Hotel Buffets in Jakarta and Singapore
Mar 9, 2019, 10:32 am
#1
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
Hotel Buffets in Jakarta and Singapore
Hi FT,
A friend is visiting the region and inquired about the best hotel buffets. I haven’t done the buffet thing in a long time, so would like to know what your recommendations are.
Appreciate your help!
-BmB
A friend is visiting the region and inquired about the best hotel buffets. I haven’t done the buffet thing in a long time, so would like to know what your recommendations are.
Appreciate your help!
-BmB
Mar 9, 2019, 6:50 pm
#2
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Regulation surrounding food hygiene might be more strictly enforced in Singapore, but I'd still give it a miss.
Mar 9, 2019, 7:02 pm
#3
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Mar 10, 2019, 5:34 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2012
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In Jakarta, the only place I had a buffet was in the Mulia hotel. I think if you stay there for 2 nights or more you get some free buffets
Mar 10, 2019, 9:26 pm
#5
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,412
His budget is US$30 for a breakfast buffet.
Also, he has since added one night in KL to his itinerary. I told him that the Shangri-La’s buffet was quite good, and better than the Four Seasons. Any KL suggestions?
Cheers!
BmB
Also, he has since added one night in KL to his itinerary. I told him that the Shangri-La’s buffet was quite good, and better than the Four Seasons. Any KL suggestions?
Cheers!
BmB
Mar 16, 2019, 2:40 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2015
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Jakarta recommendation
While my recommendation won't be the one at 5* hotels, but free breakfast buffet at holiday inn Express matraman was exceptional. The best part is that you can have a buffet AND stay for a night with your friend's budget of $30. I doubt you can pay to dine there as non guests, though.
They offer a lot of Indonesian food. 2-3 kinds of hot Indonesian hot food, 1-2 scramble eggs, roast potatoes, pasta, etc, DIY porridge (bubur ayam), 3 kinds of homemade sambal, fresh fruits like snakeskin fruits, papayas, melons, toast, cereals, decent pastries and croissants muffins, Indonesian sweet soup, a coffee machine that grinds beans to order and makes cappuccinos, lattes, etc. While they keep these categories, the menu changed daily. I saw other guests ordering eggs cooked to order.
Not all holiday inn Express are created equal, though, Matraman blows Pluit, Expo and Bali Raya Kuta out of water.
And I'm going to Kuala Lumpur, too, I'd love to know the good places, too.
They offer a lot of Indonesian food. 2-3 kinds of hot Indonesian hot food, 1-2 scramble eggs, roast potatoes, pasta, etc, DIY porridge (bubur ayam), 3 kinds of homemade sambal, fresh fruits like snakeskin fruits, papayas, melons, toast, cereals, decent pastries and croissants muffins, Indonesian sweet soup, a coffee machine that grinds beans to order and makes cappuccinos, lattes, etc. While they keep these categories, the menu changed daily. I saw other guests ordering eggs cooked to order.
Not all holiday inn Express are created equal, though, Matraman blows Pluit, Expo and Bali Raya Kuta out of water.
And I'm going to Kuala Lumpur, too, I'd love to know the good places, too.
Mar 19, 2019, 4:10 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2017
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In Jakarta, I personally would go with the International Cafe or Table8 at Mulia, Satoo at the Shangri-La, or Sana Sini at Pullman Thamrin.
In Singapore, I would go to Colony at Ritz Carlton, Melt Cafe at Mandarin Oriental, or lastly, Basilico at Regent. I personally really liked Colony though.
In Kuala Lumpur, I would go to the Shangri-La or otherwise Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental (can't go wrong with the food options at these two hotels honestly).
But honestly, in any of these cities (except for perhaps Jakarta), I would go against eating at buffets and actually trying local food. You'll find a myriad of choices at the hawker centres in SG, though my favourite is Tiong Bahru Food Market.
In Singapore, I would go to Colony at Ritz Carlton, Melt Cafe at Mandarin Oriental, or lastly, Basilico at Regent. I personally really liked Colony though.
In Kuala Lumpur, I would go to the Shangri-La or otherwise Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental (can't go wrong with the food options at these two hotels honestly).
