Ellenborough Market Café Reopens with À La Carte Peranakan Buffet Menus At Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore
PUBLISHED October 6th, 2020 10:43 am | UPDATED October 13th, 2020 11:00 am
For a while, COVID-19 looked poised to wipe out the pinnacle of gourmet indulgence – we’re talking about buffets, of course. Seafood on ice, noodles pulled live, dessert tables heaving with Western and Asian sweet treats alike… it’s a world-on-your-plate experience that nothing can truly replace.
Thankfully, we won’t need to go without our buffet fix in a post-pandemic world. Despite the Phase 2 suspension on self-service spreads, Singapore’s restaurants are reworking the buffet format for us to stuff ourselves silly – yet safely. Over at Swissôtel Merchant Court, riverfront restaurant Ellenborough Market Café has reopened its doors with all-you-can-eat helpings. Here’s what to expect:
Peranakan Soul Food
Gone is the hassle of getting up from your seat – with the new buffet format, you’ll be served unlimited helpings straight from the kitchen to your table. Sit back and take your pick from the sprawling lunch (from S$52++ per adult) and dinner (from S$62++ per adult) menus, starring their signature medley of Peranakan soul food.
For starters, there’re crisp-shelled kueh pie tees, juicy bakwan kepiting, and homemade ngoh hiang fried to fragrant perfection. The punchy ayam buah keluak is a beloved mainstay here, along with the melt-in-the-mouth babi pongteh – don’t forget to ask for some butterfly blue pea rice to mop up every last bit of gravy.
You won’t regret squeezing in some sweet treats – the durian crepes with gula melaka make for a featherlight dessert, while the durian pengat is rich, pulpy, and slips down the throat like a dream. If you’re short on stomach space at the moment, though, there’re also durian desserts available for takeaway. Think spongy slices of D24 Swiss Roll (S$6 per slice, S$22 for a 7-inch roll), Durian & Hazelnut Tartlets (S$12 each), and the signature – an indulgent slab of Mao Shan Wang Durian Cake (S$15 for 90g, S$108 for 800g).
International Classics
The international flavours aren’t to be outshone either, running the gamut from fiery Thai goodness to Italian comfort grub. Noodle lovers won’t need to choose between cha soba with sweet tofu skin, la mian with spicy minced pork, and artisan pasta in truffle cream – you can simply have them all.
Seafood devotees can go big with a heaping platter of tiger prawns, black mussels, and yabby, or tuck into dinner-exclusive gems like live prawns with Chinese herbs and Shaoxing wine and rock lobster with chili crab sauce and mantou. You’ll also find juicy grilled Black Angus striploin – a well-marbled slab that’s a must for the meatheads – during dinner time.
All-You-Can Drink
What’s a bottomless buffet without the booze? Top up just S$40++ per pax for two hours of free-flow bubbly, white and red wines, and draught beer. If cocktails are more your style, Ellenborough Market Café does some intriguing ones too. The Watermelon Margarita (S$20) amps up the beach vibes with fresh watermelon juice and agave syrup, while the Thai Basil Mojito (S$20) features a herbal burst of lemongrass syrup and fresh basil.
Safe Feasting
In order to make the buffet experience safe for us gourmets, Ellenborough Market Café has pulled out all the stops. Cleanliness measures at this SG Clean-accredited restaurant include frequent disinfection of high-touch areas, stringent social distancing, and sanitizer wipes provided at every table. What’s more, all team members have been trained in the new slew of food safety and hygiene protocols. Feasting doesn’t get much more worry-free than this.
Ellenborough Market Café‘s buffet menus are available daily at Lobby Level, Swissôtel Merchant Court, 20 Merchant Rd, Singapore 058281, p. +65 6239 1848. Prices start from S$52++ for lunch and S$62++ for dinner per adult on Mon-Thurs, and from S$58++ for lunch and S$72++ for dinner per adult on Fri-Sun.
This post is sponsored by Swissôtel Merchant Court.
