - Salmon, crabs, prawns, which wasn't really fascinating! Anyway, there was much to choose from too. what I love most is the chinese wheat noodle soup! I had two servings of that.

For dessert, it is still the durian pengat feast. love it
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2011-05-28
Spending Per Head
$40
Celebration
Anniversary
Recommended Dishes
  • Durian Penget
Level4
2011-12-10 95 views
Staff service was praisable as they made it a point to keep consistacy to clear our plates and served coffee/tea when kindly requested. My favorite part of the lunch is the desserts. The durian puree was yummy...easy to swallow and yet I could taste the durian chunks and the fragrance. The Cream Brulee comes in dainty little porcelain spoon that is so easy to eat. I can't seems to be able to find a lot of buffets that serve bread pudding but this one does. Not too sweet, just right to my palette
Read full review
79 views
0 likes
0 comments
Staff service was praisable as they made it a point to keep consistacy to clear our plates and served coffee/tea when kindly requested. My favorite part of the lunch is the desserts. The durian puree was yummy...easy to swallow and yet I could taste the durian chunks and the fragrance. The Cream Brulee comes in dainty little porcelain spoon that is so easy to eat. I can't seems to be able to find a lot of buffets that serve bread pudding but this one does. Not too sweet, just right to my palette. To suit the taste of Asians, they have Asia desserts too. I had burbur pulut hitam.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Level4
2011-10-19 27 views
Fresh sashimi slices that gets replenish rather quickly. I love the prawns and the chinese soup so much I went back for a second round. Got my kway teow soup from this little corner where the chef will cook upon order. My favorite part of the lunch is the desserts. The durian puree was yummy...easy to swallow and yet I could taste the durian chunks and the fragrance. The Cream Brulee comes in dainty little porcelain spoon that is so easy to eat. I can't seems to be able to find a lot of b
Read full review
76 views
0 likes
0 comments
83 views
0 likes
0 comments
77 views
0 likes
0 comments
71 views
0 likes
0 comments
81 views
0 likes
0 comments
Fresh sashimi slices that gets replenish rather quickly. I love the prawns and the chinese soup so much I went back for a second round. Got my kway teow soup from this little corner where the chef will cook upon order. My favorite part of the lunch is the desserts. The durian puree was yummy...easy to swallow and yet I could taste the durian chunks and the fragrance. The Cream Brulee comes in dainty little porcelain spoon that is so easy to eat. I can't seems to be able to find a lot of buffets that serve bread pudding but this one does. Not too sweet, just right to my palette. To suit the taste of Asians, they have Asia desserts too. I had burbur pulut hitam.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Spending Per Head
$40 (Lunch)
Level3
39
3
2010-12-23 24 views
Didnt manage to take alot of pictures as our hands were with the chilli crab sauce most of the time.Went for the crab buffet which was a once a year affair here at Ellenborough cafe.Price was about $58+++ per person, which is quite a good deal, considering how expensive crab dishes are in Singapore($38 per kg or more)There were quite alot of items: crab prata, sri lankan mud crab, chilli crab,thai steamed crab,crab salad.There were even desserts such as riceballs/aballing and of course the highl
Read full review
Didnt manage to take alot of pictures as our hands were with the chilli crab sauce most of the time.Went for the crab buffet which was a once a year affair here at Ellenborough cafe.Price was about $58+++ per person, which is quite a good deal, considering how expensive crab dishes are in Singapore($38 per kg or more)
There were quite alot of items: crab prata, sri lankan mud crab, chilli crab,thai steamed crab,crab salad.There were even desserts such as riceballs/aballing and of course the highly sought after durian penkat(not sure if i spelled correctly), but its like a creamy yet watery durian mousse.The durian penkat is really delicious, it was the only item that i had servings after servings, it was more attractive to me than the crab.The durian mousse is very richly flavoured with real bits of durian meat, its just like you are "drinking" durian with each slurp you gulp down your throat.
The crab tasted normal, some werent too fresh as they were frozen, the meat of some were too hard, if not too soft,as if they have been steamed for a long time.
But they were pretty generous as the crab dishes i expected them not to serve much pincers, but in fact there were plenty.Some pincers were as huge as my face, iam not kidding.
And you could actually request them to chop/smash up the crab pincers for you if its too hard.
I had fun eating crab, i would definitely come back again.
87 views
1 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Spending Per Head
$58 (Dinner)
Recommended Dishes
  • crab
  • durian
Level4
2010-11-09 35 views
My parents always had a thing to purchase dozen boxes of mooncakes every mid-autumn festival and send them to their clients's office as a gift. This year was no less. Swissotel Merchant Court had a promotion of giving a pair of weekend high-tea buffet vouchers for every 2 boxes of 4 mooncake purchased and of course this attracted many customers including my parents.With that, lead to myself receiving a pair from them for my boyfriend and I. We went there on a Saturday late afternoon in the month
Read full review
My parents always had a thing to purchase dozen boxes of mooncakes every mid-autumn festival and send them to their clients's office as a gift. This year was no less. Swissotel Merchant Court had a promotion of giving a pair of weekend high-tea buffet vouchers for every 2 boxes of 4 mooncake purchased and of course this attracted many customers including my parents.

With that, lead to myself receiving a pair from them for my boyfriend and I. We went there on a Saturday late afternoon in the month of September, and I was amazed to see the colourful varireties of not just baked snacks like pastries, tarts and cakes but also other small bites such as otah, satay, sashimi, cold chicken, kueh pai tee, etc. For heavier items, they had nasi lemak(I liked the fried chicken wings), japanese cold soba, laksa, roti john, etc. Well actually the theme and cuisine genre of the cafe is peranakan and most of the food items do belong there. Their 'kueh kueh corner' consisted of kueh dadar, 7 layer rainbow kueh, kueh lapis, ang ku kueh and others but to my dissapointment, they weren't fantastic as expected. Some were cold and hard.. perhaps because of the air-condition? Same applied to the sandwiches and chiffon cakes.

However on the positive side, I like the fact that they had both warm and cold desserts. Warm desserts were like almond paste, bread pudding, red bean soup, tang yuan, peanut paste, etc. Cold desserts were fruits, ice-kachang and durian/chempedak puree. Not too bad even though too much would no doubt make you feel 'gelat'.

Staff service was praisable as they made it a point to keep consistacy to clear our plates and served coffee/tea when kindly requested.

What a fufilling high-tea to start our evening.
74 views
1 likes
0 comments
62 views
0 likes
0 comments
58 views
0 likes
0 comments
58 views
0 likes
0 comments
69 views
1 likes
0 comments
69 views
1 likes
0 comments
57 views
0 likes
0 comments
68 views
1 likes
0 comments
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2010-09-18
Type of Meal
Tea
Recommended Dishes
  • satay
  • otah
  • sashimi.