StraitsKitchen

If you think that Sichuan noodles is all about spicy minced meat paste on top of dry dan-dan noodles, then you got to try the authentic version at Chinese kitchen of halal-certified buffet restaurant Straits Kitchen. Chef Patrick Pan from Xi-an, China celebrates the culinary heritage of his roots by introducing two types of Sichuan noodles that would definitely transform the stereotypical image of Sichuan cuisine.Full review and pics: http://dairycream.blogspot.sg/2014/11/sichuan-noodles-at-straits-kitchen-till.htmlTaking a subtle approach to the dan dan mian, Chef Pan whips out a soupy version that is blended with peanut paste which gives it a very pleasant aroma. Dip the spoon into the sea of the reddish broth without the wavy noodles and one will haul up a mound of dried peppercorn, sesame seeds, spring onions--all the necessary ingredients that makes this bowl particularly rich and flavour duck.Meanwhile, I was fully impressed by how Chef Pan managed to allow the flavors of the components; cumin, star anise, homemade Sichuan Chilli oil, peppercorns, Japanese leeks and Chinese parsley to shine through without overpowering one another. I would have slurped down the two bowls of MSG-free broth if there weren't so many other temptations around at the buffet. ......…Read More

Anyway, the exterior was glossy and modernistic as expected, exuding class and style. The inner elegance of the dimly-lit restaurant with its comfortable seats were plain raw beautiful. I was escorted to my seat while waiting for my esteemed dining companion to arrive. Interestingly, in such a setting, they were playing Chinese songs literally.Lunch started, and we began browsing the variety of local / Chinese cuisine on display, in this posh marketplace setting. There was quite a huge spread of food - starting from the Nasi Lemak stall with tantalizing ingredients.We had some Popiah (Chinese spring rolls with turnips, chopped peanuts etc within) - large rolls of ingredients filled spring rolls. The taste was pretty all right - not too salty, a little on the bland side.I took a little of Char Kuey Teow and Fried Carrot Cake alongside with some vegetables. The fried pasta both tasted rather good too, and were not oily.The Satay (meat on sticks) was pretty all right - chargrilled meat that was rather tender, though lacking in the smokey fragrance of traditional satay - and they were careful not to burn the sides (usually I prefer to have a little burned edges).Next, the Prawn Noodles that was light in flavor and flaccid in texture. There were rather big shrimps at the bottom of the soup though, and that (when shelled) enhanced the overall flavor dramaticallyFor full review and more photographs, please feel free to visit:http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2014/11/lunch-at-straits-kitchen-grand-hyatt.html…Read More

This halal restaurant is one of my Malay colleagues favourite venue whenever they are craving for buffets.  Restaurant looks very posh and beautiful, with really nice and elegant furnishings as well.Price at $48++ per adult is definitely worth the price.  Different range of Asian cuisines are served in different counters to cater your needs.  Among all the foods, my favourite is their kaya cake and the durian ice cream.Kaya cake is very soft and moist in texture, which the kaya flavour is very strong and the coconut flavour is delicious.  It is not too sweet and great for everyone.  Durian ice cream is a 'must have' if you happen to be here as is really creamy and every mouthful can taste the mild bitterness and natural sweetness from the durian meat used in making it.  Service here is very prompt and friendly and I really have nothing much to complain about.…Read More

I attended a buffet dinner. It was a wonderful meals with 1) asparagus with rocket with Parmesan and Truffle Dressing 2) Prawn and Pomelo Sald with coconut and Mint 3) Classic Beef Carpaccio with rocket 4) smoked chicken breast with celery 5) shaved smoked turkey breast with ricotta (with balack olives cucumber) 6) teriyaki chicken 7) stir-fired sweet & sour prawns with capsicums 8) black wok stir-fired seasonal vegetables with tofu bean curb 9) smoked duck breast on cinnamon poached prunes 10) roasted potatoes with garlic & rosemary 11) roasted root vegetables with garlic and thyme 12) ravioli, ricotta cheese, mushroom cream sauce 13) oven roasted NZ king salmon, vine ripe tomatoes 14) stir-fired beef and garlic in oyster sauce 15) chicken chasseur 16) crayfish in coc0nut - tumeric sauce 17) roasted rack of lamb with ratatouille and assorted desserts 18a) milk choculate ganache padding 18b) vailla panna cotta with mano 18b) selection of french pastries 18d) tiramisu 18e) passion fruit tart and varieties of cheese. …Read More

My boss has invited us for a lunch buffet in this restaurant. The environment is very cosy and comfortable, service is friendly too. My favourite is their fish otah, which the fish paste is really smooth and soft in texture. It is also not too spicy and easy to eat for any age group. The beef satays are also very tender and juicy. The satay sauce is really thick and appetizing too. Stir fired kang kong is crunchy and tasty as well. At the price of $48++ per adult, is expensive but good foods are served here. …Read More

The buffet here is halal certified, so it is a quite nice venue to have a gathering with my Malay friends and colleagues. The restaurant is quite cosy and the environement is also quite relaxing as well. Love most of their cooked food, but I have to say their yam paste with gingo nut dessert was quite a failure. Even though the texture is quite smooth and thick, but it was extremely sweet and also does not blend in well with the gingo nuts. The portion was alright, but the taste was awful. …Read More

