Video
Bus services: 7, 14, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 124, 128, 131, 147, 14E, 162, 166, 167, 171, 174, 175, 190, 502, 518, 587, 590, 598, 700, NR7, 162M, 174E, 502A, 502B, 518A, 518B, 700A, 857 Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut
continue reading
Introduction
Serving buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, as well as a diverse a la carte menu, the award-winning Straits Cafe offers something for every appetite. Sample Singapore favourites like laksa and popiah, or choose from a variety of international dishes prepared by world-class chefs. Friendly service and an atmosphere of casual elegance will enhance the enjoyment of your dining experience.
continue reading
Opening Hours
Mon - Sun
06:30 - 22:00
Above information is for reference only. Please check details with the restaurant.
Signature Dishes
Recently visited the restaurant which was currently having 2-for-2 dinner buffet promotion. The restaurant was updating its menu and currently without pork or lard as it would be getting Halal certified soon. This was great as there was limited number of hotel buffet restaurants which were Halal certified in Singapore.Although it was an international buffet spread, the choices here was slightly limited comparing to the more expensive restaurants with just 2 rows of spread. Everyone's favourite section was the Dessert Station, especially the durian part which consisted of Durian Tart, Durian Crepe, Durian Pengat, Durian Fudge Cake and Durian Puff, but the must have item was the Durian Pengat which was served in shooter style. Rich in fresh which made the other durian desserts pale in comparison. Pulut Hitam was another dessert which I would recommeded as the version here had dried longan and orange peel in it which gave the sweet soup an unique taste.For the that day, the Noodle Station offered Penang White Curry Noodle and Ipoh Hor Fun which tasted kind of bland. Kind of sad that the popular Laksa was not available. The Street Delights (Live Station) offered Fried Sambal Seafood which was one could selected seafood and vegetables to be stir fried, as well as, Claypot Curry Fish Cheek. Sambal sotong with onions was a good choice with the spicy seafood pairing with the sweetness from the onion. From the Mains, the Lamb Curry was surprisingly tasty without the usual gamy taste. Most will target for the Chilli Lobster which was the usual Chilli Crab replace with lobster. Don't forget to get some bread to dip the sauce with. By the way the Truffle Butter next to the Bread Basket was umami.The double boiled soup of the day was Ginseng Chicken Soup was light and flavourful with tender pieces of meat in it.If you preferred something hand on, there would Kueh Pie Tee with its light crispy shells stuffed with braised vegetables, topped with prawns, eggs, and coriander.Not forgetting the Seafood on Ice section which had Tiger Prawn, Clam, Mussel, Flower Crab, Yabbies and Oyster.Overall there was bits for everyone although the spread looked limited. One was stuffed at the end of the meal. Don't forget to wash down the meal with a cup of Teh Tarik which was milky and not too sweet. Although the tiny table was overcrowded with plates, the staff often came over to clear.
continue reading
I like this place for its desserts more than its main courses. Besides the much sought-after durian desserts, I think the other cakes are also worth a mention.Besides looking attractive, the cakes also taste very delicious. I especially like the chocolate layer cakes. It is moist with two thick layers of dark chocolate icing/cream. Instead of being heavy, that just makes this cake more satisfying. Combined with the rich dark chocolate flavours, it adds up to a slice of cake that leaves you happily full without being too sweet or sickly. One piece is definitely not enough,. The staff clears the table quite promptly and they always have a smile on their faces, which makes it a good dining experience.
continue reading
This is the place to go for durian and buffet lovers. In addition to the wide spread of international cusine, there is still the much sought-after durian desserts -- from durian pengats, mousecake, durian puff and durian pancake, durian crepe. The durian pengat is very rich with durian pulp and it's mye favourite. It also run out very fast, so do grab one when you can. The durian cake is very soft and moist and one can't stop at just 1 piece though sinful. I don't quite like the durian pancake/crepe though as I think they are quite hard and cold. Prefer the skin to be hot while the filling are cool. Service by staff is very good, and they clear the plates very fast. A good place for family and friends gathering, and the location is convenient!
