Founder Bak Kut Teh at Balestier

Bak kut teh (pork rib tea) is a comforting brew. If the authors of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" had been Asian, I bet they'd be tempted to name their work "Bak Kut Teh for the Soul". Plus, no crouton can beat our Asian fried you tiao!

The best part sometimes, for me, are the sliced chillies in dark soy. The pork ribs become a vehicle for these babies, and plain white rice gets its Cinderella transformation when drizzled with this stuff.

You can make bak kut teh quite easily at home, and I often think homemade ones are still the best. But bak kut teh shops remain extremely popular. Witness the long queues at Founder along Balestier Road, and the floor-to-ceiling photos of celebrities who have dined there.

I have never gone there myself as I'd heard many times that the quality has gone down since it became famous. But curiosity got the better of a few Founder virgins, so a group of us trooped there last night and braved the crowds.



The much-awaited bowl of bak kut teh (S$8) arrived. OK, if you disregard all the starry hype about this place, the food is actually passable. The broth is lovely when warm - nicely peppery and a little bit sweet. However, the meat was very lean and tough though. Not fall-off-the-bone tender. It's certainly not been stewed long enough.



There are a few side dishes (all S$4) to go with the pork ribs. Beancurd skin, I like! Tossed with fried shallots. A tad oily, but all the better for slithering down your throat.



The "mei cai" or preserved vegetables had chopped garlic generously mixed in. It was more sweet than salty.



The braised taupok (fried beancurd) was a little flat, flavourwise. Basically it was just a sodium bath.



The bowl of mixed innards (S$8) - kidney, liver and small intestines. All of which I don't eat, so I left it untouched. Medium rare liver fans may be glad to know the liver is still bleeding into the soup when it arrives at your table, imbuing the broth with a reddish tinge.



The pork trotter (S$8) tasted better than it looked. Even though the meat was also lean, the trotter was way more tender than the bak kut teh ribs. Oddly, the meat served here is incredibly lean. We all started discussing how pork is pointless without a bit of fat. After all, fat is flavour.

Service is brisk and relatively friendly. Our soup was topped up once. And I do appreciate the air-conditioning, no matter how feeble.

Well, now I can say "been there, done that". Now I just have this urge to buy lots of garlic, peppercorns and juicy pork ribs...time for a remake!


FOUNDER BAK KUT TEH
347 Balestier Road (under New Orchid Hotel)
Singapore 329777
Tel: 63526192
Open daily except Tuesday
Lunch: 12 noon - 2pm
Dinner/Supper: 6pm - 2.30am

Eng Seng Restaurant

We had "A Whiff of Lemongrass" for dinner.

Not literally, of course. Meena was here for the Nuffnang Awards as a nominee for Best Food Blog. I absolutely love her photos and writing (go visit and you'll see), so I was thrilled to finally meet her.



We (Nic and XLB, Keropokman and Momo) brought her to Eng Seng for the famed black pepper crabs. It was love at first bite. This is a dish that truly deserves its reputation. That molten black lava that coats the crabs is kick ass! It was not only spicy, sweet and savoury but incredibly umami. Wonderful balance of flavours. I'm craving it again, as I write.



Although nowhere as spectacular as their black pepper brethren, the chili crab is pretty decent. It didn't taste spicy at first but after a short while, you'll be aware of a distinct heat gradually burning on your lips and tongue. Oh, don't expect mantous (Chinese buns) here - when they ask you if you want bread, they really mean ordinary sliced bread.



The token vegetable for the meal - stir-fried "nai bai" (they're like mini bak-choy). Nice, simple and garlicky.



The black pepper venison with ginger and scallions - uber tender slices of meat, a la Chinese restaurant tenderizer. Still tasty.



Many people like the mee goreng here. It was competently done, but in the shadow of the awesome black pepper crabs, it did not elicit too many wows.

We also got a taste of the restaurant's famous "shut-down" process. Every customer is informed of the closing time around 8.45pm. Whether you have finished your meal or not, they start turning off the fans and some lights close to 9pm (rather early for a restaurant). Shutters come noisily down and you are left a small exit area around 9.15pm. So, folks, enjoy your crab but don't take too long!

I managed to take home a piece each of the crab dishes, to let hubby have a taste. He'd been a skeptic all this while, and totally refused to come here (anywhere that requires him to queue and possibly endure gruff service) but he agreed these crabs were good. Perhaps, oh perhaps, I can come back again soon.


ENG SENG RESTAURANT
247-249 Joo Chiat Place
Singapore 427935
Tel: 6440 5560
Open daily except Wednesdays, 5pm - 9.30pm

Kohi-Ten Coffee Parfait

We adjourned to Kohi-Ten at Cuppage Terrace for a spot of coffee and dessert after Ohsumi. Had a delicious coffee parfait (can't remember the actual name or price, likely about S$7.90 or so). It's coffee and vanilla ice cream with cubes of springy coffee jelly. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

KOHI-TEN
19 Cuppage Terrace
Tel: 6732 808
Open daily
Mon-Thu: 8.30am - 11pm
Fri-Sun: 9am - 11.30pm

Ohsumi shabu-shabu

Ohsumi is one of the first shabu-shabu specialist restaurants in Singapore. This little place on the third floor of Cuppage Plaza has been drawing Japanese expats and locals in the know. The decor looks like it hasn't changed since they set up nine years ago. It's a bit dingy and run-down but this hasn't deterred people from coming here for the food.

