Todai @ Marina Bay Sands

This is my 2nd time to Todai since it opened. My first time was during the first few weeks that they  opened. This time round, I tagged along thanks to the folks from HungryGoWhere.Com

Todai says on its website, it's an international seafood and sushi buffet restaurant. In my two trips there, I think of it more as a Korean Buffet plus International Seafood restaurant.

The first time I was here, I ate probably half of the things served here. This time round, I tried more with some overlap. Meaning I might come back in a few months time to try other things.

I don't think it's wise to try every single thing. By the time you eat them all, you would be too full and be too full to appreciate what you have eaten. I noticed that there's a Korea Promotion on and decided that I shall try those special food plus a few 'must try' things here.

They call themselves a sushi buffet restaurant so expect to lots of it. They do have a huge variety of sushi on the buffet tables! You know sushi is mostly rice, it makes you really full. So I was quite selective. I picked those that stood out and also those with Korea Festival on it.



The above I think was the White Dragon Roll. I was tempted by the mushroom on top.
It had my favourite ingredient and I went back for thirds!



If you are a Kimchi fan, this Kimchi Sushi roll is a must try!
Wrapped in kimchi cabbage leaves and also some kimchi on top of it! I like kimchi and find their kimchi not too fermented, so it's to my liking. I had 3 of this!




If you watch Korean soaps, they always talk about Korean Beef. (韩牛)
These are marinated BBQ Korean Short Ribs! Verified it with the Manager that these are all imported from Korea!

The taste, you can't get enough of it! Probably because of the marinate and also the slight char smell. It's not sinewy and cuts easily with the fork and knife.

The get wiped out by fellow diners quite quickly though. So when you see them, take a few pieces to try.




This is another thing that you must try. Deep fried Ginseng!
If you hate the smell of Ginseng, then skip it. I am OK with it.

Fried Ginseng does taste better than small ginseng pieces that mum forces us to suck like sweets when I was a kid studying for exams! It's just skinny pieces of ginseng roots with tempura batter. Not the super potent kind.




Tuesdays and Thursday are Oyster Nights. (We went on  Tuesday night).
I am not an fresh oyster fan and I ate it just because it's expensive. I ate one and passed the next one to my wife!




I like the Alaskan Crabs though. It's lots of work trying to cut the thing out. I think these are easier to cut than the usual Sri Lankan varieties we have with chilli or pepper crabs.

It's therapeutic sometimes to slowly cut and snip the crab up! I think I do quite a good job didn't I?

By the way, I was told, that Todai Singapore might be ending their Alaskan Crab on the menu quite soon. Todai in other countries like Korea and US are already removing it from their menu. Prices of Alaskan crabs are getting too high to be viable to serve them as buffet now.

(you can check the prices yourself for example in Fairprice Finest, it's getting very expensive!)




Something from their Korean Cooked Food section.
I was told they were Korean Beef, so I took 2 pieces. Yummy!



Chilli crabs and fried mantou.
It's deliciously, but not really spectacular. Go to your favourite chilli crab stall.




They have a churrasco section too. I like the pineapple and the fattier portions of pork.

They are kind of lightly salted, so you might need sauces. This might sound weird, but the kimchi station has nice pickles to go with these brazilian styles of meat!


(Note: the beef in this section is from US and not the Korean beef.)




There are the usual fresh sashimi station as well.




More cold seafood, do you find that the smaller the shell fish, the sweeter it taste?
The common stuff that you get in many other buffets around.




These are some Korean Rice cake snacks in conjunction with the Korea Festival.
Some are nicer than the rest and probably an acquired taste to some people. The texture is chewy!

For desserts, I had some cakes. What I liked was the self service sundae machine!
I can't resist ice cream!




Check out the promotion that they are running now.

Todai Marina Bay Sands (Singapore) B2-01 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands 2 Bayfront Avenue Singapore 018972 Tel: +65 6688 7771

Scan QR Code for Address Details.

Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal Beach Road

If you like Asian Buffets, you should check out the Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal Beach Road. They have quite a good selection of Asian food and for this month (I know it's ending soon that's why I have to quickly rush out this post) they have a "Treasures of the Sea" promotion.

Quoting from their website:
"Indulge in a variety of fresh seafood, including flower crabs, queen scallops, tiger prawns, oysters, mussels, clams and much more! Enjoy rounds of sake oyster shots, chilli crab, bamboo clams and drunken prawns in herbal soup, all on the buffet spread.

From Mondays to Fridays, pick your favourite fish from our ‘Catch of the Day’ section and our chefs will prepare it in your preferred sauce and style."

Thanks to the folks at the hotel's PR department who hosted a few of us, we really enjoyed what we saw and ate.

Here are some of the samples of the food that you got to try. You pick the seafood you want from the counter and the way you want it cooked. The chefs will prepare it fresh for you and deliver it to your table.



