I forgot to pick up two construction workers and as a form of apology, I treated them to the halal buffet at Straits Kitchen because they are Muslim. After taxes, it cost me $240 for three persons, or $80 per person. Ouch, expensive lesson learnt.
But was the buffet worth the money? YES. Firstly, the ambience was amazing, posh and classy and comfortable. Secondly, all the four or five stations were “live,” meaning that there were cooks cooking on-the-spot. So when the food finished, they would replenish it, ensuring that the food was hot and fresh. It was magnificent and impressive, seeing so many chefs working, the sound of stir-frying, metal-ladle against woks, cooks flipping pratas, chop, chop, chopping roasts on wooden boards. The ambience was electrifying. Furthermore, the service was quite prompt, clearing plates regularly and swiftly.
Kebabs – My Favorite Food from Straits Kitchen
Lastly, the food, ah, it’s always the main point. The food were Singaporean hawker cuisine, (or also known as street food) split into several stations, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Peranakan, and–okay this isn’t SIngaporean–Middle-Eastern. The best were definitely the Indian and Middle-Eastern, all the meat were so flavorful and very tender. The sauces and marinates had completely been soaked up by the meat. The Middle-Eastern meat had a delectable smokey BBQ aroma. The standard was very, very high, on par with any fine-dining restaurants, and I’d say, it was even better than Anar, the fine-dining Middle-Eastern restaurant on Sentosa.
Laksa looked scrumptious but…
The Chinese section, however, can be improved. Almost everything turned out bland, including the Cantonese roast meats and laksa (which is Singaporean food but it was at the Chinese booth).
At a point, I did question whether it was worth paying $80 for Singaporean cuisine. The only item of value was black pepper crabs, and I don’t eat much crabs. If I buy everything from hawker, it would cost much less. But I decided the money went into the manpower (and they were hardworking chefs and servers) and into maintaining the high standard of food. It would be better if they could adjust the price lower but judging from the large crowd, with a very good vibe, they didn’t mind paying. (Reservations encouraged.)
Highly recommended for locals with big appetites and tourists who want to sample a wide variety of Singaporean food.
Straits Kitchen
10 Scotts Road
Grand Hyatt
Singapore 228211
T: 6732 1234
6.30pm-11.30pm
Rating: 3.577/5 stars
Written by A. Nathanael Ho.
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