They offer various shabu-shabu sets (most come standard with appetiser, vegetables and udon/ramen/rice). The broth is basically boiling water with a piece of kelp. You can add chopped garlic and chillies for more flavour. Three kinds of dipping sauces are available - ponzu, gomadare (sesame seed) and the special house blend (what seems to be a ginger-peanut ponzu).

If you prefer, you can go for the kimchi steamboat, sukinabe or sukiyaki instead.



Ohsumi's specialty is pork. In particular, Kurobuta pork (the famed Black Berkshire breed). This is from the Kurobuta Moriawase (S$45++) mixed platter course, comprising belly, loin and shoulder. Sliced paper-thin, these barely need a few seconds to cook in boiling water. Smooth, silky and fatty they were. Pleasant but not mindblowingly so.



This is from the Australian wagyu set (S$75++). Nicely marbled beef, but the few slices leave you very much wanting! Like the kurobuta, these cook in an instant, and are beautifully tender. However, again, there are no major taste epiphanies to be found. They also offer Japanese wagyu (S$120++).



We sprung for an additional plate of regular beef (S$24++), just to compare. You can immediately see the difference. It also takes slightly longer to cook, and is not as tender or delicate in taste. But it's beefier in flavour, and generally good enough. The regular beef set is S$30++ for lunch and $42++ for dinner.



Vegetables, tofu, bean vermicelli and mochi (sticky rice cake) provide badly needed bulk for the hotpot. I tossed in the udon at the end, hoping for a good broth. But it was still bland, unlike the Mo-Mo-Paradise shabu shabu we had in Tokyo. Hubby had the rice option, which came with various pickles. A scoop of rich green tea ice cream closed the meal.

Service here can be spotty, although the Filipina waitress was fairly OK. However, I hope they have other options for their restaurant music - the melancholy instrumental themes made it quite depressing.

Overall, a decent meal, but I'm still not a fan of shabu-shabu. For the price we paid (final bill S$198), I would much prefer to have wagyu and kurobuta on a BBQ grill instead (hello Aburiya and Gyu-kaku!).

If I do come back, it'll be to try the regular pork which I hear is pretty good. For big eaters, they have a buffet (regular pork only - shoulder, loin and belly, S$46++ per person) and a "all-you-can-eat-and-drink" course (S$69++ the pork plus beer, sake, shochu and oolong tea).

OHSUMI
5 Koek Road
#03-24/28 Cuppage Plaza
Singapore 228796
Tel: 6235-6178
Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm

Coraline

Have you ever wished, as a child, for parents who were better? Or a life less boring? Coraline did, and see what happens to unpleasant little children who whinge, complain, and demand both things and attention? Well, they get what they want. But what they want is not what it's cracked up to be...

Coraline is the first stop-motion animated feature shot in 3D. It's cold and creepy from start to finish - the perfect movie for Halloween. Yes, it's astounding artistry, captivating eye candy and good voicework.  The attention to detail is truly a labour of love. Just look at the puppets - they have really small hair (a production department takes care of that). And really small clothes. Someone was specially hired to create miniature knitwear, all painstakingly done with yarn as fine as hair and knitting needles as tiny as sewing needles. And that's just a drop in the ocean of meticulous stop-motion filming and 3D artwork.

But it does fall short in some respects. Coraline is imaginative yet unoriginal. It's a rehash of many stories. Alice in Wonderland meets Nightmare Before Christmas, for one. There are also elements of Hayao Miyazaki but none of the emotional charm. Yes, it does leave you cold (a little). Mainly because none of the characters are truly likeable.

I haven't read the book by Neil Gaiman, but I understand the movie does not follow faithfully (Coraline's sidekick Wyborn does not exist in the book, for example).

And while the movie is gorgeous, don't expect too much 3D. The effects are there more for subtle depth, and the movie does not fling too many things in your face (I secretly wish they would).

So let's see if you like the story. Bored, neglected, precocious little girl follows some white rabbit mice down a secret tunnel in her new home (a pink Psycho-like Victorian mansion on steroids). On the other side of the tunnel is a parallel home where she meets her "other mother" and "other father" - beings identical to her parents except that they are wonderful! They cook for her, coddle her and want her to stay. But they also eerily have buttons for eyes.

Now, she doesn't get creeped out by those buttony eyes, and even makes repeat visits for free food and entertainment. Only when they want to sew buttons on her own eyes does she make for the hills.

