9 themed buffets to check out at least once in your lifetime. The crab buffet and steak buffet sound the craziest!

When we think of themed eateries, we think of the usual cutesy, Japanese themed cafés that have been coming and going from Singapore’s streets at a pretty rampant rate, and overpriced kawaii food items that’ll have you taking out your phone, snapping away rapidly.

But this is not what we’re here for, today. Today, we’re here to talk about themed buffets. Forget your international buffets that serve large spreads you can’t keep track of. Let’s focus on buffets that are dedicated to serving and specialising in just one type of food. Think buffets that serve mainly crabs, xiao long bao, durians, prata, or chocolates  – if those are your poisons, then we think you’ll go absolutely gaga over these buffets.

And if not, just read on to check out what amazing themed buffet Singapore has or had in store.

1. Crab Buffet: PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road

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Source: asia361.com

You’ve got to really enjoy your crustaceans to enjoy this buffet, we gotta say, because this buffet is all about celebrating crabs – featuring occasional other seafood like slipper lobster thermidor, yum yum!

With its focus mostly on crabs – enjoy getting your hands dirty and chowing down on some juicy, indulgent chili crabs AKA the local favourite. Not quite a fan of chili crabs? They have a pretty wide array of other crabs, such as their crowd-pleasing salted egg crabs and black pepper crabs, which are flavourful, imbued with a subtle sweetness, and a fiery kick of spiciness at the end.

While they also serve up other seafood items like oysters, scallops, crayfish, lobster – and heck, even a lobster laksa – we’d say you’d probably be too preoccupied with the crabs to do much exploring!

P.S. The Spice Brasserie is also constantly changing up the things they serve, from cheese baked oysters, to druken live prawns, to Lobster Thermidor this year, so do look out for these new changes!

PARKROYAL @ Spice Brasserie, prices start from SGD65 per pax, opens daily from 12pm – 2.30pm; 6pm to 10pm, 181 Kitchener Rd, Singapore 208533.

2. Ice-cream and Dessert Buffet: Swensens

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Source: bites.com

Available every day of the week, and almost all day from 10.30am – 10pm – if you consider yourself the ultimate sweet tooth, you’ll truly be able to eat desserts all day, err day.

The buffet features over 50 ice cream flavours, humongous regular chocolate, and white chocolate fondue fountains (!), and an assortment of delicious pastries, cakes, waffles, pancakes to enjoy your ice cream. You can order as much ice cream as you darn well please – go wild, ye sweet toothed heathens (ok, we kid about the heathen part)!

Swensens, prices start from SGD23 per pax, although 1-for-1 deals happen pretty often, opens daily from 10.30am – 10pm, exclusively at the ION Orchard outlet at 2 Orchard Turn, #B1-31 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801.

3. Xiao Long Bao buffet: Crystal Jade Steamboat Kitchen

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Source: sgfoodonfoot.com

Love xiao long bao so much the large portion of 10 at your nearest Din Tai Fung, Crystal Jade, or Paradise outlets just aren’t enough for you?

Cue Crystal Jade’s Xiao Long Bao buffet to save the day. Not purely just a place that serves you xiao long bao non-stop, it is also a steamboat place, so you can enjoy some warm, hearty soup as you scarf down the meaty dumplings.

Crystal Jade Steamboat Kitchen, prices start from SGD19.80 per adult, opens daily from 5pm – 12am, exclusively at the Holland outlet @ 241 Holland Avenue, Singapore 278976. 

4. Prata buffet: Al Jasra Restaurant

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Source: thedessertprince.com

A 24/7 prata joint with over 16 varieties of different pratas and at only SGD7.90? Even if you don’t consider yourself a prata fanatic, this is definitely worth the price – heck, its buffet price is even cheaper than most main courses in restaurants out there!

Grab some of the usual classics, like egg, cheese, or plain prata. But don’t miss their more unique creations like ikan billis prata, or even pineapple prata. And if you have a sweet tooth and are looking to satiate that hankering in the middle of the night, go ahead and grab yourself some chocolate, strawberry, or honey prata – it is a buffet, after all!

Al Jasra Restaurant, prices start from SGD7.90 per pax, opens daily, 24/7, 459 Changi Rd, Singapore 419882.

5. Chocolate Buffet: Fullerton Bay Hotel, The Courtyard

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Source: buro247.sg

Want straight up quirky? Enter the chocolate buffet, at The Courtyard at Fullerton Bay Hotel.

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Source: burpple.com

Paying homage to the ultimate chocoholic’s wet dream – think exotic chocolate infused savoury creations like Cocoa and Spice-rubbed Baby Back Pork Ribs, Lime Risotto and Bittersweet Chocolate Arancini, Wagyu Beef, and Peruvian Chocolate, Poblano Chili Empanadas, and of course, a huge array of chocolate themed desserts.

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Source: coconuts.co

It also features a tasting table where you can try up to 14 tablets of various cocoa contents, an up close theatrical display of using liquid nitrogen to create your own aesthetic chocolate sphere, as well as chocolate-themed cocktails like Toblerone Martini.

