26 Buffets around Chinatown

BiTES guide:

Price guide (nett)
$ wallet-friendly (below $50)
$$ just can’t resist a splurge ($50-100)
$$$ a special occasion ($100-150)
$$$$ indulgence galore (above $150)

Certified halal [Halal]
Does not serve pork or lard [NPNL]
Kid-friendly facilities [Kid]

BARS

MOO…BAR AND GRILL [$]
21 McCallum Street. Tel: 6634 2662

Grab your mates and head on down to Moo…Bar and  Grill for a relaxed evening and their free flow Tiger  beer buffet ($25++, Mon-Wed 5-8pm). Drink up in the  comfort of this modern watering hole, adjacent to the  cultural Telok Ayer Street and Amoy Street area.

PHOPHO [$]
123 Telok Ayer Street. Tel: 6534 9741

Free flow of draught beer while slurping down pho  and munching on rice paper rolls? Yes please! This  beer buffet ($25++, Mon-Sat 5-8pm) at PhoPho offers  Carlsberg and Kronenbourg 1664 to quench your thirst.  The quaint restaurant is hidden away in Telok Ayer.

THE MAD POET GASTROBAR [$]
#01-23/24 China Court, 20 Cross Street.  Tel: 6557 0312

Beer and fried chicken—the Koreans got it right, but The  Mad Poet is hot on their heels with their Beer & Bites a  la carte buffet ($33++, Wed 6-8.30pm). Slake your thirst  with free flow lagers from Paulaner, including the dark  lager as well as the classic. Freshly cooked karaage  chicken and fries round up this delectable combo.

WINE MANSION [$]
20 Keong Saik Road. Tel: 6532 4338

Boasting one of the longest wine buffets ($35++, daily  5-9pm except Wed, Fri and PH eve) at this central  hangout, this great deal includes red, white and  sparkling wine, as well as beer and a complimentary  mini Wine Mansion platter. On Wednesdays, only ladies  enjoy the same perks for just $25++.

HOTELS

FARM TO TABLE CAFÉ [$]
The Duxton Hotel Singapore, 83 Duxton Road.  Tel: 6227 7678

Hit up this café run by coffee nerds who also serve  plates of a la carte comfort fare. Opt for their breakfast  semi-buffet ($23.77 nett, daily 7.30-10.30am) which  includes your choice of eggs, pastries and croissants,  yogurt, cereals, fresh fruits, brewed coffee and tea.  Mostly for hotel guests, but walk-ins also welcome.

NIJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT  [$][NPNL]
Level 1 The Seacare Hotel, 52 Chin Swee Road.  Tel: 6818 2688

A Japanese restaurant in the afternoon and dinner, it’s  also used as the hotel’s breakfast venue in the morning  ($15++, daily 7-10am). Pop by for an international spread  which includes chicken sausages, hash browns, miso  soup, and a rotation of scrambled eggs, fried beehoon  and mee goreng. There are juices, coffee and tea too.  Walk-ins without reservations welcome.

ORCHID CAFÉ [$][Kid]
Level 3 Orchid Hotel, 1 Tras Link. Tel: 6818 6818

Nothing beats having a simple but satisfying dinner of  warm Teochew porridge ($18.80++, daily 6-10pm). You’ll  find about 14 main dishes and a choice of condiments  at this humble but filling buffet: pig’s trotters, salted egg,  mixed vegetables, stir-fried meats, kungpao chicken and
even European fare like soup and pasta salad. Children  will love the homely antiquated cafe as there’s lots of  room for them to move about while baby high chairs  and kids’ cutlery are available upon request.

RE!FILL RESTAURANT [$]
Hotel Re!, 175A Chin Swee Road. Tel: 6827 8228

Waking up to an international spread for breakfast is just  the thing to start off your mornings. At Re!Fill restaurant’s  breakfast buffet ($21++, daily 7-10.30am), indulge in a  selection of waffles, sausages, hashbrowns and cereals,  with eggs done up multiple ways for your preference. Dim sum, congee and a hot soup of the day are also  available for those with a more oriental inkling.

LIME [$$]
PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore, 3 Upper  Pickering Street. Tel: 6809 8899

Gear up for a treat at Lime’s Peranakan kitchen (lunch  from $45++, Mon-Sat 12pm-2.30pm; dinner from $58++,  Mon-Sun 6.30-10.30pm). The Nyonya specials are  further heightened by authentic herbs picked right from  the hotel’s sustainable garden. Tuck into the heritage  flavours of babi pong teh, ayam buah keluak and kueh  pie tee, crafted by the restaurant’s in-house Nyonya  chef, as well as Southeast Asian delicacies and modern  international cuisine.