But then again her own real world is eccentric enough, what with vaudeville neighbours, stringy black cats and the Igor-like Wyborn. Oh well.

The pace really only picks up when the whole deal takes a dangerous turn and in the end, Coraline has to muster up courage and resourcefulness to save the day.

Dakota Fanning voices the eponymous lead character, and Teri Hatcher is her mom (real and other world). Playing the father (real and other world) is John Hodgman - you may know him better as the "PC guy" from Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads. Funnily enough, he does use a PC in the movie, a decrepit old thing with green monochrome display no less.

Coraline opens in cinemas Oct 29 in Singapore. Other movie trivia at IMDB.

Meanwhile - totally off-topic - I'm just drooling over the newly announced iMacs - 27-inch display Quad-core with the new multi-touch mouse and wireless keyboard!

This movie preview was at the invitation of OMY, as part of their Blog Awards.

Ben & Jerry iPhone Cover Giveaway plus Halloween Tour

So many people have been asking me about the Ben & Jerry iPhone cover and how they can get one. The bad news is - it's not available anywhere except during Chunk Fest, which is over (boo hoo). They don't sell it at the scoop shops either! The good news is - I now have 10 of these to give away, thanks to the kind folks from Ben & Jerry itself!

All you have to do is comment below, and tell me

a) "I want!"
b) Name one flavour that was available at Chunk Fest (there were 34 flavours, so should be easy! Click link for hints. But please don't repeat someone else's answer)
c) Name your favourite Ben & Jerry ice cream flavour.

First 10 satisfactory responses will win an iPhone cover. I will mail items to the winners.

Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry is organising a "2 Scoops 2 Scary" Halloween Tour of Mischief and Mayhem. Go trick or treating on the Ben & Jerry bus from Dempsey to the Night Safari. You'll get to visit the Flavor Graveyard and embark upon the Train of Terror! Local moosicians Jack & Rai will be entertaining throughout, and all trick or treaters will depart with their pumpkins full of Ben & Jerry’s goodies.


Simply purchase two scoops of ice-cream at Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops island wide from now till 25 October to enter for a chance to join the tour on 31 October 2009. Take a stab at i-scream flavours like “Vampire“ Chunky Monkey, “Mad” Chocolate Fudge Brownie, “Beastly” New York Super Fudge Chunk, “Evil” Cake Batter, Bloody Black Rasberry. Simply ghoulicious! More information on their website.

Happy Deepavali

Happy Deepavali to all who are celebrating, and a joy-filled long weekend for everyone else! May you all have lots of tasty things to eat. Here's Nadine's favourite snack - murukku!

Thunder Tea Rice - Hakka "Lei Cha Fan"

I didn't have a good picture of Thunder Tea Rice when I first posted about it. So I went back again with my camera in tow this time. This traditional Hakka dish, also known as "Lei Cha Fan", is lauded as a health food, with the plethora of beneficial herbs and vegetables used. As for the taste, either you'll love it or you won't. I happen to like it, but no one else in my family will touch it.



Add $2 for side dishes - a surprisingly delicious basil omelette and a slab of fried tofu topped with minced meat. The mince seems to be chicken, as they've now adopted a "no pork, no lard" policy. Doesn't quite taste as good as I remember, unfortunately.



I also wrote about the benefits in my previous post. I doubt we'll benefit from the physical aspects if we don't actually prepare the dish. It's a labour-intensive process, which I'm actually glad I don't have to do.



Many places in Joo Chiat have come and gone, but I'm glad this place is still standing. *touch wood*


THUNDER RICE TEA
Main outlet (click to check latest outlet details)
328 Joo Chiat Road
Time: 1000 - 2200
Telephone: 6342-0223

Amoy Street Food Centre Branch
7 Maxwell Road #01-39
Time: 1100 - 2000, Off on Sunday

Vivocity Branch (Food Republic)
1 Harbourfront Walk #03-01 Stall 3
Time: 1000 - 2200 Telephone: 62732209

Lau Pa Sat Branch
18 Raffles Quay #01-12
Time: 0800 - 2200

Suntec City Branch
1 Raffles Boulevard Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre
Unit 125 - 126 Foodrepublic
Singapore 039593
Time: 1000 - 2200 Telephone: 68202273

Woodlands Branch (Franchise)
Blk 768 Woodlands Avenue 6 #01-30 Stall 20 Singapore 730768
Time: 1000 - 2230 Telephone: 63673116

Golden Spoon - Oct '09 Makansutra Dinner

Yes, back-to-back posts on Makansutra forum dinners. I am enjoying these not just for the food, but the company. There are lots of veteran foodies there who happily and generously share their knowledge of food and drink. For the Oct session held at Golden Spoon Seafood Restaurant at Tiong Bahru, Keropokman, Momo, and I were lucky to be seated at TTC's table again, along with Ivan this time (poor HungryCow got exiled to another table, due to last minute table-shuffling).