For the rare few who (by invitation only) owns a UOB Privilege Banking Visa Infinite Card, you get to enjoy the local buffet spread at Straits Kitchen at a promotional price: when eating in a group of 2 or more, 1 person gets to dine free. If it's just just 2 persons eating, then it becomes really worth it because that's 50% off!The buffet costs $45++ during lunch.What better way to start off a local buffet with Singapore's favourite Satay. It would seem that the standard of food here has dropped since I last dined here many years ago. The satay wasn't all that great because it wasn't grilled long enough to get that smokey taste.The other stations were also just average local fare - food that I would normally not get to eat because I seldom visit hawker centres. I didn't really enjoy the food as much as I used to but at least their desserts were still up to standard.I was tempted to try all their different Nonya Kuehs so I took quite a few and each of them were really good too! Their Coconut Ice Cream also had a very rich coconutty taste and their Mango Pomelo Ice had a nice balance of bitter and sweet. While the desserts managed to make up for the not-so-good main buffet spread, I probably wouldn't return here again if there aren't any special promotions.…Read More

My colleague and I went to Straits Kitchen to check out their buffet spread since he had a 50% discount for the card that he was holding. As I went there without prior knowledge that the restaurant was serving Asian food, I was impressed by the ambiance of the place. My expectation came crumbling down when I saw buffet station of satays, otahs and pratas. -.- Some condiments for nasi padang. My bowl muah chee. Overall this experience of Asian buffet didn't quite make the cut. Not because of the type of cuisine, but with this quality of food, I'd rather make a trip down to the sg flyers to satisfy my local food craving (or some pasar malam where they sell muah chee served in plastic packets at $1.00 each).…Read More

For the detailed review with photos, please check out http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com/2011/03/straits-kitchen.htmlI've always thought that Straits Kitchen is just a high-class food court, so I was pleasantly surprised that the quality of local cuisine served is generally (almost) on par with those of the more famous hawkers. The small-ish restaurant is laid out like Mezza9, with different food stations in a marketplace-like setting. There's a bustling atmosphere, but with little nooks and crannies that afford a little bit of privacy to groups that want to hang out and talk amongst themselves without being overheard by other diners.We had:1) Roasted Duck- fresh (albeit a bit fatty), juicy, with nary a gamey scent2) Poached Chicken - succulent and smooth, and delicately flavoured with soy3) Soya Sauce Chicken -not as good as the poached version, but it was still commendable4) Chicken Rice - faint garlic and chicken stock flavour, but unremarkable5) Rojak- despite being a little "lao hong", had the right balance of piquant, spicy, sweet flavours6) Popiah - freshly made upon order but too little sweet black sauce was used to coat the wrapper, resulting in a fairly tasteless version7) Satay- fresh off the charcoal grill so it looked promising, but wasn't that great. It wasn't fatty or juicy enough8) Mee Rebus- very good, it had the requisite aromatic, nutty, spicy flavours9) Fried Rice - surprisingly fragrant, tasty and had the necessary "wok hei"10) Fried Kway Teow - got quality, it was fragrant, heady and had plentiful seafood. Prawns were fresh, sweet and crunchy, but the squid was overcooked and rubbery11) Chilli Crab - yummy gravy and crabs were fresh and sweet12) Deep Fried Grouper - probably the best dish. This ran out in seconds. Fresh, mild, moist, with a golden crisp skin13) Fried Dory with Oats - not fresh enough, and needed a lot of soy to cover the slightly fishy undertones14) Mango and Soursop Sorbet - my fave dessert, a refreshingly tart way to cut through the grease and heavy meal15) Jackfruit Goreng - fresh off the fryer, was sweet and juicy on the inside and coated with a thin, crisp batter…Read More

One good point about this buffet restaurant is it is halal certified so anyone out there will be able to enjoy their delicious Asian cusines here. My favourite sessions in their buffet spread will be their desserts. The portuguese egg tarts are crispy outside and fill with lots of creamy custards in it before bring to bake. The different ranges of Malay kueh kuehs are really fresh and soft. Their kaya cakes with shredded coconut at the side of it is one of their signature dessert here. The sponge cake is soft and moist and the kaya fragrant that are spread all over it is not too sweet as well. Simply delicious! One really big short coming is that the staffs are so busy that it is quite different to get their attention to help you bring your cup of coffee or tea to you. …Read More

I went for dinner last night and with high expectations after having generally good impression of the Hyatt. The Straits Kitchen has a pleasant ambience and a good range of local foods. It's a possible option for taking visitors to Singapore who have limited time here and want to explore the range of culinary dishes on offer. I tried the chicken and duck rice, char quay teow, chilli crab, etc. Overall I found food quality reasonable but below my expectation for the pricing. And slightly let down by the whole experience so I'm uncertain if I will return. Local dishes are 50++ per pax?…Read More

Impressive decoration on the exterior but I guess it's only an average or below average buffet for Singaporean.They serve only Asian food here. International Buffet lover you WILL be dissapointed here.Many local fare such as carrot cakes, rojak, prata, popiah and some other common local fare you can find in a Kopitiam setup.Desert section was rather lacking as the selection are really limited over here.Ice cream, ice kachang - Not unusual for a Singaporean.Overall, the buffet spread was good but not fantastic. If you need an orientation to overseas visitor on local food, perhaps this is the place you can look at.However for the price tag, you can eat till you explode perhaps at a local restaurant establishment for similar food.…Read More