This buffet features a DIY rojak station, and a spread of other local favourites — at only S$38 per person!

Now we don’t know about you, but with National Day coming up, we can’t help but feel just a little patriotic. Short of attending NDP rehearsals or donning red and white in preparation for the holiday, we decided to do something a little more uniquely Singaporean, instead—go for a buffet featuring all of our local favourites, of course!

What is the Rasa Sayang BBQ Buffet about?

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Organised as one of the events at Singapore Food Festival (happening 13th July 2018 to 28th July 2018, for inquiring minds), Mercure Singapore Bugis has come up with the Rasa Sayang BBQ Buffet, a buffet spread featuring over 30 hearty local and Asian dishes that pay homage to our city’s rich heritage. That’s right, we’re talking about classic hawker favourites like Rojak Buah Petis (that you can make yourself!), Gado Gado, and Fried Kway Teow. 

Some of these favourites also come with a little spin to it — think Laksa Chicken baked in a paper bag oven, Durian flavoured Creme Brulee, and Asian Spiced Chocolate Cake.

What were some of the best dishes?

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It was a little hard to decide on what to try out first with the sheer variety of dishes available. We decided to start at the DIY Rojak Buah Petis station first, mixing up the selection of apples, pineapples, and nuts to cleanse our palates. The fruits were fresh and crisp, with the rich flavours of the grated peanut and shrimp paste rich complementing it perfectly. The Gado Gado was a bit more of a heavier affair, but came with a spicy kick that we loved.

We moved on to the mains, next, which brings us to our favourite hot dish: the Paper Bag Oven Baked Laksa Chicken. Wrapped carefully in a thin coating of paper, we carefully pried it free only to release a waft of its heavenly curry scent. The Laksa has clearly marinated into the chicken thoroughly, leaving it soft and perfectly tender. In terms of taste, the Laksa broth also managed to be a good mix of sweet and spicy, with the coconut really coming through.

Other standout mains include the Har Cheong Gai (which is very much comparable to the ones that you can find at your favourite zi char stall, mind you), the Slow Braised Beef Brisket with White Turnip and Cilantro that melted into our mouths instantaneously, as well as the DIY Asian Bao-Wich, which serves as their rendition of a Kong Bak Bao, which you can customise with ingredients to your liking!

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Not to be missed, of course, is the outdoor live Asian BBQ station! Watch the chef grill up classic BBQ fare such as the Grilled Sambal Stingray, Mini Crawfish, Assorted Satay Skewers, Sotong, and even Ayam Panggang! The meat is grilled to melt in your mouth perfection, and imbued with special spices for that extra jolt of flavour.

Finish off your meal at the DIY Chendol station, or maybe with local Kueh tastings like the assorted array of Nyonya Kueh’s available! We particularly enjoyed the Coconut Custard Tart, along with the Almond and Longan Jelly with Palm Seeds.

I’m sold! What are the details?

The Rasa Sayang BBQ Buffet is available from the 1st of June 2018 all the way to the 26th of August 2018. It is available daily, with dinner beginning from 6pm.

Rates: 

  • SGD38++ per adult.
  • SGD19++ per child.
  • SGD68++ per person including free flow wine and beer.
  • Children under 6 years dine free.

Address: Royale @ Mercure Singapore Bugis, 122 Middle Road, Singapore 188973.

Contact: Call 6521 6030 or email [email protected] to make your reservations!