The amount you learn from just one dinner listening to these connoisseurs is amazing. This time, for example, we had fun with the wine-guessing game - they each bring a mystery bottle of wine and everyone tries to figure out the type, vintage, its geographical origin (Old vs New World) and even the type of grapes/blends used. The non-drinkers (K-man, Momo and I) joined in for fun - without tasting the wines, just looking at and smelling the bouquet.

The wine drinkers were savvy and could pin down almost all the details. With a few tips from Ivan, I could start guessing vintage correctly (2 out of 3 wines, missed the 3rd one by one year). I think his Aura of Wine Divination +6 helped. Put me out there alone, and I may not fare so well!

But I digress, let's get back to the food. Like many of the makan venues, Golden Spoon is an air-conditioned Chinese cze-char (cook and fry) shop that focuses more on food than decor. We had a nine-course dinner, starting with one of my favourite things - the cold platter.


1] Cold Platter with 5 varieties - 冷盘

a)Homemade Seaweed Rolls with Salted Egg (紫菜咸蛋卷, lower right): so-so, fried stuff is better piping hot than cold
b)Pig Trotter Aspic (猪脚冻, upper left): very savoury and delicious
c)Fried Gui Hua Fish Maw (桂花鱼鳔, upper right): I love egg and fish maw, so I had no complaints
d)Thai Style Jellyfish (泰式海蜇, center): one of the more unusual and captivating marinades for jellyfish. There's a strong kaffir lime-like scent to it.
e)Sesame Prawn Salad (沙律鲜虾, lower left): decent, with tiny cubes of fruit underneath



2] Sharksfin Soup with Scallop & Crab Meat - 蟹肉干贝扒翅
Very huge bowl - probably enough for 15 small bowls, but the seafood in here is pretty scant. The soup was also very salty, almost like a shoyu broth. But I appreciated how it warmed the belly. We were hungry!



3] Eight Treasures Vegetarian Dish - 八宝素菜
Lots of vegetables (I'm sure there are eight), including cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and white radish, all wrapped inside beancurd skin, and stewed in a rich gravy. Thankfully not until overcooked and mushy. The medlar seeds added a subtle but welcome tinge of sweetness.



4] Steamed Live Patin Fish - 菜脯蒸山果鱼
I'm always a little wary of patin fish, because it can taste muddy if not well-prepared. But thank goodness it wasn't so here. Golden Spoon obviously took some effort, possibly by keeping the fish alive for a few days in clear water to expunge muddy elements. The fish was sweet and fresh. We all loved the chye poh (salty preserved radish) scattered on top too. 



5] Roast Chicken Cantonese Style - 南乳吊烧鸡
Chicken roasted with red fermented beancurd. Also pretty decent. All gone in a matter of minutes! The skin is the best part.



6] Braised Pork Ribs Traditional Style - 京烤肉排
Here's TTC doing the honours of cutting the whole slab of pork ribs. It was amazingly tender and very thoroughly braised (we suspect they must have used a pressure cooker, to get everything, including the bones so soft).



7] Panfried Black Pepper Beef - 黑椒牛肉
Wow, fish, chicken, pork and now beef - that's a lot of meat for one dinner. The beef is competently done, but as with many Chinese restaurants, it's got that spongy, soft texture that only tenderizer can achieve. The sauce is pretty good on the vegetable pieces like onion and chili.



8] Glutinous Rice with Ham in Lotus Leaf - 腊味荷叶饭
Until now, most of the dishes were fairly high on the sodium scale (and hey, my salt tolerance is not exactly low). The glutinous rice, however, was quite bland in comparison, even with the generous amount of Chinese waxed and liver sausages. Or could it be that our tastebuds had been over-salted by that time? I think it needed some dried shrimp or other for more dimensions of flavour.



9] Double-boiled Hasma with Pear & Red Dates - 红枣炖雪蛤
Hashima for dessert! The crunchy cubes of pear added texture contrast to the soft hashima. Even though it was a warm dessert, it was quite refreshing and helped cleanse the palate.

I did wonder how the restaurant could make any profit with this line-up of dishes. Each of us only paid $40 nett. No corkage charges either. On top of that, they gave each diner a $20 voucher for return visits.

Let me know if any of you would like the voucher (min spend of $100 required; a la carte orders only; no expiry date). I'll mail it to you. Just ask for it in the comments. If you'd like to see more photos and dishes from Golden Spoon, here's a thread on it in Makansutra.

GOLDEN SPOON SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
62 Seng Poh Lane (opposite Por Kee)
Singapore 160062
Tel: 6536-2218
Open daily 11.30am - 2.30pm; 6.30pm - 11pm

No.3 Crab Delicacy - Sept'09 Makansutra Session

A much overdue post, but here it is - last month's Makansutra forum members dinner at No.3 Crab Delicacy. Lots of boisterous laughter and friendly banter, as usual. It was nice to see Liverpool65 again (omg, it's been 2 years since that bak kut teh lunch!), and to finally meet Cactuskit and his cute little girl (Cactuskid?). Plus forum veteran VitiViniVino, who had a really nice camera setup! You can see their photos here.

