Aqua Marine
Another hotel revamp another reopening. This time it’s Marina Mandarin Meritus, catching up with its recently renovated Pan Pacific and Oriental bedfellows. The lobby looks “cookie cutter” modern, and to find Aquamarine you need to zip up to the fourth floor.
Gone are Tatler Brasserie and the Cricketeer Pub. The space previously reserved for the Filipino singers now has a “fish bar,” a bizarre concept of wet market meets upscale dining, with fresh bream, cod and oysters on display, overlooking a Captain’s Table of 16.
The rest of the sprawling Aquamarine buffet restaurant flows quite well, with nautical cues matched with shiny surfaces and IKEA-like tables and chairs. The menu has an à la carte section, and a sushi bar option. This little trick means that the real deal, the buffet doesn’t come with any sashimi or sushi—which left us feeling somewhat shortchanged.
The appetizer selection was not bad, with plenty of fish choices, along with some meats. Mains included a roast and some soggy local and Western choices. In general, the food was mediocre, lacking in taste and left to languish on warmers. When the highlights are fried rice (unusually tasty) and fresh rocket, you know it’s not the most memorable dinner of the month.
We did sample some of the buffet, but quickly moved on to dessert. The spread was respectable, with the obligatory chocolate fountain, a generous array of cakes and two hot puddings. A fine cheese board was put out too, but was unfortunately accompanied by flaky crackers instead of firm biscuits.
What saved the experience was good service from our prompt and attentive servers, including a sommelier who recommended a suitable bottle of wine. At the end of our meal, we felt that while this restaurant is trying hard, and has succeeded with the décor, ambiance and service, it falls short on food quality. If it hopes to compete with the bigger, better buffet restaurants, it needs to work on substance in addition to the style it already has.
We all know that Singapore is a true foodie’s paradise and one where so many “live to eat”. There’s a pretty good chance you can find any cuisine on earth right here in our cultural melting pot, but if you’re a newbie to Singapore (or have visitors decending!) there’s a whole world of food that often goes unnoticed: local food! Sure, we’ve all had our fair share of hawker centres and tried the likes of popular treats like satay, noodle soup, and dim sum, but there is still so much more to try. What a shame it would be if you lived in Singapore and didn’t get to try everything this foodie haven had to offer…
Well, check that off your bucket list now, mama because we’ve found a solution to your dilemma. Say hello to AquaMarine – where Asian delights meet international flavours. What better way to explore the island’s best-kept secrets than at this renowned weekend buffet (the kids are invited too!).Located on level 4 of the 5-star luxury hotel, Marina Mandarin Singapore, AquaMarine is a unique concept restaurant featuring a resplendent spread of Asian and international cuisines (all with Halal certification too). Featuring a sumptuous buffet of perennial favourites such as Fried Japanese Tofu with Pickled Ginger and Roasted Goma Dressing, Poached Tiger Prawn Salad with Citrus Dressing, Singapore Chilli Crab, Lamb Rogan Josh, Seafood Au Gratin and a mouth-watering array of desserts, there’s so much here to tickle your taste buds, mama. There’s also a wide selection of à la carte dishes including local signatures like Jumbo Laksa and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Surrounded by clear glass panels, AquaMarine gives diners a complete view of the hotel’s plush atrium, as well as a little touch of nature with textured stonewalls and a water feature at the outdoor terrace. Contemporary and bright, the show kitchen is the real highlight here – it allows diners to view the chefs doing what they do best… cooking!
We recently decided to check out the weekend buffet for ourselves and are happy to report that while the place does deliver the internationally local food that it promises, it’s also a great venue to bring the kids along to as well. The buffet is divvied up into several sections, the highlight being the extensive seafood spread. Apart from the usual must haves like fresh oysters, prawns, Boston lobsters, scallops, and black mussels, I was thrilled to see stone crab claws and sea whelks on offer too! Another special addition to the seafood spread, and one that I must mention, is the Whole Poached Salmon, complete with condiments – so good! Once you’ve had your aquatic fix, head to the Japanese bar, where a selection of sushi, sashimi, cold noodles, and tempura await. Of course no buffet is complete without a salad bar and the one here offers unusual items such as edamame and lotus root. Healthy food for the fam — check!
My kids were more than thrilled with the Pizza and Pasta station, with its über cheesy slices of Hawaiian and Margherita pizza — not exactly the local fix I was hoping to introduce them to, but who can argue with pizza! That being said there’s a lovely selection of main meals that you can also go for if you want to divert your kids away from the usual…. try the DIY stations of Lor Mee noodles, or the crispy baskets of Kueh Pie Tee, filled with a traditional Peranakan vegetable filling. My favourite dish was the pepper crab, which was complemented by fragrant garlic fried rice or glass noodles. The drunken Chinese prawns were also hugely popular, as were the lamb chops and teriyaki chicken. And if you’re craving Indian, the fish and lamb curries are beautiful, served with hot butter naan breads and condiments. It’s also worthy dropping past the BBQ station, where you can get your fill of roast chicken, grilled vegetables, chicken wings, sausages, and grilled prawns Sushi, sake, and sports are served up at this spacious Second Avenue eatery. The dim interior skews to a clubby Asian style: River-stone walls, an occasionally functional waterfall, and pale-white birch trees that serve as dividers between the dark wood tables. At the long bar, everything’s glowing, including the counter, the backlit shelves lined with sake bottles, and the flat-screen TVs. Floor-to-ceiling glass accordion windows are a nice touch, though the crushingly dull Second Avenue view of two dry cleaners and a shoe repair is a downer. The sushi is fresh if unmemorable, and of the heftier entrees, the seafood trumps the meats: Grilled duck breast tends towards dry, but the red snapper is moist and flaky, and studded with chunky pineapple. As the hour grows late, the sports volume goes up a notch, as do the hoots and hollers from the sake-swilling patrons.
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