21 On Rajah

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Singaporeans love to eat and what better place than a buffet!
When someone mentions Halal-certified buffets in Singapore, I'm guessing you would probably be able to come up with a list of places to visit. In fact, you can find some of those names right here on our blog.

Well, we have some really great news...
You can now add one more name to that list - 21 On Rajah!!

That's right - we're jumping for joy too!!

Situated along Balestier Road, Days Hotel At Zhongshan Park is a modern-looking hotel. If you've never had a reason to visit it before, well now you do!

21 On Rajah has just recently been certified Halal by MUIS and it offers not only a nice buffet spread but also some very tempting Ala Carte menu choices as well. We were invited to have a taste of their delectable buffet spread and have a taste of some of their signature dishes as well.

And like all our buffet posts, we're gonna run down individual items later but let's give you a sneak peek at what the spread actually has in store for you... Let's start with the Salads and Appetizers...

D.I.Y Salad Station

Mozzarella Cheese and Tomatoes

Potato Salad

Grilled Mixed Vegetable Antipasto

Smoked Salmon

Salad Nicoise with Tuna Tataki

Assorted Sushi

They also have a station where you can mix up your own Rojak!

Rojak Station

Rojak!

Besides the salads and appetizers, they also have a nice spread of Cold Seafood that includes Green Mussles, Snow Crab Claws, Scallops, Tiger Prawns and even LOBSTER!!

The Cold Seafood Spread

Lobsters

Tiger Prawns

Scallops

Mushroom Soup

They also have a selection of Cheeses and Bread for us to enjoy.
And of course, there'll always be an offering of soup at any buffet spread. When we visited this time, it was one of our all-time favourites (and probably yours too?) - Mushroom Soup!

The soup may have been a little light on the texture but I really enjoyed it.
You get a nice earthy mushroom flavour and for those who really enjoy that, you're gonna enjoy this soup.
Enjoy with a nice warm roll to complete the dish!

I would have had more but I was planning to stuff myself with so many other things I decided to go slow :P

And then we come to the Mains...
21 On Rajah actually has a good mix of Mediterranean and Asian delights. One of the Restaurant Managers actually described it as a 'Meditter-asian' theme which I thought was very fitting because you can really see the eclectic mix of food ranging from Asian (Chilli Crab-style Crayfish, Laksa, Rojak, Sushi etc) to Mediterranean and European (Italian-style dishes like Pasta and Antipasto, Braised Lamb Shank etc).

I think I'll let the picture do more of the talking... And the tempting!

Nasi Goreng

Kung Pao Style Chicken

Slipper Lobster Singapore Chilli Crab Style

Fried Mantou Buns

That's right! They have a Chilli Crab-style dish with Slipper Lobsters and complete with the Fried Mantou Buns!! I have to say that this is not really the kind of dish you would expect to enjoy at a Hotel Buffet but this was actually pretty good!

If you're like me and don't want to make such a big mess, just enjoy mopping up the delicious Chilli Crab gravy with the buns! Yummy!

Slow Baked Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce

Spinach Ravioli

Sauteed Asparagus and Carrots

Braised Lamb Shank

Gratin Potato

Roasted Prime Beef Ribeye

Shallot Jus Sauce

What I felt was the real star of the buffet spread was the Roasted Prime Beef Ribeye.
Just look at the delicious slab of meat there calling out to you... "Eat me.... EAT ME!". ZOMG.

As you may very well know by now - I loves me some meat. And when you have a buffet line where there's a guy waiting to carve out some meat for you - it's a win-win-win-win trust me.

And the meat itself? Roasted to perfection!
You have a nice crispy char on the outer layer and medium-well done for most of that part. And when you get to the middle, a nice pink medium-rare awaits you. How can you resist!
If you're like me and prefer it to be less pink, just let the guy know and they'll char it a little bit more for you on the pan. Finish off with some Shallot Jus Sauce!!

