If you’ve passed by or hung around the Dhoby Ghaut / Selegie / Bras Basah area as much as I have, you’d surely have noticed Straits Cafe which is part of the iconic Rendezvous Hotel Singapore. Well, it’s been there for years, cementing its reputation for offering a really good buffet. Well, here’s some awesome news – it’s now certified HALAL!!! π
Straits Cafe is famed for offering a magnificent buffet spread that features some of the best makan choices that the ‘straits’ have to offer. We’re talking about from here all the way to KL to Ipoh to Penang and a few spots in between. What this means is that we’re treated to a wide and generous range of delicacies! In fact, there are SO MANY dishes that you’ll be spoilt for choice! LOL
But fret not – as always, we’re here to give you a heads up and a sneak peek at what to expect at Straits Cafe. One thing is for sure – bring your appetite and an empty stomach! π
As with all our buffet posts, we’re gonna run this down for you section by section π
Wooooooooooooo all that is just the SALADS!! I have a feeling that a lot of you are like me when it comes to buffets – you like to start with the salads and then progress slowly through the different sections. Right right?? (I can hear all the people who start with desserts shouting at me in unison LOL).
Well, there’s no shortage of variety even in the Salads section here at Straits Cafe. They’ve got some really interesting ones like the Mushroom Salad, Pumpkin Salad and Jelly Fish Salad but I think my favouritest of them all was the Topshell Salad!
What exactly is Topshell? Well, it’s a shellfish and it’s a quite commonly used ingredient in Chinese-style dishes but as a salad, it’s the bomb! They mix it up with great stuff like chili padi! How can you go wrong with that? π
Anyways, if you’d like to go the more traditional route, they have a great DIY Salad station where you can mix up your own customized salad. They’ve even got some premium salad dressings there for you to enjoy. Really good stuff!
Speaking of DIY stations, there are a few more than just salads!
Kueh Pie Tee is quite a big draw at buffets these days – assemble your own by scooping some of the turnip-based filling into the crispy Pie Tee shells and then apply the finishing touches like prawn and sambal! (We made a few but ended up eating them all before managing to take a proper photo LOL sorry!!)
You also have one of the all-time fave DIY stations – Rojak!! Mix-up your own Rojak Petis (aka Rojak Buah) with an array of vegetables like turnip, cucumber and pineapple and some Petis (fermented shrimp paste) and sambal for that signature flavour we all love. And don’t forget the crispy Dough Crullers (aka You Tiao)!!
Also undoubtedly very popular is the cold, fresh Seafood on Ice spread! Straits Cafe has some pretty unique options when it comes to this seafood spread.
You’ve got your usual faves like the all-time fave Oysters, Blue Mussels and Poached Shrimps but be sure to also try the Poached Yabbies (my fave!) and the Short Neck Clams too!
At the other end of the buffet line, they have this small sections which features some items in those bamboo steamers we always associate with Dim Sum. And although they’re located near the end of the line, I still group them as under appetizers π
We’ve got some Dim Sum like Chicken Siew Mai (Mein Bruder’s favourite), Har Gow and the very interesting (and uncommon) Double Boiled Chicken Soup!
Well, even if it’s not really your thing, take a little bit lah… cos it’s a great excuse to wear the cool rubber glove that’s there to help you handle the hot bowls π
Speaking of soups, we saw a really interesting soup – the Fish Lips Soup!
Well, I asked the staff to clarify and it’s actually the ‘fish cheek’ that’s used for this soup LOL
Anyways, the texture looks like it’s similar to like those ‘shark’s fin’ or fish maw soup y’know what I mean?
LIVE Stations galore at Straits Cafe too by the way! They may vary from session to session but rest assured there’s a pretty good line-up no matter when you visit. We managed to see (and obviously sample) a few different LIVE stations when we visited.
There was a skilled chef behind the pan whipping up some Fried Carrot Cake on the spot. That means fresh and piping hot Fried Carrot Cake! Okay so it’s leaning more towards the ‘white’ version but there is a little chili in there which gives it a big kick in the flavour department. Power!
Fans of Laksa will definitely enjoy this – the White Curry Noodles resembles ‘lemak’ but the flavour is so much more intense! Once you add the sambal, you’re gonna find it so comparable to your fave Laksa for sure.
Add as little or as much of the ingredients at the table and the friendly staff will prepare everything fresh to order!
Other LIVE stations include the Ipoh Chicken Rice and Klang Chic Kut Teh but there’s an extra special one that’s available only on selected days.
