buffet at the square

i've never noticed novotel hotel before. mainly because it's in clarke quay, which is not exactly my playground. never really get recommended by anyone too. some didn't even know the place. the hotel i mean.

so when i saw this buffet promotion (UOB credit card 25% off), I decided to give it a try. good chance to roam clarke quay later. plus, it has chocolate fountain, which was my friend's requirement in selecting places to go.

they called it 'buffet at the square'. my first impression, small but elegant. i quite like the feel of the environment. woody combined with green interior, lighted up by orange lights. should have requested seats by the window though so we could get city view from 7th floor.

the waiter/waitresses are mostly foreigners. we have a balinese and a malaysian attending our table, and i'm sure the name of the cashier is not local either. good service though, all smiles and very attentive. among the best i must say.

it should be a mainly asian dishes buffet, but obviously there were lack of food choices.

they have small selection of sushi and sashimi (only rolled sushis). nothing great. i rarely complained about sushi, for me the sensation is with the wasabi kick when i eat it. the sashimi was inside a glass box, too lazy to order. no tempura or japanese noodles.

then there were selections of briyani chicken, fish and beef, alhough funny that there were only plain or oriental fried rice to accompany it. the spice fish was quite nice. we snacked a lot of the prawn and belinjo crackers while chatting.

upon request, they'd make dishes on this square transparent stylish small plate. we tried popiah (skin too thick and feels too dry) and kiwi chicken (didn't really taste the kiwi). didn't even try the rojak coz it didn't look too tempting.

the satay was pretty cold and tough, but mostly i found that the peanut sauce was too sour. then they served the satay in one little plate at the counter (about 10 sticks at a time) so you kinda get the feelings to take only few sticks everytime.

my friend said the black pepper pasta was too sweet (sweet??) but they quite liked the laksa. there was peking duck too, but we gave it a miss.

the desert selection was poor too. there wasn't even a normal cheese cake. i tend to judge good deserts by good cheesecake so this deserved a D. the fruit pies was just ok. the chocolate at the chocolate fountains felt too diluted although we did eat that a lot.

in overall, nice environment and friendly service, but the food is nothing to boast about, which makes 38+++ per head seems too expensive and no value for money. holiday inn park view and phoenix hotel are cheaper and much nicer.

nevertheless, it was still a fun outing, and the stroll around clarke quay at night was pleasing. we got to plan for our african trip next month too (madagascar here we come!!), and that would be a lot to write about...




...ed