When in Singapore and looking to have an indulgent buffet dinner where you can get a sampling of many different flavours, many would recommend the Colony restaurant’s buffet dinner at Ritz Carlton Singapore.
What makes the Colony buffet such a highly rated place for dinner is the fresh seafood and top notch spread of dishes that run the gamut from local flavors to international favorites. The attention given to the food and the pride taken in its presentation, as well as the accompanying service, makes the Ritz Carlton buffet one of the best in Singapore.
It is little wonder that you will often find that you have to make a reservation way in advance to secure a spot at Colony for the buffet dinner.
Experience at the Colony buffet at Ritz Carlton Singapore
Ritz Carlton Singapore is located at the Marina area in downtown Singapore, just a couple of minutes away by foot from the world famous Marina Bay.
Our reservation at Colony at Ritz Carlton Singapore was at 6.30 pm, which was when the restaurant opens for dinner service. We were there around five minutes before that timing and, already, there was a long queue of patrons all waiting for the restaurant to open.
Looking in, we could see the chefs and waiters putting the final touches to the dishes and settings, all ready for the dinner rush.
When the time came, the host welcomed us to the restaurant and a waiter brought us to our booth seat at one corner of the restaurant.
The decor of Colony is in keeping with its name. Old pictures dating back to Singapore’s colonial period along with brass trimmings gave the restaurant a distinct charm.
Overview of Colony Restaurant Buffet
The buffet at Ritz Carlton’s Colony restaurant is laid out over two general areas.
At the outer area, there are the starters, including the seafood station, along with the dessert bar.
Within an inner room, there are mains – both local and international – to choose from.
Juices, complimentary with the buffet, are also tucked away within the inner room.
Live Seafood Station
Colony at Ritz Carlton is known for its seafood station and that is where we started.
We joined the seafood queue where other hungry guests were eager to load up on clams, prawns, mussels and crabs. The biggest draw of all were the large and juicy oysters.
We watched as the chefs were kept busy shucking the oysters to keep up with the demand.
We were not disappointed with the seafood. The oysters were especially fresh. They are only available for the dinner buffet and it is worth the while to make your plans at Colony for dinner so that you can enjoy the oysters.
Starters
However, there were other starters available too.
As with other buffets, you can find a salad bar as well as a cheese and cold cuts station for those who wish to have something light to start off the meal.
There is also a rojak station for those who would like to have some local flavors. Rojak is a type of salad made up of turnips, pineapples and beansprouts with a sweet sauce. The chef at the station will assemble it for you once you have placed the order.
Other starters include a sushi and sashimi station where we could choose from cuts of salmon and tuna along with sushi rolls.
Main Spread at the Colony Buffet
From the starter area, we moved on to the “inner sanctum of food” (as we like to call it).
There is a wide choice of food available and you will be able to find something to satisfy your palate.
It was hard not to be distracted by the large table at the centre of the room filled with tempting looking bread, bread sticks and rolls.
One of the highlights at the buffet was the pasta station where there was the choice of various pasta noodles with tomato and cream-based sauces. However, the highlight for us was the truffle risotto. The rice dishes was rich and flavorful. It was topped off with mushrooms along with the aromatic truffle oil for an experience that consumes that senses.
For those who enjoy roasts, there is a live carving station with roast beef.
This can be plated along with sides like broccollini and potatoes. Add a splash of the gravy for a substantial looking plate.
Other options include a pizza that was made with roast beef. However, it was not quite as satisfying.
In addition to the western dishes, there was also a spread of Indian dishes. Here, we had the butter chicken. This dish featured morsels of chicken in a rich tomato-based sauce. There was both the choice of briyiani rice or naan to accompany the butter chicken. Other Indian dishes like tandoori meats, curries and daal were also available.
Satay, along with peanut sauce, onions, cucumbers and rice cakes, was also available as part of the spread.
There was also a spread of Chinese dishes. Amongst these were braised ribs, stir-fried vegetables and even soft-shelled crab. For a taste of home style soup, there was also a large pot of pork rib soup simmering away.
Being in Singapore, it can be expected to be able to sample local roast meats like chicken and pork. There was a “stall” where we could place an order with the chef to prepare these meats for us.
There was also a live noodle station with the option of freshly cooked noodles. We chose the laksa, a rich noodle dish with a coconut broth. The dish was satisfyingly delicious and worth slurping up the last drop of the broth.
There were also bamboo baskets with dim sum like siew mai and har kow dumpling steaming away inside.
Dessert
Remember to leave some space for dessert. With the choice of bite sized dessert, chocolates and cakes, it is the perfect way to end off your meal at Colony on a sweet note.
One of the famed desserts is the tiramisu but you can also enjoy other delights like ice cream and local nyonya kueh from the dessert bar.
A choice of coffee or tea is included as part of the buffet. It is a great way to end the meal.
Enjoying the Colony Buffet at Ritz Carlton Singapore
There is good reason why many consider the Colony buffet at Ritz Carlton Singapore to be amongst the best buffets in Singapore. The ingredients are fresh and the highest quality while the preparation and cooking is top notch. The food delivers on taste and variety.
We must also mention that the service was attentive and friendly. This simply added on to the overall experience that we had at Ritz Carlton’s Colony restaurant.
If you are looking to splurge and indulge while in Singapore, make a reservation (you may to do so at least two weeks in advance) and be prepared to have a great time dining there.
If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy reading about Singapore’s Haji Lane.