Here is the food we had.


1] Drunken Cockles: I skipped this, but most people at the table enjoyed this (including Professor R who was clearly more adventurous than I am)! Looks delicious, but I'm always squeamish about cockles, especially semi-raw ones!


I picked at the appetiser of cold bittergourd slices instead.



2] Cold Crabs: this won rave reviews, but I still think cold crab is an acquired taste. The flesh is a little briny, hard and powdery compared to steaming hot versions. Still, it was a lot of crabmeat and roe for crabs this size.



3] Teochew Style Steamed Kurau Tail: very light-tasting with savoury, tart and gingery hints.



4] Clams in Special Sauce: oh this was my favourite! The sauce is delicious. I must learn how to make this so I don't have to go to restaurants just to eat this.



5] Fried Pigeon: decent marinated and fried til crispy. Pigeons look skinny but surprisingly have enough flesh for one to nibble on. Cactuskid loved this so much, she kept savouring her piece the whole evening.



6] Stewed Cabbage Chicken: slightly herbal chicken wrapped in cabbage and braised. Not the most exciting combination, but probably has some Chinese nourishing principle behind it.



7] Braised Pork with Buns: this one was the letdown of the evening. Gooey, starchy sauce and fatty, nondescript slices of pork that don't seem to have had much braising.



8] Curry Crabs with Buns: this is one of No.3 Crab Delicacy's signature dishes. The curry is like fish head curry, and is certainly tasty on its own. The crab was also tasty on its own. But the two did not complement each other somehow. You could just picture the curry doing better with other seafood or meat. Served with fried mantou buns.



9] Traditional Hokkien Noodles: this filler dish closed off the meal. The gravy was seafood-rich and umami, but the dish was sorely missing one critical ingredient - fried pork lard pieces! The other detractor was the strong alkali taste.

On the whole, this was not one of the best dinners we've had. Still, with all the crab, it was very good value at S$40 per person. I'll post Oct's dinner soon.

NO.3 CRAB DELICACY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
2265/267 Outram Road
Singapore 169059
Tel: 6327-2148

Don't Buy or Sell my Lost iPhone, Give it Back to Me!

My precious. Gone.

Ever since I got my supersweet iPhone 3Gs in July, I've been living in torrid fear of losing it. Well, I don't have to worry anymore, because it finally happened. Slipped out of my pocket in the cab at Rainbow Centre, Margaret Drive when I was fumbling with Nadine, backpack and making payment. I always check the seat, but this time I forgot to check the floor.

This phone is the absolute best I've ever had (and I so love the cover!). The apps kept me up til 2am, the constant connectivity made me wish for longer commutes, and the sleek, gorgeous interface just makes you want to play with it more. Even Nadine and Jolie were so enthralled, they quickly learned how to access the phone and its apps.

Slim to nil hopes of getting it back. The person who has it just kept declining calls from all sources. Whoever you are, you know how to contact me should you suddenly have a stab of conscience (a $$$ REWARD awaits you too!). You know my Gmail, my Facebook, my Twitter, my contacts, my IM, my Skype, my photos and my blog. You even know my calendar (see you at the Makansutra dinner tonight?)

I do have to let you know I have filed a police report on this loss. So, if you try to sell this phone, or if any of you out there come across an iPhone 3Gs with the IMEI code 0119490062673, please be aware that it's on the police's wanted list. I have read that people have been arrested for handphone theft, thanks to this list.

Meanwhile, I mourn and kick myself for allowing sleep-deprived carelessness to lose my most beloved gadget, which I can't afford to replace at full price. But even as I realised my horrific loss yesterday, watching Nadine during class and holding her in my arms, made me realise I still have the most important things in life. I'd happily lose the phone over Nadine any day.

At the end of the day, it's not the material stuff that matters the most.

(But I still won't say no to having my iPhone back!)

Singapore High Tea Buffet List - Updated Oct 2009

Sometimes, nothing says indulgence like a spot of high tea with family or friends. Here's a list of high teas in Singapore, newly updated for 2009 (this supercedes the old list from 2007). I will keep adding and updating here. If there is a place I've missed out, or if you see new promos or broken links, feel free to email me or leave a comment.

There are generally two types of high tea - the ever popular buffet (offering mainly local or Asian snacks), and the fixed portion English tea (think scones and open-faced sandwiches served on three-tier silver stands).

But lines are blurring these days - some English tea sets are refillable, and many buffets also offer international items almost as good as lunch. There are even high teas by Chinese and Japanese restaurants, although these are really more like off-peak specials! I have categorised them as buffet and fixed portion teas, sorted by the eateries' alphabetical name.

To be safe, please call the restaurant to confirm pricing, timing and reservations (especially during festive periods as many places are fully booked or have special prices).


