15 October, 2007

Read Between The Line

After hearing much fanfare about Shangri-La’s The Line buffet – formerly the old Coffee Garden – a hip eatery designed by US-based Adam Tihany, my family and I finally set foot at this chic white restaurant set against orange lighting (which explains why my photos turned up pretty badly, since it was very orangey dim at the Bar Area where we were seated) for Daddy’s birthday dinner.

Well-known as the mother of all buffets, The Line is famous for the variety of food it dishes out. However, it is often the display of yummy, succulent cold seafood counter that captures the heart of the patrons.

From Lobsters to Oysters, Prawns to Mussels, Crabs to Sushi, Yabbies (fresh water crustacian found in Australia) to Sashimi (remember to request for Salmon Belly), almost each and every serving was fresh and of high quality.

So much so that I have an extended appetiser, that went on...

and on...

and on...

and on...

and on...

And if you are counting, I gobbled down 20 frisky oysters that night, and boy, were they excellent! Besides that, they also had the grilled and carving stations where you could see the chefs grilling behind a big glass enclosure.

This is the place where the Grilled Fish and Prawns were served, as well as the very tender cuts of the Roast Beef were sliced up.

Other stations include the Asian counters such as the Indian and Chinese cuisine, where you could find yummilicious Satays that were tender and slides off the satay sticks effortlessly with a gentle pull.

While many considered the dessert station the highlight of the restaurant with its 1 metre tall Chocolate Fountain for its fondue and many other cakes and pastries I was personally not overwhelmed with it.

The filling for the Crêpe was way too sweet/sour for consumption and the 3 desserts that I picked up were not fantastic either.

Overall, paying $65+++ per pax to stuff yourself silly (simply because you have the tendency to try all the varieties available) is not worth it.

But if I were to come back again, I would be sure to find a table next to the cold seafood counter, and do the extended appetiser all over again.

Rating

Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Price: 2.5/5
Total: 13.5/20
22 Orange Grove Road,
Shangri-La Hotel,
Lower Lobby, Tower Wing
Singapore 258350



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13 comments:

Miss Tam Chiak said...

wow, the mussels look good!

His Food Blog said...

Trust me when I say the oysters are even better. They were huge and fresh, which explains why I had so many of them. The lobsters were pretty good as well, meaty and comes with the roe intact. Yummy~

HairyBerry said...

For the price and quality, I guess I would have "attacked" the oysters just like you, Kalos! Definitely a better experience than mine at Kushin-Bo last weekend.

His Food Blog said...

Hi Nic, nice of you to drop by. Yeap, the oysters were definitely the saving grace. Haven't tried Kushin-Bo personally, but heard so much about its limited serving of "special" food. But nevertheless I am not a big fan of buffet - would rather prefer a la carte anytime. I still stood by the principle of quality over quantity anytime.

HairyBerry said...

Yupe, I agree. Buffet can be a torturous experience as people tend to try everything and not focus on the taste. By the way, I've added you in my Foodspirations section.

Anonymous said...

Love the spread.. but being a small eater..i doubt .. it would be worth it.. :( hubs is not a food lover.. so lagi lugi.. :(
Haven't been to the shang for so long.. gotta visit .. when i next come home.. ;)

His Food Blog said...

Nic (KHKL): Thank you.

mamabok: My advice to you would be: Be selective! Go for the fresh seafood, they are worth it! The roast beef and grilled seafood is also another good place to visit.

Anonymous said...

The Line is a hot favourite for taking a warm breezy sunday off indulging in only the best!

Anonymous said...

Wow the food looks so good :) How much was is per pax? And must we do reservations?

His Food Blog said...

Hi Jun,

Thank you for dropping by. If I didnt wrongly, it was $65+++ per pax. Which comes up to roughly $80.

It would definitely be better to call up if you have a big group or if you are looking at peak period like Sat dinner - although I would say their seating area is quite big.

You can reach them @ 6213 4275.

YummyBuddies said...

mamamiya:D

Anonymous said...

Hello! May I know if the ambience is suitable for couples?

His Food Blog said...

Hi Anon 01:14,

I dun think so. It gets pretty noisy during peak hours! For the same price, I reckon you are better off with fine dining.

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