I grew up in an era when halal food was not that readily available outside of Muslim homes (oops, just revealed my age!), and the halal certification of fast food restaurants such as MacDonald’s and KFC was greeted with cheers from the Muslim population here. Over the years, slowly but steadily the number of halal establishments has increased, such that they are now ubiquitous in most neighbourhoods in Singapore.
Buffet Spread @ Crowne Plaza
What has been slow to pick up, however, are higher-end restaurants able to cater to diners willing to shell out a bit more for a more upscale environment. There have been a few over the years, and it seems the latest player on the block is the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. While they do not have a dedicated halal restaurant just yet, they do have a relationship with a halal caterer that provides all they need, down to the utensils used for their corporate and wedding events. Even more recently, Crowne Plaza has decided to foray into providing meals for iftar with a buffet spread.
Laksa Station @ Crowne Plaza
To start off with, the laksa served truly brought me back to my childhood days when my Mum used to make laksa from scratch. The rich and flavourful gravy was accompanied with the complete array of accompaniments. You can choose which accompaniments you want and which you don’t; after which it is served to you, freshly prepared, by a server. The sticklers amongst us may turn their noses up at the noodles used for the dish, which were considerably stringier than the usual noodles used for laksa, but I would say that the taste of it was only very mildly compromised by this fact. Even if it did, the gravy greatly compensated for it. So delicious was the gravy!
Assorted Side Dishes @ Crowne Plaza
For those of us missing the homely and yummy fare often served at Malay weddings, not to worry! There are the usual suspects of ayam masak merah and sweet and sour fish served at this buffet; dishes will make you reminisce about the good times you’ve spent at many a wedding buffet.
Ayam Masak Merah @ Crowne Plaza
Sayur Lodeh @ Crowne Plaza
The addition of sambal prawn and mutton curry in the buffet raises the spice quotient of the meal – ideal for those who cannot do without their chilli. For these dishes, they were all come accompanied by Briyani rice. For those with a more adventurous tongue, you might want to try mixing these dishes up by eating them together with the sayur lodeh and the seafood tom yum for a greater kick.Ideal for the health conscious amongst us, you can get your pick of fruits from the dessert spread. Desserts on display also included Nonya kuih-muih such as lapis rainbow, as well as a melt-in-your-mouth mango pudding. Truly a perfect accompaniment to a buffet that had evoked so many of my childhood memories. To wash it all down, there was also a cool dessert of chin chow with sea coconut as well.
If you’re an Eastie, travelling, or just fancy heading to the airport for your iftar fix, Crowne Plaza’s Buka Puasa is a feast worth checking out for sure. Reservations must be made in advance, though, so do give them a call before heading over.
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