The Courtyard @ Fullerton Bay Hotel, prices start from SGD45 per pax, and SGD55 per pax for a complimentary glass of dessert cocktail, opens from 8pm – 11pm (Fri – Sat), 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore 049178.

6. Traditional Taiwan Porridge Buffet: Goodwood Park Hotel

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Source: citynomads.com

Nothing works better as an instant cure to feeling chilly than a nice, comforting bowl of porridge. But let’s just say you loveeeee porridge, so much so you just need to have more than one serving?

This is the place to go to. You may not have heard of this particular buffet, but it’s been serving up porridge buffets since 1984, so clearly, their porridge is of some pretty decent quality, to have survived the competitive food market!

Order their well-loved side dishes like the Braised Pork Belly with Dark Soy Sauce, Chilled Beancurd in Japanese Soya Sauce & Pork Floss, Stir-fried Kang Kong with Sambal and many more to go with your porridge, then finish up with traditional nonya kueh for dessert and you’re good to go!

Goodwood Park Hotel, prices go from SGD39 per pax, SGD49.80 per pax inclusive of desserts, opens daily from 6am – 10.30pm, Goodwood Park Hotel Coffee Lounch, 22 Scotts Rd, Singapore 228221.

7. Korean Chicken & Beer Buffet: Chicken Up

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Source: chicken-up.com

If you watch plenty of K-dramas, you’re bound to have major cravings for the classic, and oft-featured winning combination of Korean fried chicken and beer.

Major chicken lover? Go on over the Chicken Up to have an unlimited flow of fried chicken, and beer, or soju. This buffet by Chicken Up doesn’t provide solely fried chicken, but also a handful of warm, hearty stews to enjoy alongside your chicken and beer. Power through one chicken drumette after the next, and while you’re at it, challenge your friends to see who can eat the most!

Chicken Up, prices start from SGD19.90 for lunch, and an additional SGD5 on weekends, opening hours differ from outlet to outlet, it has three outlets at Tanjong Pagar, Centrepoint, and Compassvale @Buangkok.

8. Steak Buffet: Royal Armoury

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Source: eatbook.sg

Absolute love, love, loveeee steak to bits and pieces? Indulge on alllll the huge slabs of chunky steak here, at the Royal Armoury.

From Rib-Eye, to Hanger, to Wagyu Patties, to Striploin – this place has it all. Plus, at SGD29.90, that’s already cheaper than so many places that just serve up a one portion of an a la carte steak – while you can get an unlimited flow of premium meats here. Go on and get ‘em.

Royal Armoury, price starts at SGD29.90 per pax (limited to 2 hours per table), opens only on weekends from 7pm – 1am (Sat); 7pm – 9.30pm (Sun), 36 Beach Rd, Singapore 189677.

9. Durian buffet: PARKROYAL on Pickering

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Source: misstamchiak.com

Yes, we’re ending this list off with an absolute bang. Located at the Lime Restaurant, and aptly called ‘Thorny Temptations’, it is a seasonal buffet during the peak durian season (this year, it was from 27 July to 26 August), we’re hoping it makes a return the next year, too!

With things like – you guessed it – durian everything, and yes, even durian-themed savoury food, this is a durian-lover’s dream come alive.

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Source: danielfooddiary.com
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Source: danielfooddiary.com

Think baked Durian Nasi Lemak, Spicy Durian Tteokbokki, Durian Curry, Durian Salted Egg Popcorn Chicken, Spicy Shepherd’s Pie with Durian, Durian salads, and various Durian desserts like fried durian ice-cream, ooh-la-la. On first glance, this combination might seem odd (and possibly odd tasting, too!) but you’ll be surprised that it actually gained pretty rave reviews from food bloggers!

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Source: danielfooddiary.com

With food bloggers expressing their surprise for how well durian complemented the savoury dishes like the Spicy Shepherd’s Pie with Durian – with the durian replacing the usual potato filling, and replacing it with mashed durian puree, it made for a surprising creamy complement to the meat filling. Other dishes like the Spicy Durian Tteokbokki, Durian Curry, and Durian Salted Egg Popcorn Chicken similarly received rave reviews as it added a creamy and sweet dimension that made the dish pop even more.

On the other hand, other dishes like the Foie Gras Torchon with Torched Meringue left food bloggers’ taste buds rather confused. For the hardcore durian lovers, you’ll be pleased to know that there was also a pop-up durian stall to have freshly sliced MSW durians too, so clearly Lime Restaurant had the ultimate durian lover – those who stick to traditions and those who don’t – both in mind!

It may be over now (because the durian season is, sadly, over), but here’s to crossing our fingers and hoping for a come back the very next year, stronger, and better!

PARKROYAL on Pickering, prices start at SGD98 per adult (inclusive of free flow coffee and tea), 3 Upper Pickering St, Singapore 058289.