Soft shell crabs with 5 spice powder.These were super duper crispy crabs, slightly on the salty side, but it was really delicious! I had one bite and loved it so much, I quickly had a second piece. My mum loves to use 5 spice powder in her food, so grew up liking the smell and taste of it. This dish really makes me happy.

They also have soft shell crabs on the buffet tables, but this "prepare as you order" version has 5 spice powder and taste crispier.




Grey Prawns with spicy garlic sauce.
If you like prawns, this combination really makes you salivate. Prawns and garlic are a good combination and making it spicy is even better! By licking on the sweet, sourish and spicy sauce on the prawns, you know you would want more. The prawns were really fresh too.




White Clams with Spicy Onion Sauce
This was my favourite for that afternoon. It's probably because it's onions sauce! I think clams or shell fish that are smaller in size tastes better. Since the rest were busy snapping photos, trying to get their perfect shot, I was indulging in this. I probably finished quarter of this huge bowl of clams served.




Green Shell Mussels with black bean sauce.
These were nice, but I could only eat 2 and I have enough of it. I personally prefer smaller ones as bigger shell fish has this 'ocean taste' (not fishy, but this ocean smell or iodine aftertaste) that makes you control your intake to a few of it.




Fresh black mussels with sambal sauce.
I like this dish too, my personal bias to smaller shell fish. I can eat and eat and eat this stuff. Probably because it was small, you enjoy eating it without getting the stuffed feeling.




Bamboo Clams with Black Bean Sauce.
I personally find the bamboo clams chewy. The black bean sauce was nice though.
In my mind, I associate bamboo clams with lots and lots of garlic with light premium soy sauce. hehe. Like the ones here.




We were glad to meet Mr Jackson Goh the Executive Chef.
He's the guy who comes out and quality controls the food that comes out of his kitchen. He has done a pretty good job!




I went around the hot food buffet area and saw that they have sea cucumber too.
The way I like it done! Braised with Roast Pork! You should try this.




This was probably Miss Tam Chiak's or Hungrycow's bowl of laksa which I tasted a spoonful of.
Very nice!



I was told on certain days there will be chicken rice served.
I could not resist and helped myself to a small portion of it. Glistering rice and smooth tender chicken.




A portion of the roast pork, bbq pork and roast duck that I shared with fellow diners.
The BBQ pork has a taste of 'chinese wine', which I knew the wife would love if she comes here.




The buffet also has a dessert section which is quite good. The 'must try' I was told will be the Chocolate Truffle Cake. Was told it's to die for!


Guess what?
It was the wife's birthday this week, and the in-laws wanted to go for a buffet dinner and I said we should come here! I really think this place is worth the money spent so I recommended this place. Well, after the dinner, both parents-in-law thought it was really a good choice.

Well, they love fish and if you go on a week night, there's a "Catch of the Day" promotion. We were there last Friday and we had two fish.



The HK style steamed Seabream.



The HK style steamed Seabass.

Dad-in-law picked two fish and knowing mum-in-law loves fish steamed HK style, both fish were cooked the same way. We had 1 fish first and when we finished the first fish, we ordered another!




The food we ate last Friday night is exactly like the one prepared for the 'bloggers tasting'.
Well, just without the extra garnishing for photo taking. LOL

The wife finally got to taste the soft shell crab that I said was very crispy and nice.




Still did not really enjoy the bamboo clams.



But I loved the black mussels in onion sauce. Nice!



Also, the white clams with sambal sauce. We were full by eating seafood! Overeating!

Parents-in-law and the wife were indulging in the fresh oysters! It's scary how they can eat so many of it at one go. They did not believe I did not eat any at all! People always say I 'rugi' because I don't eat the oysters. I just say, eat more on my behalf! This was before our 'cooked to order' seafood arrived.

They only served 2 types of sashimi, but they were fresh. Momo thought the laksa as good too.
I don't know which brand of ice cream they served, but it was quite nice! Momo and I think it taste familiar, but can't put a 'brand' to it, I had like 4 scoops with those coloured rocks chocolate bits.

The parents-in-law enjoyed the Durian mousse that was on the dessert table too. The pulut hitam was nice too! You should try it!




We thought we would come for this self paid meal in 'stealth mode', so it was not under my name, but in dad-in-laws name for the reservation. The very observant PR director was quick to spot it and drop me a note on whatsapp. She knew it was the wife's birthday, but with so little time, she arranged for a little surprise! How cute right?

Parents in law paid for the meal with the UOB card and got 20% discount.


Treasures of the Sea buffet dinner
2 September - 30 October 2011

Mondays to Thursdays: Adult • S$45 | Child (3 to 12 years old) • S$27
Fridays to Sundays : Adult • S$48 | Child (3 to 12 years old) • S$29


Prices are subject to service charge and prevailing government taxes.





