AquaMarine

AquaMarine
6 Raffles Boulevard
#04-00 Marina Mandarin Hotel

http://www.meritushotels.com/marina-mandarin-singapore/dining/aquamarine.html

Prawns On Ice

Excellent Halal-Certified International Buffet With Fresh Seafood

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $82 per person.


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As the in-house buffet dining restaurant of the Marina Mandarin hotel, AquaMarine stands head and shoulders above most other buffet options in Singapore. Dazzling diners with its lavish, halal-certified, international spread of dishes, AquaMarine may not have the greatest variety, but their food and service is consistently high quality.

Ambience at AquaMarine takes after their name, with the signature aquamarine colour set against tones of wood, white, yellow, and black. The large, spacious seating area is thoughtfully carved out into separate sections, with the casual, modern furniture neatly spaced for both large and small groups. Love the brightly lit place, comfortable seating, and the appetizing buffet display.

Service at AquaMarine is good. Staff are assigned sections, allowing them to offer personalised attention to diners. They're polite and courteous, efficient at clearing away empty / dirty plates and tables. Staff are helpful, carrying out requests quickly, though they don't possess much knowledge on ingredients of dishes. I like that they make smooth arrangements in celebrating a diner's birthday, even helping to sing the birthday song.

Food at AquaMarine revolves around their international buffet, with a decent range of options and variety of dishes. The specialities here include their array of fresh seafood, in particular, the snow crab legs, and the Singaporean dishes, which are tasty and well executed. Quality of most other dishes is above average, better than other buffets. Prices are higher than usual too, budget about SGD $82 per person for a meal here. More worthwhile when they have ongoing discounts or promotions.


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Marina Mandarin Foyer

AquaMarine Facade

Seating

Table Setting

Buffet Display

Live Station

Stacking Seafood On Ice

My personal favourites from the Fresh Seafood - Snow Crab, Spanner Crab, Prawn, Crayfish, Mussels, Clams, Oyster plate; is the Snow Crab legs. Fresh, meaty, sweet salty, incredibly good. Highly recommended! The other seafood are all fresh, clean-tasting, of good quality, and delicious. The seafood here is, I feel, the best value for money in their buffet.

Fresh Seafood - Snow Crab, Spanner Crab, Prawn, Crayfish, Mussels, Clams, Oyster

From the Sashimi - Sea Bream, Salmon, Tuna, Octopus; my personal pick is the Octopus, with its fresh, bouncy texture, and clean taste to the flesh, with notes of sweet savoury flavour. Good! However, I felt the overall quality of the other sashimi here is lower than average.

Sashimi - Sea Bream, Salmon, Tuna, Octopus

Felt the Sushi - Beancurd, Squid, Wakame Seaweed, Seasoned Scallops was largely decent. Nothing was terrible, but nothing stood out too.

Sushi - Beancurd, Squid, Wakame Seaweed, Seasoned Scallops

The International - Bread Roll, Butter, Cream Cheese, Bread Stick, Lavash Flatbread; loved the fragrant Bread Stick, and the smooth Cream Cheese pairs nicely with the Bread Roll. Good!

International - Bread Roll, Butter, Cream Cheese, Bread Stick, Lavash Flatbread

With the International - Chicken And Black Fungus, Dory Fish In Cream Sauce, Prawn And Pineapple Salad, Ngoh Hiang, Abalone Salad; I liked the chilled Chicken And Black Fungus, and its contrast of crunchy tender textures, with a sweet savoury spicy flavour. The unique Abalone Salad is also worth a mention, the smooth, meaty texture of the abalone pairs well with the crunchy, juicy cucumber and cherry tomatoes. The other salad and appetizer dishes were decent enough.

International - Chicken And Black Fungus, Dory Fish In Cream Sauce, Prawn And Pineapple Salad, Ngoh Hiang, Abalone Salad

With the International - Biryani, Mutton Rogan Josh, Sayur Lodeh, Sweet And Sour Fish, Beef Short Rib Rendang; the best thing was the tasty Beef Short Rib Rendang. This had a tender, moist texture that cuts easily, with bold savoury spice notes, incredibly delicious. Highly recommended! The showpiece Sweet And Sour Fish also fared well, with a tangy, sweet savoury flavour, and tender fish meat that is so fresh. Good! The other dishes are just decent.

International - Biryani, Mutton Rogan Josh, Sayur Lodeh, Sweet And Sour Fish, Beef Short Rib Rendang

The International - Chawanmushi, Zaru Soba, Lamb Sausage Capellini is above average in quality across these dishes. Loved the smoky notes in the Lamb Sausage Capellini, where the slippery capellini pasta noodles complement the savoury sweet lamb sausage and base of tomato sauce. Good!

International - Chawanmushi, Zaru Soba, Lamb Sausage Capellini

The International - Bread And Butter Pudding, Onde-Onde, Chocolate Blueberry Raspberry Mousse Cake is part of the dessert selection. Of these, I liked the Bread And Butter Pudding for its warm, soft, comforting texture, and fruity sweet flavour. Also loved the Onde-Onde, which just explodes with the flavour of palm sugar in the mouth, complemented by its bouncy, chewy texture. Highly recommended!

International - Bread And Butter Pudding, Onde-Onde, Chocolate Blueberry Raspberry Mousse Cake

The dessert selection of International - Coconut Tart, Pecan Pie, Mango Pudding, Chocolate Mousse, Rainbow Kueh Lapis Legit has several stand out items. The Coconut Tart has a lovely smoky earthy flavour, and the pasty shell is crisp and buttery. The Pecan Pie has a crumbly pastry crust, with a nutty sweet filling that is dense and rich in flavour. The Rainbow Kueh Lapis Legit is vibrant and colourful, with a soft, moist texture, and a nice delicate buttery flavour.

International - Coconut Tart, Pecan Pie, Mango Pudding, Chocolate Mousse, Rainbow Kueh Lapis Legit

Rainbow Kueh Lapis Legit

The Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is among their birthday cake options, which staff help to surprise diners with. They even sing the birthday song for you upon presentation of the cake! While slighly creamy, this cake has a rich, indulgent feel, with sweet nutty flavours of chocolate and hazelnut. Good!

Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Crunchy Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

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