Let's check out the new items first. The best item we tried - probably the tenderloin filet steak. How beautifully done! They also have homemade sausages, fat and juicy. But meat is not the only thing on the barbeque. There are grilled portobello mushrooms with truffle oil, aubergines with pesto, beef tomatoes with basil oil, and sliced onions.
For seafood, you must try the grilled slipper lobster. So sweet, warm and tender...I don't think I want to eat the chilled version anymore! There's grilled mackerel too. It's not my favourite fish, but they did a pretty good job with it.
Roast suckling pig from the spit-roast oven. This is the French style, I presume. The flesh is tender and moist, but somehow I could not get over the strong "milk-fed" gamey taste. Much prefer Chinese-style suckling pig.
The spit-roast rotates items on a daily basis. They have spring chicken available all three days, but the daily specials will be pork knuckles, suckling pig and baby spareribs or rack of lamb. (Note to self: must find out which day pork knuckles are on!)
The new Chef de Cuisine, Jason Tan, also included satay on the menu. Good meaty sticks, served with pineapple, cucumber and onions.
I was glad to see the regular roast meats are still there, in addition to the BBQ.
As for the rest of the original buffet items - there is really just so much, I had trouble whittling down my 200+ photos to just these highlights.
One of my favourite stations is the French farm cheeses. For the dinner buffet, the cheese board is a scaled down version, compared to the Sunday brunch one.
My cheese platter. Yes, I tried everything! My favourite is the Coulommier from Seine-et-Marne, but it is not for everyone. This may be a Brie, but it's one with character - it tastes more like Camembert!
This is new! And I am glad to see it! Parma ham, so delicious.
I finally got to try the fresh seafood array this time (previous trip too busy taking photos!). Take your pick from generously replenished snow crab, Canadian lobster, tiger prawns, oysters, scallops, and other treats. UMAI!!!
Smoked salmon too!
Cha soba, soba and somen, with pickles and condiments. The Japanese station has the usual sushi and sashimi.
Lots of appetisers and salads, both Asian and International. Here are some anti pasti - artichoke, red bell peppers, aubergines and olives. There is also duck rillete, smoked duck breast, liver pate, jellied seafood terrine, salami and cold cuts.
MELT serves some gorgeous Indian fare too. Northern Indian delights and tandoori fresh from the clay oven.
The Indian fare alone could fill you up good and proper!
The European mains are more than decent too. Roasted duck breast, osso bucco, grilled salmon, just to name a few.
The Asian mains are mostly Thai-inspired, with a couple of signature items from Cherry Garden upstairs.
Get your vegetables here. My ever favourite sauteed haricot verts.
There is so much here, it's impossible to try everything, but I really liked the seafood in cream paired with the beautiful rice (top right corner). Cream and carbo - comfort food personnified.
And now for dessert.
MELT has enough desserts for a separate buffet on its own! Their Sunday brunch has even more goodies, actually. I miss the rose ispahan and white macarons, but at least the ultra-decadent Manjari chocolate cake is still here.
My all-time favourite is still their excellent homemade ice-cream and a la minute crispy waffles. Add on lashings of Nutella, caramel, crispy chocolate beads, thick fruit preserves and whipped cream. Whatever toppings you like. And indulge in a child-like smile.
My heartfelt thanks to Kelly Tan and Chef Eric Teo of the Mandarin Oriental once again for this invitation. Aromacookery and I had a wonderful time dining here with our partners, and we were the last to leave!
Prices for Buffets with Sizzling BBQ
- Thu – Sat Dinner Buffet $78++ (Sizzling BBQ Selection)
- Sunday Brunch Buffet $98++ and S$138 inclusive of unlimited flow of Champagne, cocktails, beer and cocktails (check it out here)
MELT - THE WORLD CAFE
5 Raffles Avenue
4F The Oriental Singapore
Tel: +65 6885 3082
what a feast! is this crazy or what? the BBQ meat looks spectacular:)
ReplyDeleteohhh... or kui tao = haricot verts!
