Sky22 Tasting Session

Sky22 Tasting Session
99 Irrawaddy Road
#22-00 Courtyard By Marriott Singapore

Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri (Semi-Buffet): 12pm - 2:30pm (Lunch), 6pm - 10pm (Dinner),
Sat - Sun (Full Buffet): 12pm - 10pm


http://www.marriott.com/hotel-restaurants/sincy-courtyard-singapore-novena/sky22/5991301/home-page.mi


This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Jelly Magically, Shauneeie, SG Cafe Hopping, Shoot And Spoon, Food Gem, and Daniel Food Diary.

Char Siew Barbecue Pork Ribs

Warm Up To A Semi-Buffet Spread

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $30++ per person.


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The in-house dining restaurant of the Courtyard By Marriott Singapore hotel in Novena, Sky22 opened alongside in November 2017. From April 2018, Sky22 is introducing a weekday semi-buffet spread - unlimited servings of salad, soup, and dessert, with a choice of 1 main course from a weekly rotating menu of Western, Asian, and Modern Singaporean dishes.

Sky22 Signage

Courtyard By Marriott Singapore Lobby

Ambience at Sky22 is stunningly beautiful. The large, floor-to-ceiling windows offer a panoramic view of the city below, and on clear days, the horizon stretches out to Bukit Timah Hill. The sunsets from here are gorgeous. Within, the fairly small seating area is neatly lined with plush comfortable cushioned booths and sturdy tables, the hues of wood and leaf green warmly lit by orange spotlights overhead. Feels smart casual here.

Sky22 Exterior

Sky22 Interior

View

View

Service at Sky22 befits the Marriott brand. Staff are attentive, according each table personalised engagement. They're efficient and quick at carrying out requests, and will check on tables periodically to top up / offer more drinks, or to clear away empty / dirty plates. The floor managers demonstrate affable personalities, and showcase competent product knowledge. However, the junior staff seem unsure when queried on things, and they don't engage openly.

Salad Bar

Bread Basket

Food at Sky22 falls into distinct Modern European (French, British) and Modern Singaporean cuisine. Executive Chef John Chye and Sous Chef Chris Lee head up the kitchen, producing beautifully plated, tasty dishes, that satisfy and comfort. Think familiar, soulful flavours, made with fresh locally sourced ingredients. In fact, Chef says he's gradually introducing more locally sourced ingredients into the menu. As a semi-buffet, portions for the salad, soup, and dessert are unlimited, with each diner receiving 1 main course of their choice from the weekly rotating menu. Prices are more affordable than elsewhere, budget about SGD $30++ per person for a meal here.

Tasting Menu, April 2018

There's a nice variety of vegetables for the DIY Salad Bowl, including superfoods such as kale. Great that the mix & match will result in a vibrant, colourful starter. The house made Cream Of Mushroom Soup is comforting, but the taste of the cream is a tad strong, and it lacks texture. Loved the warm, soft Rye Bread With Butter, with its yeasty bready flavour, this pairs pretty well with the soup.

DIY Salad Bowl

Cream Of Mushroom Soup

Rye Bread With Butter

The Beef Casserole is a hearty, warming dish, with chunks of braised beef brisket, button mushrooms, carrots, and a rich savoury salty beef meat gravy, served with fragrant fluffy pilaf rice. Pretty decent, though I'd have liked the beef to be slightly more tender, but the flavours are properly bold and meaty.

Beef Casserole

Beef Casserole

The Coq Au Vin is classic French; with the tender chunks of chicken in a robust chicken stock and red wine gravy, along with carrots and onions. A slice of grilled pumpkin and micro-greens complete this hearty dish. Bold savoury salty sweet boozy flavours with the chicken and gravy, while the tender pumpkin lends a smoky sweet flavour. Good!

Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin

The Beer-Battered Halibut Fish & Chips has a decently sized fillet of halibut fish, with a tender, flaky texture, coated in a crisp golden beer batter that crunches lightly when bit. I understand local Singaporean beer is used for the batter - here, we've inferred that it's Tiger Beer. Slight yeasty notes from the batter at first, leading to the sweet savoury flavour of the fish. Thin shoestring fries accompany, best eaten when piping hot. A house made tartar dipping sauce rounds out the plate, this has a refreshingly light, tangy feel, being more herbal and less creamy than other commercial versions.

Beer-Battered Halibut Fish & Chips

Beer-Battered Halibut Fish & Chips

Chef's signature, the Char Siew Barbecue Pork Ribs are a true Modern Singaporean dish. The half slab of pork ribs are braised for hours, making it so tender... in fact, I didn't need a knife to eat this, using just a fork to slide the meat off the bone. The char siew marinade is properly tangy sweet savoury; while it lacks the smoky aroma of regular roasted char siew, it's still delicious. Garnished with white sesame and scallions, which lend some crunch for texture. The thin and piping hot shoestring fries are coated in a righteous salted egg yolk sauce, which is thick and savoury salty with a good kick of spice. We suggested that the sauce be served on the side in future, to allow diners to dip on their own.

Char Siew Barbecue Pork Ribs

Char Siew Barbecue Pork Ribs

There's at least 1 vegetarian option on the weekly rotating semi-buffet menu, and during our visit, this was the Vegetable Tortilla Quesadilla. A warm, soft, flour tortilla envelops a hearty filling of grilled potatoes, bell peppers / capsicum, button mushrooms, and gooey orange cheddar cheese. A garnish of tomato salsa, guacamole, and parsley complete this. Warm crunchy soft textures, and vegetal earthy sweet savoury flavours abound.

Vegetable Tortilla Quesadilla

Vegetable Tortilla Quesadilla

Chef hails from Penang, Malaysia, so he's introduced a signature Nyonya Assam Laksa Lemak, albiet a less intense version to appeal to the masses. Slippery thick rice vermicelli noodles in a bold, sour savoury herbal, robust soup / broth; made with tamarind juice, ginger flower, and mackerel fish stock, garnished with pineapple, cucumber, red onions, mint, and large chunks of mackerel fish. Lovely contrasting textures of chewy and crunchy, tasting lively on the palate. Not as intense as the traditional versions, but relatively more accessible for most.

Nyonya Assam Laksa Lemak

Nyonya Assam Laksa Lemak

Enjoyed those desserts I sampled. The Hazelnut Crunch Chocolate Mousse has marzipan wrapped chocolate mousse, which is rich and creamy sweet. Topped with hazelnut cream and bits for crunch. The Mango Lychee Pudding is fruity sweet, with layered notes from the mango pudding, lychee boba balls, dried pineapple, and strawberry. The Bread Pudding is properly warm and soft, sweet and nutty in flavour, with the dried fruit and nuts lending texture for contrast.

Hazelnut Crunch Chocolate Mousse

Hazelnut Crunch Chocolate Mousse

Mango Lychee Pudding

Mango Lychee Pudding

Bread Pudding

Overall, I enjoyed the semi-buffet spread at Sky22. It's healthy and well balanced, and you don't feel overly stuffed. The ambience is stunning, the service is attentive, and the food quality is above average. And with prices well below typical buffets, the semi-buffet at Sky22 is well suited to corporate events, large social gatherings, family meals, or intimate affairs with your partner.


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