And now we have some pictures of the food that we dished out for ourselves... There are a lot more but only had time to snap these few because we spent the rest of the time wolfing down the food!!

Mozzarella Cheese and Tomatoes

I'm a big fan of cheese but not so much of tomatoes to be honest. But I totally enjoyed this. Even the tomatoes! The cheese taste is not so overwhelming and the tomatoes were really firm and fresh. It was a very nice and refreshing start to our meal!

Grilled Mixed Vegetable Antipasto

Smoked Salmon

Potato Salad

I guess I'm a sucker for these kinds of European appetizers.
Smoked Salmon is an automatic yes for me every single time because I really love it. I guess that's something I picked up from my Dad. And the quality here is top notch.

The Grilled Mixed Vegetable Antipasto is roasted peppers, zucchini and aubergines and has a very nice and robust flavour to it.

The Potato Salad is not your usual type of Potato Salad and you can even have it as a side when you have your meat dishes like the Roasted Prime Beef Ribeye or even the Braised Lamb Shank.

Salad Nicoise with Tuna Tataki

Those who love Tuna will enjoy this dish.
Lightly-seared Tuna which has a black pepper crust paired with peppers, potatoes and quail eggs.
Just remember that the black pepper crust will give you quite a kick :)

Slow Baked Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce

Gratin Potato

Braised Lamb Shank

ZOMG the Lamb Shank is the bomb.
I heard some people even picked up with the whole bone and started chomping down and I don't blame them!! But I'm shy so I just tore off some meat :P

Spinach Ravioli

Besides just being the Meat Guy, I'm apparently also the Pasta Guy. All the more if it's creamy!
I really really really really really really really really really really enjoyed the Spinach Ravioli. If you enjoy creamy pasta, you'll definitely enjoy this too!

PS have I mentioned that I really enjoyed the Spinach Ravioli?

NO CAGE CAN HOLD BACK OUR APPETITES!

Okay. More like 'No cage can hold back our gluttony' to be more exact :P

21 On Rajah also has a nice Desserts spread including fruits, fondue, Asian and Western desserts!
If you still have space after the mains, take your pick!!

Fresh Tropical Fruits

Carrot Cake

Cheesecake

Profiteroles (with Lemon Curd Filling)

Asian Nyonya Kueh

Dark Chocolate Fondue

Bread & Butter Pudding with Dates (and Vanilla Sauce)

As you can see, quite a lot to choose from!
In fact, they had more desserts like Panna Cotta and even mini-desserts which are served up in shot glasses.
I took a few but whacked them before I got a chance to snap some pictures. Oops. :P

Juices

The 'Juice Bar'

Something we found very unique was this 'Juice Bar' set up where you can have your choice of Orange, Lime or Cranberry Juices and then you can mix it up as you see fit!

You can top it off with some fizzy drinks like Ginger Ale, Tonic Water or Sprite and then add some fruits like Strawberries, Pineapple, Kiwi and you can even add some Mint Leaves!

Something very unique that we've not seen at any other buffet so far! :)

But do keep in mind that from what we understand, there are up to 5 menus which are on rotation throughout the week so it's best to call and check if you want a rundown on what's being served when you visit.

You might very well enjoy some of the stuff we've posted here but then again you might enjoy something else that we didn't get a chance to try!

Buffet Prices:
Breakfast - $18.00++ (Adult) / $9.00++ Child
Semi-Buffet Lunch - $15.00++ (Buffet only) / $10.00++ (with any main course ordered)
Dinner (Mondays to Thursdays) - $32.00++ (Adult) / $16.00++ (Child)
Dinner (Fridays to Sundays, Eve and PH) - $35.00++ (Adult) / $17.50++ (Child)
Sunday Brunch - $38.00++ (Adult) / $19.00++ (Child)

The buffet at 21 On Rajah is really good value for money! You get quite a nice spread of food and definitely some favourites there so you know you'll be able to concentrate on eating just the stuff you like.