ReplyDeletedamn high class name or what! :)
SOLD!! (=
ReplyDeletethose I see on ice are lobsters not cray fish.
ReplyDeleteI just can't take things on ice ,any chance I can take them from the ice,have them grill or warmed.
ReplyDeleteCumiCiki: the tenderloin was superb!
ReplyDeleteSouthernoise: haha! everything sounds better in French! but it's the small "or kui tao" - what do we call that? Same thing in Hokkien?
Miachenyze: me too! I got so hungry doing this post!
Anonymous1: OMG, you mean I forgot to mention the Canandian lobsters and tiger prawns!? Sorry, mind was still on the grilled crayfish...I will amend right away.
Anonymous2: Well, you can skip the seafood on ice. Grilling them won't work cos the meat is already cooked, and will be too tough after that. But who knows, you could try.
Oh gosh. All that meat, all that meat, all that meat... *carnivore inside kenny yelps for joy*
ReplyDeleteVery impressive spread. Was the roast suckling pig skin crackling crisp? I don't mind gamey pork, in fact I think it's refreshing to enjoy pork and its natural flavors lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper...rather than have it heavily masked with salty hoisin sauce/five spice marinade. When it comes to suckling pig, true religious enjoyment for me is the thin crispy skin which shatters to the bite, complemented by a microspic thin layer of gelatinous fat (or is it considered a tendon at that age?), interwoven with luscious tender milkfed meat. That and a bowl of rice will register an all time high on the satisfaction meter.
ReplyDeleteBack to reality...do you recall the price (adults and kids)?
LFB: It is a carnivore's dream indeed!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: The price (S$78++ per adult) is indicated above. Sorry, perhaps it's not so visible, so let me move it above the address.
As for the suckling pig, the skin was sadly not "shatter-to-the-bite" crispy as you described (I also adore that). But thin layer of subcutaneous fat, definitely. Others have liked the suckling pig, so it's just me.
Hi.. I love all the pictures you took.. so sharp and clear.. may I know what camera are you using, and also the lens? Do you use any ring light or flash to enhance your pictures? Did you edit the pictures?
ReplyDeletethe buffet is really good, i wanna go back again :D
ReplyDeleteLFB: oh yes, a meat lover's dream!
ReplyDeletePiglet: ah, my most Frequently Asked Question. I used to put up camera info on the sidebar but gave up on that cos I still get asked. I use a Canon 400D, 50mm 1.8 or 28-80mm lenses, and an external flash at times. DSLR photos you definitely have to edit, but with the flash, it's pretty minimal. Thanks for liking the photos!
LIC: there's something even better than this - their Sunday champagne brunch!!!
Hi.. thanks for the reply! I'm spending so much time looking at the pictures.. love it! May I ask, what is the software photo editing are you using? Just Photoshop? =)
ReplyDeleteThis buffet spread looks amazing, Msian ones look kinda pathetic in comparison :p
ReplyDeleteThe waffle ice cream used to be my favorite, but some time back they have changed to home made ice cream instead of Movenpick ice cream. They even changed their waffle mix. A great disppointment during my last visit in Dec 2009. I gave my feedback to the manager then and wonder if anything has been done to improve the taste of the waffles. But it's a very good and delicious review. Definitely will give it another chance and hope the waffle ice cream tastes better this time. :)
ReplyDeletePiglet: I use both Picasa (for organising and general edits) and Photoshop (for fine-tuning). Sometimes Picasa's "I'm Feeling Lucky" one-click edit works just fine!
ReplyDeleteBabe_kl: MELT's buffet is generally better than average. We do have the pathetic ones here too. :)
Kleo78: Hmm, yes, I know. The waffle changed, but I still enjoyed it. The ice cream is still wonderful though. I love the vanilla one!
the food looks fantastic!! thank you for the reviews.
ReplyDeletethe photos are great! very comprehensive.