We had the opportunity to experience what makes Oscar’s buffet at Conrad Centennial Singapore one of the best international buffets available in Singapore. It begins with the warm welcome upon arrival and extends to the never-ending array of delectable dishes available, featuring local specialities and favourites from around the world.
Oscar’s Restaurant at Conrad Centennial Singapore
Oscar’s is located on the first floor of Conrad Centennial Singapore. The restaurant, with its warm and inviting atmosphere, is famous for its international buffet with a top-notch spread that focuses on quality ingredients prepared by skilled chefs.
In addition to the numerous food stations, there were also manned “live” stations where the food was prepared before our eyes and served fresh.
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The Best of Oscar’s Dinner Buffet
There were plenty of options available to start the evening’s dinner at the Oscar’s Dinner Buffet.
These include the choice of cold cuts and cheese. Or for a salad, there was the option of making your own Caesar salad in a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese. However, for us, the biggest draw was the fresh seafood glistening on ice.
There were prawns, clams, slipper lobsters and succulent-looking oysters.
The slipper lobsters were sweet and delicate but we were won over by the fresh and juicy oysters.
We also made sure to get some of the fresh sashimi, served to us by the chef behind the counter.
Amazing Spread of International and Local Dishes
Lined up in front of the semi-open kitchen was a mind-boggling spread of international and local dishes.
On the right were local dishes that provided a sampling of Singapore’s diverse cuisine. In addition to staples such as wok-fried noodles with vegetables and yang zhou fried rice, there were dishes like braised duck stew with orange skin, Malay-style mutton rendang with potatoes and much more.
Want a fresh popiah? The chef will roll one for you at the live station and cut it into a bite-sized portion for sampling.
We almost missed the spiced meat roti john. It has been years since we have had a roti john and the one at Oscar’s offers a slight twist. The soft bread roll is heated on a griddle before being generously brought together with egg and a spiced meat ragout and covered with lettuce and cucumber. A homemade sambal mayo brought it all together for a delicious, savoury and sweet bite.
At the centre of the buffet line in front of the kitchen was the “live” carving station. Here, chefs stood ready to carve up meats on request. There was a choice of garlic herb mustard roasted striploin and honey lemon roasted sakura chicken.
While we enjoyed the roasted striploin, the tender and juicy honey lemon roasted chicken won us over.
To the left of the carving stations, there was a choice of Western-style dishes that included roasted potatoes, pasta gratin and more meat dishes like lamb stew. There was something available to cater to every taste and palate.
We would be remiss if we did not mention the mushroom risotto. This was freshly prepared by a chef and was absolutely devine. The rich flavours of mushroom and cream married to create a rich and sublime dish. Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, it was a delight in every spoonful and is an absolute must-try at the Oscar’s buffet.
Outdoor Live Stations
As if what was available indoors was not enough of a selection, there are three live cooking stations outdoors too. We felt that these outdoor stations did not get the attention they deserved. They felt like a hidden secret because there were very few people at them whenever we made the excursion outdoors to get food.
The three outdoor live stations are a noodle bar, a barbecue grill and a tandoori station with tandoori ovens.
Our first stop was the live noodle station. Of course, we had to order Oscar’s signature seafood laksa. This featured a luxuriously creamy broth made with coconut milk, spices and seafood lathered over thick rice noodles. Enticed by the succulent prawns and tofu puffs soaking up the rich laksa gravy, we couldn’t wait to get it back to our table. It does not disappoint and we would have gone back for seconds if we had space.
The outdoor barbecue grill offered a mix of local items such as honey soy grilled chicken wing, otak otak and sambal onion stingray. The stand-out dish here was the sambal onion stingray. The grilled stingray paired well with the sweet sambal sauce and offered a distinctly local taste.
There is also black pepper striploin available at the outdoor grill station. We quite enjoyed this but would recommend putting the black pepper sauce on the side rather than lacing it on top as the sauce can be quite overwhelming.
An absolute delight was tandoori station. Greeted by the friendly chef, we told him what type of naan we wanted and he prepared it before slapping it into the tandoor oven. There is a choice of cheese, butter, garlic and multigrain available. We had the garlic naan and it was crisp and delicious.
There are varieties of curries available to pair with the naan. However, we had to get the freshly cooked chicken. This had been marinated overnight and was cooked in charcoal for a smokey and deep flavour. This was another must-try of the Oscar’s buffet.
Locally Inspired Beverages
To pair with the food, we had Oscar’s versions of classic local beverages. Available till 29 September, these included a Milo Dinosaur, Air Bandung and Fresh Sugarcane Juice with Calimansi. These were available at $5.90++ each in addition to the buffet price.
Dessert Bar
If you are the type of person who judges a buffet by its dessert, Oscar’s buffet would pass with flying colours.
There are endless varieties to choose from. The signature dish is Oscar’s tiramisu where layers of Kahlua-infused chocolate are contrasted with a hint of sea salt.
The chocolate fondue fountain is sure to be a hit with kids.
But there is plenty more available to indulge your sweet tooth. Some of the standouts to us were the chocolate royal hazelnut crunch, red velvet cakes and dulcey inspiration. There is also a chocolate fountain, waffles and a selection of ice creams.
An Evening Out at Oscar’s
Oscar’s is the perfect place for a family gathering, a special celebration or simply a chance to indulge in a spread of good food with friends.
Just as we were leaving, we discovered another little treat.
There was a wall with local old-school snacks just beside the entrance/exit. It was just another example of the attention to detail that makes Oscar’s at Conrad Centennial Singapore a top restaurant for a special meal experience.
Best of Oscar’s Dinner Buffet
Where: Oscar’s, Level 1, Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038982
How much:
Wednesday to Sunday, from $96++ per person
Website: Oscar’s, Conrad Centennial Singapore
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