But honestly, in any of these cities (except for perhaps Jakarta), I would go against eating at buffets and actually trying local food. You'll find a myriad of choices at the hawker centres in SG, though my favourite is Tiong Bahru Food Market.
Mar 19, 2019, 5:47 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,676
In Jakarta, I personally would go with the International Cafe or Table8 at Mulia, Satoo at the Shangri-La, or Sana Sini at Pullman Thamrin.
In Singapore, I would go to Colony at Ritz Carlton, Melt Cafe at Mandarin Oriental, or lastly, Basilico at Regent. I personally really liked Colony though.
In Kuala Lumpur, I would go to the Shangri-La or otherwise Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental (can't go wrong with the food options at these two hotels honestly).
But honestly, in any of these cities (except for perhaps Jakarta), I would go against eating at buffets and actually trying local food. You'll find a myriad of choices at the hawker centres in SG, though my favourite is Tiong Bahru Food Market.
In Singapore, I would go to Colony at Ritz Carlton, Melt Cafe at Mandarin Oriental, or lastly, Basilico at Regent. I personally really liked Colony though.
In Kuala Lumpur, I would go to the Shangri-La or otherwise Mosaic at the Mandarin Oriental (can't go wrong with the food options at these two hotels honestly).
But honestly, in any of these cities (except for perhaps Jakarta), I would go against eating at buffets and actually trying local food. You'll find a myriad of choices at the hawker centres in SG, though my favourite is Tiong Bahru Food Market.
Mar 26, 2019, 6:39 am
#10
Join Date: May 2009
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Another vote for eating a local eateries and avoiding buffets, especially breakfast buffets (I kind of like the steamboat and korean bbq style lunch/dinner buffet's in SIN, though)
Tiong Bahru Food Market is probably the most central Hawker which offers great breakfast variety (much less so for dinner!) so another vote for that.
Of course if you need some kind of semi-formal place to meet for breakfast, a buffet might sound better compared to the otherwise mostly self-service local eateries.
But in that case I'd probably settle for a café (obviously not a self-service crap like Starbucks) - and safe buffets for lunch or dinner indeed.
Tiong Bahru Food Market is probably the most central Hawker which offers great breakfast variety (much less so for dinner!) so another vote for that.
Of course if you need some kind of semi-formal place to meet for breakfast, a buffet might sound better compared to the otherwise mostly self-service local eateries.
But in that case I'd probably settle for a café (obviously not a self-service crap like Starbucks) - and safe buffets for lunch or dinner indeed.
Mar 26, 2019, 4:49 pm
#12
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Dunno if they still have it, but I once at the buffet lunch at Raffles. AYCE rock lobster tails, among many other items.
Apr 14, 2019, 5:58 am
#13
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+1 for the Mandarin Oriental in Jakarta breakfast buffet. It is superb.
Apr 14, 2019, 2:24 pm
#14
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I've been incapacitated mid-trip by food poisoning, no idea what it was from and I'm sensible enough not to point fingers: but it made me cautious. Not crazy cautious, i just attempt to minimise risk.
After witnessing a kid reaching up to return his uneaten bun to the display while his parents looked indulgently on, i had second thoughts about breakfast buffets and stick to toast and the egg station.
I wouldn't dream of going anywhere near other types of buffet meal: but there's rarely an opportunity to escape them at breakfast. Hotel club lounges are another temptation, and i sometimes fall from grace - but usually stick to G&T (yes, with hotel ice
)
Apr 14, 2019, 3:21 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2009
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Singapore is probably the last place on Earth where you might get foid poisoning!
Never got sick (or even foid poisoning) from eating at any Hawker stall (or anywhere else) in Singapore (And they all have "B" rates at best, lah!)
But then I guess it's also a bit about "training" your stomach. While this won't help against a full-on foid poisoning (from non-properly handled meat, for example) it will help your stomach become less easy to fall victim onto such things as "travellers diahorea".
Never got sick (or even foid poisoning) from eating at any Hawker stall (or anywhere else) in Singapore (And they all have "B" rates at best, lah!)
But then I guess it's also a bit about "training" your stomach. While this won't help against a full-on foid poisoning (from non-properly handled meat, for example) it will help your stomach become less easy to fall victim onto such things as "travellers diahorea".