Traditionally, a lunar new year meal will have families hurdling around a big table and feasting on auspicious-sounding dishes. But sometimes it gets difficult for smaller-sized families to finish a whole fish, chicken, or in the case of Yusheng, tossed between a young couple. Eating at a buffet then seems like a pretty good idea and Azur might just be the place to go!
I first made contact with the buffet restaurant of Crowne Plaza Changi Airport when a buddy of mine celebrated his 21st birthday here. Besides the awesome company, the food itself was definitely worth remembering with the likes of meaty boston lobsters and fresh drunken prawns. So when I received the invitation to try out their new additions to the buffet line this lunar new year, I was looking forward to a good spread already!
Besides the festive dishes, Azur will also continue to serve their western favourites such as live stations for grills and pastas. On my previous visit, I remembered the desserts as being exquisitely presented in tasting portions so that guests could try a bit of everything without feeling overly stuffed. I'm glad that it had remained that way!
What's a Singaporean CNY meal without yusheng? That's right, Azur will be serving it fresh at a live counter! The chef will proportionise the ingredients and sauces according to the number of diners, then you can have a mini lohei at your own table! Just don't be too rowdy lest strands of veggies fly to the next table!
For the joyous occasion, Head Chef Alvin Leong has specially created a Ginger Shoyu Dressing for the yusheng and used crispy salmon skin as one of the base ingredients. While the buffet will only serve the yusheng with Norwegian salmon, you can order a takeaway yusheng for 8 pax with salmon ($48.00++), abalone ($68.00++), or both ($88.00++)!
Standby your chopsticks.. and huat long long ah!
I thought that the tangy sauce gave the Chinese salad a light, refreshing touch, while the addition of salmon skin lent a savoury flavour and a good crunch besides the usual crackers. The seafood toppings proved to be luxurious but really, it was rather enjoyable on its own!
Now onto the other dishes!
Treasures From The Sea - With quality ingredients like
Steamed Garoupa in Pickle Chilli - Instead of the traditional steaming with pork fats and soy sauce, Chef Alvin gave it a slightly spicy kick and used deep-fried lard instead, a sinful but oh-so-good nibble among the smooth fish meat. Note: For convenience sake, garoupa fillets will be served at the buffet instead.
Sea Prawn with Planta Butter and Salted Egg - Coated with a crispy, savoury batter, the huge prawns were fresh and chunky and in the words of a fellow diner: "Tasted almost like lobster". A fine expansion from their drunken prawns!
Roasted Chicken with Miso and Sesame - Not a fan of the bird (In Singapore, at least), but was thankful that tender chicken thighs were used and nicely marinated with the Japanese paste.
Braised Sea Cucumber with King Mushroom and Seasonal Vegetable - Sea delicacy that was stench-free and cooked to a good, jelly-like texture. Please be nice and take the accompanying veggies as well!
Wax Meat Fried Rice with Tea Leaf and Scallion - Another innovation, Chef Alvin painstakingly cooked the rice with tea, dried the leaves, diced and fried it all together with waxed sausages, waxed pork and waxed duck meat.
I'm a big fan of fried rice so I definitely favoured this over the traditional glutinous rice, but I did wish that the aftertaste of Pu-er Tea would be stronger and linger a little longer in the mouth.
Chilled Milk Pudding with Caramelized Banana and Coconut Ice Cream - The wobbly, creme bruelee-like pudding went really well with the ice cream and banana, as Chef Alvin told me that he got the inspiration from Hong Kong's Double Skin Milk Pudding (双皮炖奶). A very good sweet ending!
Now over the past few years, staycations have been gaining popularity among Singaporeans and Crowne Plaza definitely has some very unique selling points. How about this: a room that let you watch planes take off all day long? Sounds like something I could do for an entire afternoon with a cuppa in hand!
Oh, and don't worry about airplane noises. The rooms are fitted with sound-proof glasses to make sure you get a good night sleep!
At 36 square metres and with a eye-soothing, modern decor, the standard rooms are really spacious with clever designs, such as a wardrobe that doubles up as a minibar/coffee counter with a sliding panal. The huge glass wall separating the bathroom and bedroom let you watch tv in the bathtub even!
To pamper yourself more, opt for the luxurious suite with double the space and comfort!
Want even more pampering? Then upgrade yourself to Club Level! Oozing with style, guest could relax in the exclusive club lounge and even opt to have their buffet breakfast here.
With a rainforest design, the swimming pool is built among lush greenery that make you almost forget that you are near the airport. Not until you look up and see the air traffic control tower, at least!
While it might not be all that suitable for older generations, celebrating reunion dinners (tables still available!) or the subsequent days at Azur might be ideal for the younger crowd, where one can indulge in traditional chinese cuisine and balance it out with western fares at the same time. With its commendable standards and diverse choices, you will have a jolly good buffet feast in the dragon year!
Special thanks to Elena of McGagh Communications for the invite!
Azur Restaurant
75 Airport Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Tel: 6823 5354
Visit the hotel's dining website for latest promotions!
Chinese New Year Buffet Lunch
January 23, 2012, Monday to January 24, 2012, Tuesday - S$58++ per person
January 27, 2012, Friday to January 29, 2012, Sunday - S$48++ per person
February 3, 2012, Friday to February 6, 2012, Monday - S$48++ per person
Chinese New Year Buffet Dinner
January 22, 2012, Sunday – S$98++ per person
January 23, 2012, Monday to January 24, 2012, Tuesday - S$88++ per person
January 25, 2012, Wednesday to February 6, 2012, Monday – S$68++ per person
Taken with Nikon D70
5 comments:
I wonder how was the turn out for the tasting? Couldnt make it cuz of work. Bleah. Looks quite good though!
Seafood galore!
Love the pool. A serene feel to it. Quite zen!
Charlene: haha, there were 5 of us in total. Azur's really not bad! Loved their boston lobsters and drunken prawns from the regular buffet line haha.
missyblurkit: Seafood galore indeed! But between the pool view and runway view, I will opt for the latter haha.
Ya Azur exceeded my expectations. I had a somewhat lowered expectation after my friend went there a year or so back and had a bad experience.
365days2play: oh? mine was pretty good in 2010 haha. Rare to find a place serving boston lobsters at really reasonable prices!
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