continue reading
I just wonder sometimes why I would go crazy with buffets especially when I love variety but I’m never able to eat so much at one setting compared to the husband. And my appetite seems to shrink as I grow older (another sign of aging?) but my weight remains the same (unfair!). Buffets are just not worth it for me anymore but after going to Straits Cafe @ Rendezvous with the husband one Saturday, I decided to bring the parents there the following Saturday too. Just because of one thing that got me really hooked on. And I was sure it would be something that could impress the fussy folks too.The Straits Cafe is located on ground level of the Rendezvous Grand Hotel and it serves up a decent spread of Asian delights and Singaporean favourites.A quick glimpse of the buffet spread:At S$40++ per pax for the weekend high tea buffet, the available variety of food is rather impressive. Besides cold appetisers, salads (and DIY ones too), sashimi, sushi, chilled seafood (prawns, flower crabs & conch aka ‘gong gong’), cheeses, dim sum, popiah & kueh pai tee stations, kebab corner and desserts, there are also live stations for kopi & teh tarik (coffee & tea), roti prata and their award-winning laksa.The prawns and flower crabs are fresh but they are just not sweet which is a common trait of chilled seafood at buffets anyway. Neither am I a big fan of the gong gong which tastes like overcooked, chewy escargot with no flavour. The salmon sashimi is not of the best cut as I could taste the sinews in some of the pieces. The octopus is pretty good though. Nicely poached, tender and sweet. And of course, the husband never forgets his sushi which is of pretty normal standard.I didn’t manage to try every single thing of course so these are just pictures of what all of us had on our plates. I particularly like the bak kut teh (with a nice peppery flavour), made-it-myself kueh pai tees (still not as good as Carousel’s but not too bad) and grilled meat from the kebab station. The rest of the items are pretty much mediocre, nothing exceptional.I was a bit disappointed with the so-called ‘award-winning’ laksa as I felt it lacked punch and spices. Even after I’ve mixed in a tablespoonful of sambal chilli, the gravy just fails to excite my taste buds. The fragrance from the coconut milk is there but it just doesn’t taste complete. I wonder if the chef is now different, that’s probably why the standard has dipped.What I like here which I haven’t seen in other high tea buffets is the live drinks stall (that looks like an olden days street food stall) that serves up freshly pulled milk tea aka teh tarik which is one of the best I’ve had. It is not overly sweet and has the right balance of tea flavour versus milk.The roti prata which is prepared upon order is sadly chewy and lacks the fluffiness and crisp of a good prata. The curry gravy is decent though, rich in flavour and not too oily.For full review and pictures, please go to http://www.springtomorrow.com/2013/12/31/high-tea-buffet-straits-cafe-rendezvous-grand-hotel/
continue reading
Exploring a buffet restaurant located with a short 10 minutes walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT station and right in front of a bus stop along Bras Basah Road.Straits’ Café is well known with it’s award winning laksa and their durian desserts. The café is one of the choice to whose who wants to enjoy international buffet without spending too much. I personally feel that the buffet price is quite affordable.Glass panels framing part of the restaurant gives the customers to view of the street life along Bras Basah Road. The interior design of the restaurant provides a comfortable dinning place. However, the space in between the walking path and the serving tables are quite close. Open concept kitchen is also one of the highlight here as we can see the chefs on action and the foods served are still in good condition.The service staff was quite attentive as they will promptly clear the plates once we cleared our foods. This gives us ample reasons for not having many rounds.As usual, sashimi counters are available. The chef will slice upon your requested choice of sashimi to maintain the freshness of the sashimi. Cooked foods choices from chinese cuisine and indian cuisines are available next to the sashimi sections.Seafood varieties are quite limited but I do enjoyed the snow crabs served though.I saw some of the customers are mainly having snow crabs throughout the night. Service staff will serve the utensils and lime washing bowl for the table that are having snow crab. This ease the inconvenience and I think it is quite a thoughtful service.Do not miss the award winning laksa which is also the hotel’s signature. The gravy taste isn’t too milky and the noodles texture was smooth and savour into the soup. However, the ingredients wasn’t quite generous and the cockles size was small.Durian pengant and durian cake are the signature of Rendezvous. Durian pengat is rich with durian pulp and I am so in love with the taste. I had 4 cups of it and it was truly sinful. Durian cake has the soft vanilla sponge and durian cream.The combination is quite unique. Durian puffs and durian crepes are readily in chilled condition. Durian puff wasn’t that good for me as I felt the puff texture is slightly hard and dry.Dessert counter is available with various choices of cakes and desserts. It completes with a chocolate fondue too. Fruits and ice-creams are available for those who loves to enjoy desserts. You will be spoilt with choices.For more food review: http://www.hazeldiary.com
continue reading