RESTAURANTS

b[$]
#01-04 Central Square, 20 Havelock Road.  Tel: 6339 9993

A pay-what-you-want vegetarian buffet (daily 11am-3pm; Tue-Sun, eve of and PH 6-10pm) experience  where the proceeds go to the Temple of Fine Arts is the  unique selling point of Annalakshmi. (See also Top 10  Vegetarian-lovers Buffets)

BAR B Q TONIGHT [$]
11-12 Stanley Street. Tel: 6327 9280

Traditional Pakistani food is the focus of this restaurant.  BAR B Q TONIGHT’s buffet ($13++, daily 12-3pm;  $25++, daily 6-10pm) homes in on richness and flavour,  with the cuisine largely similar to Indian cuisine—expect  naans and barbecued meats like chicken tikka on the  menu. For the more adventurous, the brain masala  recommended by the chef would be a first to many.

BBQ WORLD [$]
76 Amoy Street. Tel: 6423 1040

Nestled cosily almost out of sight in Amoy Street, this  Korean grill BBQ buffet ($24.90++, daily 5.30-10.30pm;  $24.90++, weekends 11.30am-2pm) restaurant is bare  and basic, but the ribs are marinated to perfection with  huge rolls of pork taking centrestage on the grill.

BUFFET CITY
101 Cantonment Road. Tel: 6410 9084

This international buffet ($29.50nett, daily 11.30am-230pm; $30.60nett, daily 5.30-9pm) serves up fresh  catch (seafood), Japanese, Western, even dim sum/pastries delights, including nyonya kueh. Crabs, prawns  and clams are the definite crowd pleasers in the fresh  catch station, while interesting Asian takes on sushi  (sushi nasi lemak/sushi hei bee hiam) might just tickle  your tastebuds in the right way.

CHONG QING LIU YI SHOU STEAMBOAT [$]
76-78 Smith Street. Tel: 6835 7626

Yin yang style pots filled with mala, herbal chicken or  fish head stock are offered in this late night steamboat  buffet ($21.80++, daily 11am-3am). Chong Qing Liu Yi  Shou offers fresh seafood such as prawns and crabs to  go with its cold appetisers and cooked food, including  dim sum, chicken wings and fries. Save room for ice  cream and fresh fruits after the meal to cool yourself  down!

CHUAN JIANG HAO ZI [$]
12 Smith Street. Tel: 6225 1518

You can literally smell the spice lingering in the air as  you sit down for the steamboat buffet ($24.80++, daily  11am-11pm). Unique soup bases are the forte here as  the range boasts soups such as spicy crab, spicy prawn  and duck. Remember to ask for lower spice levels as  the Sichuan spices give the soup base such a kick that  even some locals find it hard to stomach.

GUO FU STEAMBOAT [$]
#01-31/33 China Court, China Square Central, 20  Cross Street. Tel: 6557 0906

The smell of herbal and tonic soups fill the air at this  steamboat buffet ($21.90++, Mon-Thu 11.30am-3pm;  $23.90++, Mon-Thu 3-10.30pm; $23.90++, Fri-Sun  11.30am-3pm; $25.90++, Fri-Sun 3-10.30pm), offering  up cordyceps chicken soup as one of its steamboat  bases. Cooked food featuring xiao long baos and  shallot pancakes together with desserts are also  included in the price, with seafood ingredients being  prepared in-house for extra freshness.

HAN GEUN DOO GEUN KOREAN RESTAURANT [$]
#02-35 Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road.  Tel: 6538 2775

At this modern K-BBQ restaurant, start your a la carte buffet ($26.90++, 11.30am-3pm; $36.90++, 5.30-10pm)  with their oijangajji (pickled cucumber), its piquant  flavours a foil to heavy eating after. Aside from galbi,  bulgogi and moksal to BBQ over charcoal, fill up  with over 40 items such as crispy kimchi jeon (kimchi  pancake) and fried Korean dumplings. Each table comes  with its own exhaust vent to tone down the smoke.