HIGH TEA BUFFETS

AQUAMARINE
Marina Mandarin
Asian High Tea - local and some Japanese items, no seafood
12noon - 4pm (weekends & PH only)
Adults $38++, children $19++ (5-12 yo)
Tel: 6845-1111

BAR & BILLIARD ROOM
Raffles Hotel
Afternoon Tea - mainly desserts and pastries
3.30pm - 5.00pm (Sat)
4.30pm - 5.30pm (Sun)
Adult $38++
Child $25++
Tel: 6412-1816

BRASSERIE LA SAVEURS
St Regis Singapore
Afternoon Tea - scones, specialty pastries, finger sandwiches and fine teas.
3.00 pm - 5.00 pm daily
Mondays to Wednesdays: $38++ per person or $42++ per person inclusive of one glass of Moët and Chandon Rosé,
Thursdays - Sundays: $48++ per person or $53++ per person inclusive of one glass of Moët and Chandon Rosé.
Tel: 6506-6866

CAFEBIZ
Traders Hotel
High Tea
12pm - 4pm (Sat) - the only seafood is a live prawns station
Adult $35++
Child $17.50++
12pm-4pm (Sun) - additional egg counter, cereals, freeflow juices, fresh oysters, sashimi
Adult $45++
Child $24.50++
Tel: 6831-4374

CAFE VIC
Carlton Hotel
Weekend High Tea
12 noon - 5pm (weekends & PH only)
Adult $38 nett
Child $19 nett
Tel: 6311-8195

CAROUSEL - see photos & review here
Royal Plaza on Scotts
High Tea Buffet
3.30pm - 5.30pm daily
Adult $28++ (weekday); $34++ (weekend)
Tel: 6589-7799

CHECKERS BRASSERIE
Hilton International
International High Tea
12 noon - 4pm (Sat)
Adult $37.00++
Child $18.50++
Tel: 6737-2233

CHIHULY LOUNGE
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Weekend Afternoon Tea Buffet (more Western)
2.30pm - 5pm (weekends)
Adult $40++
Child $20++ (age 6-12)
Tel: 6434-5288

CHILI PADI NONYA CAFE
Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Buffet Hi-Tea (ONLY Sat & Sun)
3pm - 5:15pm
$7.80+
Tel: 6872 2982

CHILI PADI NONYA CAFE
North Bridge Road
Buffet Hi-Tea (daily)
3pm - 5.30pm
$7.80+ weekdays; $8.80+ weekends
Tel: 6339 7745

COFFEE LOUNGE
Goodwood Park Hotel
Local High Tea Buffet
3pm - 5.30pm
$28++ (Mon-Thu)
$32++ (Fri-Sun & PH) children 6-11yrs half price
Tel: 6730-1746

THE COURTYARD
Fullerton Hotel
Traditional English Tea - freeflow sandwiches, scones, muffins, sweets, coffee & tea.
2.30pm - 6pm (daily)
Adult $36++
Child $16++ (age 4-12)
Tel: 6877-8129

CURRY FAVOR JAPANESE KITCHEN
Novena Square outlet only
High Tea Buffet - 30 items to choose from
3pm - 5.30pm
Adult $13.80++ (weekdays); $15.80 ++ (weekends)
Child $9.80++
Tel: 6255-2395

THE DINING ROOM - see photos and review here
Sheraton Towers
High tea buffet - Sat local dishes, Sun international dishes
12 noon - 4pm (Sat, Sun & PH only)
Adult $32.80++
Child $17++ (aged 6-12)
Tel: 6839-5621

ELEMENT RESTAURANT
Amara Singapore
High Tea buffet
12.00pm - 4pm (Sat & Sun only)
Adult $29++
Child $19++
Tel: 6879-2607 (reservations advised)

FEAST@EAST
Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore
High Tea buffet - local items
11.30am - 3pm (Sat only)
Adult $18++ (usual senior citizen discount of 15% does not apply)
Child $12++
Tel: 6340-5665

GLOBAL KITCHEN
Pan Pacific Singapore
Asian High Tea - local items
1pm - 4.30pm (Sat only)
Adults $32++, children (aged 6-12) pay their age (e.g. 6 year-old pays $6++)
Tel: 6826-8240

LAO BEIJING RESTAURANT
Plaza Singapura; Velocity @ Novena Square; Tiong Bahru Plaza
High Tea Buffet - menu here
3.00pm-5.00pm (Last Order 4:45pm)
Adult $12.80++ (weekdays); $15.80++ (weekends & PH)
Child aged 3-10 years $9.80++ (weekdays); $10.80++ (weekends & PH)
Tel: 6738-7207 (Plaza Singapura); 6358-4466 (Novena Square); 6736-4466 (Tiong Bahru Plaza)

L'ESPRESSO
Goodwood Park Hotel
English Afternoon Tea - scones, pastries and savoury items
Weekdays 2pm – 5.30pm (Monday to Thursday)
Weekends (1st seating) 12noon – 2pm (Friday to Sunday & Public Holidays)
Weekends (2nd seating) 2pm – 5.30pm (Friday to Sunday & Public Holidays)
Adult $33++
Child eats at half price
Tel: 6730-1743

