[Review] Buffet at Ginger (PARKROYAL on Beach Road)
PARKROYAL on Beach Road recently unveiled a new dining establishment, Ginger, to replace Plaza Brasserie.
Singapore is a melting pot of cultures and here at Ginger, you get to experience this multi-cultural city-state's rich food legacy and traditional Asian cooking.
Helmed by Executive Chef Andy Oh who was recently named Best Head Chef at the recent World Luxury Restaurant Awards, Ginger celebrates the best of local heritage through an excellent showcase of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan dishes such as Beef Cheek Rendang, Ayam Masak Merah, Tandoori Lamb Rack, Bak Kut Teh and Chendol.
We had the opportunity to try the dinner buffet and have to say that we were delighted by the extensive range of local favourites available. Amongst the must-try dishes we recommend are the Crustacean Hotpot, Salt-Baked Whole Seasonal Fish and Chilli Crab which were coincidentally also specially created by Chef Andy for Ginger's opening.
Appetisers
The must-try dishes amongst the appetisers include the Cold Seafood Platter, Rojak and Kueh Pie Tee.
1) Cold Seafood Platter
1) Cold Seafood Platter
The cold seafood corner included lobsters, oysters, tiger prawns and clams. The seafood was very fresh and certainly a crowd-pleaser. With such a delightful start to the buffet, one wonders if such raised expectations would still be met throughout the meal. :)
2) Do It Yourself Corners
A) Rojak: Rojak which means "eclectic mix" in Malay, is named as such to reflect the indeed eclectic mix of ingredients to make this local salad. I like how the rojak is a combination of sweet and savoury flavours so uniquely different from the (usual) Western salad, and would recommend them to overseas friends.
At this station, guests can help themselves to the mixed vegetables, fruits and crispy dough fritters available. The ingredients are then throughly mixed up in a special black sauce and garnished with chopped peanuts and finely-cut fresh ginger flowers.
B) Kueh Pie Tee: This Peranakan dish may look dainty, but do not underestimate how each mini crispy tart shell can hold a combination of thinly-sliced vegetables, prawns, eggs and chopped peanuts which are then topped with shallot crisps and chilli sauce.
Main Dishes
If you love seafood, Ginger would be like paradise for you. Like I mentioned earlier, I highly recommend the Crustacean Hotpot, Salt-Baked Whole Seasonal Fish and Chilli Crab!
1) Crustacean Hotpot
My personal favourite amongst all the dishes is the Crustacean Hotpot which was of exceptional quality for a buffet entry. As a dish, I reckon it would not look out of place even in fancier fine dining restaurants.
This dish includes a diverse assortment of crabs, lobsters, tiger prawns, mussels in a full-flavoured seafood broth. Cooked to perfection, I could not resist having a second and third helping. The broth was intensely flavourful and is certainly the unique selling point because no other buffet restaurant offers lobsters cooked in this manner.
Based on my observations, most buffets that offer lobsters have a pretty standard cooking style. They either come grilled or baked, and sometimes you grow tired of the way lobsters are presented in these restaurants as they are certainly ubiquitous.
Whilst Ginger also offers chilled lobsters (if that is to your liking), I strongly recommend this one in the broth. I am sure that fellow diners share the same sentiment as the Crustacean Hotpot ran out quickly, so be sure to arrive early at the buffet to enjoy the very best of what Ginger has to offer.
2) Salt-Baked Whole Seasonal Fish
I love how this dish was baked to perfection in rock salt and rosemary to bring out its natural flavours. With a gentle push, the flakes of salmon came off to reveal its wonderfully succulent texture.
3) Chilli Crab
Another standout was the chilli crab, and the sweet, savoury and spicy tomato-based sauce was a wonderful complement to the succulent crab meat.
The chilli crab is listed as one of CNN Go's "World's 50 Most Delicious Foods" at Number 35, so why not celebrate the upcoming National Day over a feast of this local favourite? Give me some chilli crab with these golden-brown deep-fried mantou buns, any time. Yummy!
4) Others
Ginger also features other Asian offerings such as Satay, Penang Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Bak Kut Teh. Below are more photos to whet your appetite!
Salted Egg Crab:
Char Kway Teow:
Roast Meat:
Aloo Gobi and Butter Chicken:
Desserts
Two types of ice cream, Lemongrass and Ginger and Gula Melaka, are available and this is consistent with Ginger's Asian heritage positioning and the rest of its buffet lineup. I certainly prefer the Lemongrass and Ginger ice cream which was both refreshing and tantalizing, as the Gula Melaka ice cream tasted a bit contrived.
Lemongrass and Ginger Ice Cream:
Apart from local dessert soups such as Tau Suan, there was also an assortment of cakes from the traditional Nyonya Kuehs to the Chocolate Fudge Cake and modern Rainbow Cake.
Do check out the Chendol and Ice Kacang too!
Conclusion
Overall, the food here at Ginger certainly exceeded our expectations and it must be acknowledged that the restaurant has certainly done its homework in terms of positioning and product differentiation.
From the Crustacean Hotpot to the Salt-Baked Whole Seasonal Fish and Atlantic Cod Congee, the variety on offer is certainly commendable and compelling. Indeed, this new dining establishment does well to stand out from the competition with its distinctive and unique selection of premium quality food.
A drawback was probably the variety of desserts which seemed to pale in comparison to the wide range of main courses available. Nonetheless, it is hard to be so all-rounded and their focus is really the premium quality crabs and seafood that would put fancier restaurants that charge exorbitant prices to shame.
From the Crustacean Hotpot to the Salt-Baked Whole Seasonal Fish and Atlantic Cod Congee, the variety on offer is certainly commendable and compelling. Indeed, this new dining establishment does well to stand out from the competition with its distinctive and unique selection of premium quality food.
A drawback was probably the variety of desserts which seemed to pale in comparison to the wide range of main courses available. Nonetheless, it is hard to be so all-rounded and their focus is really the premium quality crabs and seafood that would put fancier restaurants that charge exorbitant prices to shame.
PS: After a sumptuous meal, why not head down to Haji Lane which is less than 5 mins walk away to soak in the atmosphere and check out some of the heritage sights and hipster clubs and bars over there? Read our 5 Must-Visit Stops for the Foodie at Haji Lane and Kampong Glam here!
Buffet Lunch
Weekdays: $34++; Weekends: $58++
Buffet Dinner
Daily: $58++
Ginger
PARKROYAL on Beach Road, Singapore
Reservations tel: 6505 5710
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