MANBOK CHINATOWN KOREAN BBQ & STEAMBOAT BUFFET RESTAURANT [$]
279 New Bridge Road. Tel: 6557 0939

Marinated meats grilling on top of the barbeque with  a bubbling steamboat right next to it Korean style, just  the way Singaporeans like it. Manbok Chinatown’s no  frills buffet ($15nett, Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm; $18nett,  weekends 11.30am-3pm; $31.90nett, daily 5-11pm) has  a selection of 10 marinated meats, steamboat items to  create the perfect Army Stew, cooked food, and even drinks and ice cream. Turn up in a group of four or more  for dinner and enjoy free flow beer.

MAPLE LOFT [$]
#01-02 Tanjong Pagar Community Club, 101  Cantonment Road. Tel: 6225 6684

Who can resist the temptation of ice cream on a hot  day—now just imagine an ice cream buffet ($8.80++,  Tue-Fri 12-10pm; $8.80++, weekends 9am-10pm).  Spoonful after spoonful of frosty creamy goodness in  a never ending loop, served in a cosy retro-style café,  surrounded by shelves of sweets and other goodies. A  sweet-tooth’s wonderland and a kid’s paradise.

SICHUAN STEAMBOAT RESTAURANT [$]
12 Mosque Street. Tel: 6535 7848

Taking up both sides of the road in Mosque Street,  Sichuan Steamboat Restaurant offers an extensive  a la carte spread ($23.88++, Mon-Thu 11am-11pm;  $26.88++, Fri-Sun 11am-11pm). With special meats  such as duck tongue, pig brain and pig’s throat on the  menu, you can be sure that this experience will be an  interesting one.

SPRING JUCHUNYUAN [$]
#01-01 Far East Square, 130 Amoy Street.  Tel: 6536 2655

This Singapore outpost of the famed Fuzhou restaurant  whips up a well-priced dim sum buffet ($22.80+, Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm). From 5 Jan-1 Feb, Ju Chun Yuan will  host a Fuzhou style dim sum a la carte buffet, while  during the CNY period, 5 Jan-5 Mar, explore stalls in  the courtyard of the restaurant selling authentic Fuzhou  street food and snacks. The restaurant absorbs service charge.

SSIKKEK [$]
#01-01 Oriental Plaza, 291 New Bridge Road.  Tel: 6225 6964

The smell of fresh roasted meats is unmistakeable at  this Korean barbeque buffet ($24++, daily 12-2.30pm;  5.30-10pm) restaurant which serves up a huge range of  marinated meats and side dishes. Try the samgyupsal,  thick, tender fatty slices of pork belly roasted to  perfection as the fats melt in your mouth.

STRAITS CHINESE NONYA RESTAURANT [$]
#01-08 Chinatown Plaza, 34 Craig Road. Tel: 6534 7328

Managed by the oldest Nyonya restaurant group in  Singapore with an impressive history from 1953, this  restaurant boasts an authentic Nyonya buffet ($32++,  daily 11am-2.30pm; $32++, daily 6-9.30pm). The  fermented beans in their ayam pong tay is a nostalgic  taste of Peranakan cuisine together with traditional  desserts using gula melaka.

TIFFANY CAFÉ & RESTAURANT [$]
Level 2 Furama City Centre Singapore, 60 Eu Tong Sen  Street. Tel: 6531 5366

From its Malay kitchens come an array of international  offerings for the New Year. The buffet ($49.80++, daily  12-2.30pm; $59.80++, daily 6-10.30pm) ranging from  sashimi to desserts will tantalise the senses, especially  the durian pengat. Iced peach and lemon teas are free-flow  as well.

XIN MAN YUAN VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT [$]
#03-32 People’s Park Centre, 101 Upper Cross Street.  Tel: 6438 0048

A vegetarian buffet ($18.80++, Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm;  $23.80++, Sat-Sun & PH 11am-2.30pm) of dim sum,  Chinese dishes and desserts are to be enjoyed at Xin  Man Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant. (See also Top 10  Vegetarian-lovers Buffets)

YUM CHA RESTAURANT [$]
#02-01, 20 Trengganu Street. Tel: 6372 1717

Having set up two more outlets in Changi and  Serangoon to appease its ever-increasing fan base, Yum Cha Restaurant has become a hotspot for dim  sum enthusiasts since opening its doors in Chinatown.  With a selection of almost 60 different types to choose  from, you will be spoilt for choice at this dim sum buffet  ($23.80++ (adult), weekdays 3-5.30pm), as you bite  into skillfully prepared spinach prawn dumplings while  reaching for sweet crystal custard dumplings.