LINGZHI VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
Velocity @ Novena Square
High Tea Buffet - min 2 pax; menu here
3.00pm - 5.00pm (Last Order 4:30pm)
Adult $10.20++ (weekdays); $15++ (weekends & PH)
Child below 10 years $7.50++ (weekdays); $10++ (weekends & PH)
Tel: 6538-2992

THE LIVING ROOM
Novotel Clarke Quay
High Tea - mainly local and Asian items
Two seatings: 12pm - 2pm; 2.30pm - 4.30pm (Sat, Sun & PH only)
Adult $30++
Child $18++ (age 5-16! the oldest kids I've seen)
Tel: 6433-8790

LOBBY LOUNGE - see photos and review here
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Afternoon tea - semi-buffet style with sandwiches on tiers that are replenished; plus fruit, cakes and pastries on separate buffet table
3pm - 6pm
S$29++ for Sat, Sun & PH (weekdays they have fixed sets, see below)
Tel: 6432-7483

THE LOBBY LOUNGE
InterContinental Hotel
English High Tea buffet - more variety than their weekday four-tier set (see below)
2pm - 5pm (Sat, Sun)
$35++ with freeflow coffee/tea
Tel: 6825-1046

THE MARRIOTT CAFE
Marriott Hotel
High Tea
3pm - 5.30pm mon-sat 3.30pm-5.30 daily
Adult $33++ (Mon-Thu); $35 (Fri-Sun)++
Child $20++ age 5-12
Tel: 6831-4605

MIN JIANG
Goodwood Park Hotel
High Tea Buffet (mainly dim sum plus dessert)
3pm - 5pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Adult $23.80++
Child eats at half price
Tel: 6730-1704


NIHON MURA - click for branches and contact numbers (I've never tried them but looks like they've expanded like crazy)
Downtown East, Jurong West; Revenue House; Kallang Leisure Park; Tampines Swimming Complex; The Cathay
Daily High Tea Buffet
2.30pm - 5.30pm
Adult $17.90++ (weekdays); $18.90++ (weekends & PH)
Local students $15.90++ (weekdays); $16.90++ (weekends & PH)
Child below 12 years $10.90++ (weekdays and weekends)

MUSHROOM POT
Orchard Point and Stadium Walk
High Tea Buffet - see menu here.
Mon - Fri (3-5pm): $13.90++/person
Sat - Sun (3-5pm): $16.90++ /person
Orchard outlet: Daily
Stadium outlet: Weekends & P.H. only
Tel: 6733 9910 Orchard); 6342 3320 (Stadium)

ONE-NINETY
Four Seasons Hotel
High Tea Buffet offering local and regional cuisine (no International!)
12pm - 3pm (Sat only)
Adult $45++
Child $25++ (aged 5-11)
Tel: 6831-7250

ORCHARD CAFE
Orchard Hotel
Afternoon Tea
3pm - 5pm
Adult S$28++; Child S$16++ (Mondays to Fridays)
Adult S$33++; Child S$18.50++ (Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays)
Tel: 6739-6565

PLAZA MARKET CAFE
The Fairmont Singapore
High Tea
12.30pm - 4.30pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Adult $32++ Child $16++ (age 6-12)
Tel: 6431-6156

PU TIEN RESTAURANT - see menu here
Tampines Mall High Tea Buffet
3pm - 5pm daily)
Adult $10.80++ (Mon-Fri); $12.80++ (Sat, Sun & PH)
Child (height 1.2m and below) $7.80++ (Mon-Fri); $8.80++ (Sat, Sun & PH)
Tel: 6879-2607 (reservations recommended)

ROSE VERANDA - see photos and review here
Shangri-La
11.30pm - 6pm (Mon-Fri)
11.30am - 2.30pm and 3pm - 6pm (Sat, Sun and PH; two seatings)
Adult $36++
Child $22++ (age 6-11)
Tel: 6213-4486 (dining reservations)

SALTWATER CAFE
Changi Village Hotel
Tunch - local & western items
12noon - 5pm (Sat & Sun)
Adult $22.00++
Tel: 6379-7018

SCOTTS LOUNGE
Grand Hyatt Singapore
English High Tea buffet - sandwiches, soups, mains and desserts
2pm - 5pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Adult $28++
Child $14++ (aged 7-12)
Tel: 6732-1234

SPICES CAFE
Concorde Hotel (formerly Le Meridien at Orchard)
Afternoon Tea - local and Western items (until end Nov)
12noon - 5pm
Adult $26++
Child $13++ (age 3-12)
Tel: 6739-8370

STRAITS CAFE @ RENDEZVOUS
Rendezvous Hotel
International High Tea
3pm - 5.30pm (Sat, Sun & PH)
Adult $32++
Child $16++ (age 3-10)
Tel: 6335-1777