The Sambal Seafood Stall is available between Fridays to Sundays for dinner only and features super fresh seafood cooked freshly in some really tasty sambal! Take your pick from crayfish, prawns, squid, clams and mussels and you can even add some additional stuff like Kang Kong, Long Beans, Ladyfingers and (my personal recommendation) Petai!!
Once you’ve made your selection, it’s then prepared fresh with your choice of sambal – either plain Sambal Chili, Onion Sambal or even Sambal Belachan! SHIOK!
Just remember to save space for the main dishes okay! LOL Can you believe that we haven’t even reached the MAINS yet???
So the first wave we’ve got for you has a big mix of everything – from chicken to fish to lamb to seafood to… pretty much everything lah LOL π
The Fried KL Black Fat Hokkien Mee is definitely a must-try and one of their signature dishes at Straits Cafe. Enjoy it with pretty much any of the other main dishes for great pairing.
And in case you missed it – this was just the FIRST wave!
As you can see, the best of the Straits have truly made the cut here at Straits Cafe. One thing in common that all these dishes have is that they are very bold and tasty flavours! I mean, we all love that extra kick when it comes to our favourite makan right?
Chili Lobster is obviously a great choice but be sure to also try the Kam Heong Prawns (kinda like a dried shrimps + garlic + curry + sedap kinda sauce) and also the Lamb Chops.
But if you’re looking for more meat, Straits Cafe has got you covered!!
CHECK OUT THAT MEAT ?
The Roast Beef is a MUST HAVE! As if tender, juicy, succulent beefy beef was not enough, you also get to choose from an array of accompanying sauce to go along. (PRO TIP: Go for the Mushroom Sauce!)
FUYOH this one no need to say lah – POWER!!
And last but not least, we come to the section that I’m sure many of you have been waiting for. But before that, I must warn you – the Desserts section at Straits Cafe is no ordinary Desserts section… it has a whole sub-section dedicated to the King of Fruits – DURIAN!
Wah wah wah wah wah probably the biggest line-up of Durian desserts we’ve seen in a long time!
So be sure to indulge in these delectable Durian desserts after you enjoy the buffet! If you still have space for desserts that is… Wait a minute what am I talking about – THERE’S ALWAYS SPACE FOR DESSERTS! (especially Durian!)
But on the slim chance that you may not be a Durian fan, fret not – plenty of other desserts to enjoy too!
Well there you go! There’s no way you can’t find something you fancy with a line-up like that π
There are even some that we didn’t manage to snap photos of actually… Straits Cafe also has desserts like Pulut Hitam, Bubur Cha Cha and Traditional Chinese Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup!! So keep a look out for those too okay.
And of course, be sure to wash down your epic buffet meal at Straits Cafe with some hot Teh Tarik!
Enjoy your buffet experience at Straits Cafe!!
Ramadan Dinner Celebration
Join the newly Halal certified Straits CafΓ© for their first ever Iftar Party! Tuck into favourite Straits delights and special Ramadan offerings!
Monday to Thursday (6.30pm to 10pm): $52++
Friday to Sunday, Eve of and on public holidays (6.30pm to 10pm): $60++
Children aged 6 β 12 years old dine at 50%, child under 6 years old dine free with every paying adult.
Straits Cafeβs regular buffet pricing* and timings:
Lunch
Monday to Friday (12pm to 2.30pm): $42++
Saturday to Sunday (12pm to 3pm): $48++
Dinner
Monday to Thursday (6.30pm to 10pm): $50++
Friday to Sunday (6.30pm to 10pm): $58++
Children aged 6 β 12 dine at 50%, children aged 5 and below dine free with every paying adult.
*Prices may vary during festive periods
Mastercard Exclusive
On Mondays to Thursdays, enjoy exclusive Dine 4 Pay 3 Promotion when you pay with your Mastercard debit or credit card. Valid from now til 26th July 2018. Terms and conditions apply.
To reserve, call 6708 7745 or email straitscafe@kitchenlanguage.com.sg
STRAITS CAFE
9 Bras Basah Road
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, Level 1
S 189559
Tel: +65 6708 7745
Facebook: www.facebook.com/StraitsCafeSG
Instagram: www.instagram.com/straitscafesg
All information (including prices, availability of item on menu and Halal status of establishment) are accurate at the time of posting. All photos used in this site are property of The Halal Food Blog unless stated otherwise.