Besides the buffet, 21 On Rajah also has an ala carte menu which boasts Mediterranean favourites such as Paella, Poitrine de Poulet and also Asian delights like Chicken Curry 'Singapore Style' and Nonya Laksa.
If you want to have a taste of both worlds, then maybe you can consider trying their Semi-Buffet Lunch where you can have an ala carte dish plus still get to sample the buffet spread!

And some more good news!
When you go for the Sunday Brunch, they have a supervised activity corner for the kids! This means you can relax and catch up with friends and family after the little ones have had their fill!!

We'll definitely be visiting 21 On Rajah again to sample their ala carte menu.
But the buffet is so tempting we might end up having both.

And a special shout-out to Izad and Hana who are also fellow foodies!
Check out their blog (www.izadnhana.com/blog) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/izadnhana#)
Maybe we can all go makan together again!

21 On Rajah

Days Hotel At Zhongshan Park
1 Jalan Rajah

Tel: 68086868
www.dayshotelsingapore.com

Operating Hours: Weekdays
Breakfast - 6.00am til 10.30am
Lunch - 12.00pm til 2.30pm
Dinner - 6.00pm til 10.30pm

Operating Hours: Weekends
Breakfast - 6.00am til 11.00am
Lunch - 12.00pm til 3.00pm
Dinner - 6.00pm til 11.00pm

AquaMarine Part 3: Turkish Delights

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Some of you would have read our special write-up on AquaMarine during our Ramadhan Special and surely most of you read our original write-up of AquaMarine's buffet as it remains our most-viewed post today!

Well, our friends at AquaMarine have a special spread in October plus a chance to win a fantastic prize!

AquaMarine presents a delightful spread for you to enjoy all throughout October. Enjoy a nice big spread of special authentic Turkish cuisine served up for especially for us plus you still get to enjoy your favourites as AquaMarine like the Sushi & Sahimi spread, Cold Platters and desserts!

And just how authentic exactly are we talking here?

Chefs Ahmet Akpinar and Zekeriya Saygin

Two masterchefs all the way from Turkey to prepare and oversee this Turkish spread so I'm not sure how much more Authentic Turkish this can get without you flying all the way to Turkey to eat!
(Did someone mention flying to Turkey? Hmmm.. more on that later!)

Okay anyways you all know our style right? Let's start on the food ASAP!

Since the normal spread is still going to be on display at AquaMarine for the buffet, they differentiate the special Turkish dishes with some special tags (just like they did for the Ramadhan promo).

Looks out for the little food tags with the Turkish Flag so you know which dishes are the Turkish specials.
And YES - that sign says Lady Thigh Meat. Which I love to eat. I think. :P

Patlikan Biber Kizartma (Aubergine & Pepper in Olive and Tomato)

Cous Cous

Mor Lahana Tersusu (Pickled Red Cabbage)

Wide array of salads to start with. Lots of words I can't pronounce but the beautiful displays and bright vibrant colours really gets my appetite going!

There are a few others I didn't get a chance to snap including the Coban Salatasi (Shephard's Salad) and the Taze Fusulye (Turkish Green Beans) but definitely worth trying all of them because they all look so appetizing! But you must control yourself.. If not then how to have the mains?

Karides Guvec (Shrimp Stew)

Sehriyelie Pilav (Turkish Pilaf Rice)

Chicken Shawarma

Besides the Whole Roasted Baby Lamb (not available all the time I'm afraid) pictured at the top of this post, they also have a live station where they serve fresh Chicken Shawarma got off the rotating grill onto your awaiting Pita Bread! Top it off with your favourites like yoghurt, salad or even some Hummus.

Besides that, they also have some freshly-prepared Kebabs for selection!