TEA LOUNGE
The Regent Singapore
High Tea - features specialty scones, yuzu souffle, includes local items like satay
1.30pm - 5.30pm (Sat & Sun)
Adult $42++
Child $22++ (age 5-12)
Tel: 6725-3245

TIFFIN ROOM
Raffles Hotel
High Tea Buffet - English tea and local dishes (no curries)
3.30pm - 5.30pm daily
Adult $49++
Child $25++
Tel: 6412-1190

TOWN RESTAURANT
Fullerton Hotel
Singaporean High Tea Buffet
12.pm - 4.30pm (Sat & PH, unless PH is a Sunday)
Adult $38++
Child $10++ (age 4-12)
Tel: 6877-8128

WHITE ROSE CAFE
York Hotel
3pm - 5pm (Sundays only)
Adult $23.80++
Child $18.80++
Tel: 6737-0511

WINDOWS ON THE PARK
Holiday Inn Park View
High Tea buffet: mainly local items, with sushi and sashimi, live stations, desserts
12 noon - 4pm (Sat & Sun)
Adult $39++ (UOB has 1-for-1 promo)
Child $19++
Tel: 6730-0177 (reservations were advised)


HIGH TEA FIXED PORTION SETS (NON-BUFFET)

THE ATRIUM
Pan Pacific Singapore
English Afternoon Tea Set - local items
1pm - 4.30pm (daily)
Adults $28++
Tel: 6826-8240

AXIS BAR & LOUNGE
Mandarin Oriental
Afternoon Tea fixed set
3pm - 5pm (daily)
Adult $20++ for one; $32++ for two
Tel: 6885-3098

CHIHULY LOUNGE
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Traditional Afternoon Tea
2.30pm - 5pm (Mon-Fri)
$36++
Tel: 6434-5288

FOSTER'S - THE ENGLISH ROSE CAFE
Devonshire afternoon tea - scones, cakes, finger sandwiches with fresh cream, butter, strawberry preserve and choice of tea/coffee
3pm - 6pm daily
$10.50++
Tel: 6466-8939

HALIA RESTAURANT
Traditional English Tea
3pm - 5pm (Mon-Sat, excluding PH)
Adult $19++
Child - separate menu available
Tel: 6476-6711

THE KNOLLS
Capella Singapore
Afternoon tea - over 30 types of tea with colonial English ($28) and Peranakan ($26) teatime favourites
3pm - 5.30pm daily
Tel: 6377 8888

LOBBY LOUNGE - see review here
Conrad Centennial Singapore
Afternoon tea (3-6pm) S$23++ (weekdays)
Choose from Asian or Western set
Tel: 6432-7483

THE LOBBY LOUNGE
InterContinental Hotel
International High Tea - four-tier fixed set with freeflow coffee/tea
2pm - 5pm weekdays (they have a buffet for weekends, see above)
$35++
Tel: 6825-1046

MEZZA9
Grand Hyatt Singapore
Tea for Two set - fusion set (Vietnamese rice roll, Thai mango salad, smoked salmon, Japanese cucumber maki roll, breadstick with parma ham, goose liver terrine). Choose a drink - juices or coffee/tea/hot chocolate. Includes dessert platter for two - assorted macarons, sherbet or ice cream.
3pm - 5pm (Mon-Sat only)
Adult $20++ (min 2 pax)
Tel: 6732-1234

THE ONE-NINETY BAR
Four Seasons Hotel
Afternoon tea - sandwiches, scones, pastries with tea/coffee
2pm - 5pm (Mon-Sat)
$37++
Tel: 6831-7671

ROYAL COPENHAGEN TEA LOUNGE
Level 2 inside Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Weekdays High Tea Set $20.90 for one person; $26.90 for two persons
Weekends High Tea Set $22.90 for one person; $29.90 for two persons
2.30pm - 6pm daily
Tel: 6735-6833

TIAN FU TEAHOUSE (part of SiChuanDouHua)
Parkroyal on Beach Road; UOB Plaza
Imperial High Tea Set - nine types of dim sum and snacks, paired with varieties of Chinese tea.
2.30 to 6pm daily
Tel: 6505-5724

TWG TEA SALON & BOUTIQUE
Republic Plaza (RP); ION Orchard
Tea Time sets: 1837 ($17); Chic ($25); Celebration ($29)
available 3pm - 6pm
RP menu
ION weekday and weekend menus
Tel: 6538-1837 (RP); 6735-1837 (ION)

ZENTO CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE
Dempsey
Choice of Japanese or Western Dessert with free flow of premium coffee/tea.
- Ginger Pound Cake
- Warm Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream
- Japanese Cream Puff with Ice Cream
- Matcha Tiramisu
- Blueberry CheeseCake
3pm to 6pm (Mon-Fri only)
Tel: 6474-0378

This list has been compiled by Camemberu. If you would like to share this, please attribute and link back here for updates. This is the URL - http://www.camemberu.com/2009/10/singapore-high-tea-buffet-list-updated.html

HAPPY HIGH TEAS, EVERYONE!