Plaza Brasserie @ Parkroyal on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591

Tel: 6505 5710

The Ultimate Crab and Durian Buffet @ The Promontory, Sentosa Boardwalk

[These crabs and durians were deliciously provided by 'Sentosa - Asia's Favourite Playground' for tasting]

Sentosa has changed so much over the past year or so. There are now so many new attractions and Momo and I have been hopping into the island more than we have ever been say the last 10 years!

At the beginning of this year, the Sentosa Boardwalk was open, and it has been my preferred (and also cheapest) way to get in to Sentosa. I have always rushed in without admiring the view on the boardwalk. This time however, I got to admire the view while having a meal at the boardwalk!




By the way, you can walk on the boardwalk all the way from the VivoCity end till the Sentosa end for free. It is only when you want to enter Sentosa side that you pay only $1 to get in.




If you have yet to hear about it, Sentosa has prepared the Ultimate Crab and Durian Buffet for Crabs and Durian lovers. Crabs cooked in many interesting and delicious ways, durians in desserts or just on its own, opened right in front of you live!

It's only $38++ for adults and $21++ for children 5 - 11 years old.

It's quite a steal isn't it? If you have crabs elsewhere, the crab dish alone is already more or sometimes double what you will pay here for an adult here!

Momo and I recently got to try out the buffet before it's open to the public from 9 - 26 June 2011.
Here's a preview of what you will be eating if you decide to have a meal there. It will all be on buffet tables and you self service.

Appetisers

We had baby octopus, prawn and mango with avocado mousse, salmon sashimi and poached tiger prawns. They are the usual crowd pleasers. The mango with avocado mousse is a little unique.




Another favourite appetiser for many. Deep fried soft shell crabs!





The portions served to us was crispy on the outside, not too oily and it's moist inside. We were told the dressing to go with the soft shell crab is special as it has pineapple inside which gives it a little twang!

Soup

Coral Crab Bisque with Sour Cream.

When I first tasted it, it reminds me of thick version of prawn noodle soup which was yummy! To make it creamier, stir in the sour cream. See the magic when your soup changes colour ;-)

Main Courses

The main courses are what everyone's here for! Crabs! Lots of it!

This was the wok-fried chili Sri Lankan crabs. It's not the usual chili crab that's full of sauce and taste sweetish. This version is spicy and fiery! Shiokness!



What's the best carbo to go with the chili protein? Fried Mantou!



We noticed that the few ladies on our table had an unique way of eating their mantous. They spread it open and pour the gravy over it. How do you eat your mantou? Pinch and dip in sauce or spread it wide and pour sauce over it?



Are you a crab roe lover?
Momo is and she was so happy and went straight for the shell! She adores crab roe!




I am more of a pincers person.
Of all the different crab dishes, this was my favourite!




If you like Salted Egg Yolk Crabs, they have it too!
It was a bit too heavy for my liking, but for salted egg yolk fans, it's your kind of crabs.




Is your favourite crabs Black Pepper Sri Lankan crabs? They serve it too and they are equally awesome! Some places put in chili padi to spice black pepper crabs up, but I did not spot any cili padi here, instead we were told they use black pepper imported all the way from Hawaii.  They were  tongue numbingly good! After the chili crabs, these pepper crabs are my other favourite.

On their website, they also state they have Nonya Curry Crabs, Masala Mud Crabs, Ginger Scallion Flower Crabs. I am sure they will be equally good!




If you are a meat eater, there's also Beef Striploin.
From their website, it is stated they also serve Beef Rendang, Roast Beef Rump etc.




For those who just have to have rice to feel satisfied, there's the Crabmeat and seafood fried rice to satisfy the rice craving.




We also tried their crabmeat chawanmushi with mushroom.



Nice!

On the Sentosa website, you can see they also have fresh oysters, slippery lobsters, shrimp paste chicken, roast beef rump, baked salmon and more.

Desserts

The desserts selection is for Durian lovers!
What you see above, the Durian Cheesecake, Durian Pengat and Durian Mousse.

Some of you know that I don't eat durian unless there's an occasion or reason to try it. Well, I ate them. It was nice! The Durian Pengat (in the short glass) was unique. It was durian with gula melaka over it. The durian I only took a bit and passed the rest to someone on the table who was craving durians!



For the purist, freshly peeled durian right in front of you when you want it is the way to go. Yup, we were told it will be open live in front of you if you come for the buffet.

We were told over 2000 bookings have been made and on certain days they particularly popular. If you are game for it, it's best to make a reservation.


The Ultimate Crab and Durian Buffet
Date: 9 - 26 Jun 2011
Time: 6pm - 11pm
Venue: The Promontory, Sentosa Boardwalk
Prices: $38++ per adult; $21++ per child (5 – 11 years old) (price excludes drinks)

Reservations: +65 6279 1767 (11 am to 9 pm)
For more information, visit: http://www.sentosadining.com.sg/promo.php