That day, I delivered goods in my lorry to Google, very tired and hungry and sweaty. So the kind people of Google invited me to lunch at their cafeteria.
Tough security at Google. You must register your IC at the security counter on the ground floor, and then use your IC to scan in through the turnstile to the lift waiting area. Inside the lifts, there are no buttons, so everything is done at the waiting area. You have to key in the floor you want to go at the waiting area and scan in your IC again to confirm. A screen will indicate which lift you are to take. You walk into the lift and it will automatically bring you to the level. Very high-tech but confusing. I’m just a delivery man driving lorry!
There is no free lunch in the world? WRONG. Google offers its 300 over employees free breakfast and lunch. How awesome!
Wah piangz, it’s not a cafeteria, it’s a restaurant lor, overlooking the sea at Marina Bay. Got theme somemore. decorated in a 60s Singapore coffeeshop style with mosaic tiling, the wooden chairs, and fuchsia metal grills.
The cafeteria functions like a buffet line, you queue up and get the food. The menu changes everyday but there are fixed cuisines, with Chinese, Western, Indian, and Vegetarian options. Hard as Google tries to be inclusive, it’s difficult to have halal-certified food at a multi-cultural environment, so Muslims may eat the vegetarian and Indian options if they aren’t too strict with their diet.
Yes, in the background of the photo is the team of chefs cooking for Googlers everyday!!! The food is not catered. On the day I was there, there were: tomato risotto (vegetarian), roasted beef, imperial chicken, poached fish with peach sauce, broccoli, french beans, mixed seafood fried in chili crab sauce, omelette with mushroom, soups, sandwiches, salads, vegetarian briyani, paneer masala (cheese in masala), and for desserts, lemon tart, chocolate eclair, tiramisu mousse in a chocolate cup and movenpick ice cream. There are, of course right?, all sorts of beverages ranging from milk to juices to caffeine and sodas.
The Googlers were very smart one and pre-empted me, “We know you’re a foodie, but our food is so-so only.”
LIKE THAT YOU CALL SO-SO?? It’s hotel buffet standard!! You know what the Googlers were doing? They were underselling, so when I got the final product, it exceeded all my expectations. I tried a bit of everything and thought the poached fish was too dry, imperial chicken was not herb-y enough, and omelette too salty but the rest were awesome. 3 below-average (they weren’t bad) VS many good dishes. Many hotel buffets can’t even achieve this.
Chiobu was sick at home and I asked the Googlers if I could ta-bao for her. They said, sure, there is bound to be extra food anyway.
I told Chiobu that the Googlers said the food isn’t that great. She replied, “OMG, they are just showing off! The food is so amazing!! I’m so confused. I want to work at Google because of the food but I don’t want to work at Google because it’s so easy to get fat there!”
| Wise Guy’s Top 3 | Chiobu’s Top 3 | Mr NGFL’s Top 3 |
| Seafood in chili crab sauce (fuss-free eating!) |
Lemon tart | tomato soup with bacon bits |
| Lemon tart (all the desserts were excellent!) |
Paneer masala over briyani (Very flavorful!) |
French beans |
| Paneer masala over briyani | roast beef (tender!) |
tomato risotto (would be better if cooked longer) |
Clearly, from the chart, there is food that everyone would like. The food is really, without hyperbole, comparable to hotel buffet food.
Hookerlily and Mr NGFL both asked at the same time, “Which hotel??”
“As good as The Line.”
I don’t want to drive lorry anymore. I wanna be a receptionist at Google! Going to send in my CV now. kkthxbb. (ps: see, Google, I know computer language “kkthxbb.” Can I work there please?)
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