Brizo - Park Hotel Clarke Quay |
The
annual Crab Lovers Buffet is back. This annual event by Brizo
Restaurant & Bar at Park Hotel Clarke Quay has been gathering a
substantial fans in recent years. The star of the attraction are of
course the Crabs. Featuring more than 22 types of crab dishes and 26
kind of seafood dishes, this is a place to try for crab lovers.
Crazier about Crabs - Crab in a Pan Menu |
After
hearing so many positive reviews from past few and some crab cravings
influenced decision, LD made the booking at Brizo. At first, she was
told there was no more seating available indoor, however when we
arrived there, the service staff managed to squeeze a spot for 3 of
us. LD, S and Me indoor. Extra points for the service :)
We
arrived about 6.30pm, so the place was a little quaint. Without
further delay, we proceed to attack the buffet line.
First in
line, the cold dish. Consist of Spammer Crabs, Alaskan Crab Claw,
Prawns, Mussels, Escargots, Blue Swimmer Crabs, Salmon Sashimi and
Assorted Sushi. I skipped the spammer crabs as I do not like the
texture, and go straight for the Alaskan Crab Claws. The meat is
fresh and sweet, no fishy smells at all. The prawns and mussels are
fresh and springy. While the escargots slip out from the shell
without much effort and enjoyable.
First
minus point for the night is the Salmon Sashimi. It is difficult for
me to say this, but it is not up to hotel standard. Uneven cut, stick
together and also WATCH OUT for the BONES!!! You can be forgiven for
1 or 2, but if it is on every second slice, something is definitely
WRONG!! So stay away from the sashimi.
The
highlight of this year Crab Buffet is Crab in a Pan. This is Brizo
answer to the Seafood in the bag craze in Singapore. You can choose
the sauces of Mariniere, Bouillabaisse or Cioppino. We choose
Bouillabaisse. The seafood (crab, prawns, clams & mussels) cooked
just right, together with the sauce, corn and potatoes. The
Bouillabaisse sauce was on the lighter side, it will be better if it
is more buttery. It is also served with thick cut fries, where you
can dipped in the sauce.
Crab in a Pan with Bouillabaisse Sauce |
Steak Fries with Brizo Signature Chilli Crab Sauce comes with Crab in a Pan |
While
waiting for my tummy to settle down, I went for Baked Crab Shell and
Crab Stick Pizza for my palate cleanser he..he.. Baked Crab is
cheesy, but bind the whole ingredients nicely. While the pizza is
interesting, as it uses a more upper class crab stick, so it tasted
quite good.
Now to
the crabs. Brizo used Indonesian Mud Crabs instead of the Sri-Lankan
version. The Chilli Crab with Fried Bun is good and tasty. The
spiciness level is has been lowered, so the sauce more towards sweet
and more acceptable to everyone. The same can be said with the Black
Pepper Crab, it is the dry pepper version and it is not spicy. The
pepper serving more as aromatics instead of the fiery type. The
overall verdict, of these two specially dishes, is not up to standard
in compared to some of the Tze Char places out there, as the sauce
did not absorb into the crabs.
The
Heavenly Fragrance Crab draw a mixed review from the diner in our
table. Some are not used to the curry powder added into it. I am
neutral about this. Butter crab tasted to slightly overwhelming, and
made you feel jelak. I wish they transfer some of the butter into the
“Crab in a Pan”. No salted egg crab and steam crab for the night.
All the crabs are fresh, although some of them can feel a bit
overcooked as it was put on a warmer.
Penne
Pasta with Spicy Tomato Crabmeat sauce and Baked Cauliflower with
Crab Stick and Cheese surprisingly good. They are the kind of
comfort food that I like to eat. Meanwhile the Crab Meat Fried rice
has a decent Wok Hei, but lack of flavour. The Laksa is a must try.
The gravy is thick, rich and good spiciness level to warm up your
stomach. Meanwhile, the Kueh Pai Tee is average only. They turnip was
cut too big, making it hard to put inside the kueh. It is also very
hot, so when you finish making your Kueh Pai Tee, it become soggy. I
suggest you give this a miss.
Clockwise from Top Left: Penne Pasta with Spicy Tomato Crabmeat sauce, Baked Cauliflower with Crab Stick and Cheese, Laksa, Kueh Pai Tee and Crab Fried Rice |
As I had
my fill, I proceed to desserts counter. Tried a few of the pastries,
jelly shots and durian pengat. They are decent, but does not scream
Die Die Must Try. The Melon Sago basically a puree, as they blend the
melon into oblivion. Instead of spoon, you can use take a straw and
sip it, without getting your straw stuck. Luckily, they have mini
Magnum!! I got a double chocolate, so it kind of cover up for the
disappointing dessert.
Clockwise from Top Left: Chocolate Fondue, Jelly Shots Assorted French Pastries and Durian Pengat shots |
The Best Desserts, Mini Magnum and Mini Cornetto |
The
setting for Brizo is modern and trendy. Serving as the main
restaurant for Park Hotel Clarke Quay, the design is very functional.
The service here is excellent. They are friendly, efficient and it
was a breeze to get their attention.
Overall,
dining at Park Hotel Crab Buffet is a unique experience. The crabs
are fresh, but the overall dishes do not give us the WOW factor.
Fortunately, this can be resolve with a little bit of fine tuning
such as the taste and definitely in the sashimi area. Meat eater, Be
Warned that there is no two legged or four legged protein here. Only
Crabs and Seafood. So if you have not try Crab Buffet before, it is
still Available on Wednesday to Sunday, until 28 June 2015.
Cheers!!
Food
& Drink: 6.5/10
Value:
6.5/10
Service:
9/10
Ambiance:
8/10
Budget
per Person: $51 – 80; $81 and Above
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