Kebabs

Pastirmali Kuru Fasulye (White Beans with Pastrami)

Hunkar Begendi (Sultan Delight)

Tavuc Guvec (Chicken Casserole)

Kadin Budu Kofte (Lady Thigh Meatballs)

I know it sounds weird but that's really the name of that dish - Lady Thigh Meatballs.
Nobody seems to know how this name came about but apparently it's supposed to resemble the shape of a lady's thighs (??)

Well don't worry, it's not made of lady's thigh meat but rather beef/lamb dipped in egg batter and fried.
Just think of it as an all-meat Bagedil!

Orgu Cheese

Tulum Cheese

For you Cheese Lovers out there (like me), then you'll get to try some traditional Turkish cheeses.
Orgu Cheese and Tulum Cheese are both made from Goat's Milk with the latter actually being (traditionally) ripened in a goatskin casing for about half a year.

Talk about some exotic stuff or what!

Well, on to the part which I think quite a number of you might actually be looking forward to...
The desserts!! And as we all know, Turkish desserts are some of the best and most exotic around.
And yes there's plenty of Almonds and Pistachios involved but I quite fancy a nice round of Turkish sweets don't you?

And yes, they have Turkish Delight ;)

Turkish Delight

Seker Payer (Sugar Cookies)

Asure (Noah's Pudding)

Kazandibi (Caramelized Milk Pudding)

I know that might look like a right mess to some of you but it actually is really good.
You're probably thinking that looks kinda mushy but it's actually pretty thick and stands well enough on its own. Scoop some onto your plate (without looking too silly if possible) and if you love milky desserts as much as I do, then you're going to be in for a treat I guarantee it.

And for something a bit more familiar perhaps...

Baklava

Bread Pudding

Okay so the Bread Pudding is not really Turkish but I put it in because I know so many people love it :P

And the next few photos are not really of dessert but of some toppings that you can sprinkle on your ice-cream should you choose to have a scoop or two or five. I just thought that the colours were really eye-catching and interesting.

Nice right? Never seen such bright golden sprinkles before... I wasn't sure whether to eat them or put them in my pocket!

Besides the dishes that were featured in photos here, there were still so many that we didn't get a chance to snap! Other Turkish specialties like Izmir Kofte (Meatball Casserole), Levrek Bugulama (Baked Seabass) and Manti (Turkish Dumplings) are also being offered for those of you who are adventurous for a taste of Turkey.

Plus, like I mentioned, the normal spread at AquaMarine is still there! This Turkish spread is the extra stuff you can enjoy on top of your normal favorites!

And if good food is not enough reason to head down to AquaMarine...

They've also got a special lucky draw where diners STAND A CHANCE TO WIN 2 REOUND-TRIP ECONOMY CLASS TICKETS TO TURKEY on Turkish Airlines!!!

Exciting or what?! Get to makan AND stand a chance to win a trip!
By the way, if you win but can't make it for the trip, please feel free to donate the tickets to The Halal Food Blog Team okay! Hehehe just kidding! (No I'm not.)

Visit AquaMarine for this special spread and hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
(I think we might actually go back! For the food and the lucky draw of course!)

Prices for the buffet are as follows;

Mondays to Fridays
Lunch (12pm til 2.30pm) - $58++ (Adult) / $29++ (Child)
Dinner (6.30pm til 10.30pm) - $68++ (Adult) / $48++ (Child)

Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
Tunch (12pm til 4.00pm) - $48++ (Adult) / $24++ (Child)
Dinner (6.30pm til 10.30pm) - $78++ (Adult) / $39++ (Child)

For reservations, call 6845 1111 or email aquamarine.marina@meritushotels.com

And to cap off a spectacular evening of great food, we got to meet and dine with Steven Chia of Channel News Asia fame. An all-round nice guy and champion buffet master!

Special thanks to Patricia for having us!

Aquamarine

Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Square

Tel: 6845 1111
www.aquamarine.sg

Operating Hours:
Breakfast: 6.30am - 10.30am
Lunch: 12.00pm - 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm