Beach Road Kitchen

Beach Road Kitchen
30 Beach Road
Level 1, JW Marriott Hotel Singapore, South Beach

https://www.beachroadkitchen.sg/

Gourmet Chocolates Range

Luxurious Buffet Seafood & Grills

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 9
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $80++ per person.


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The official in-house dining restaurant of JW Marriott Hotel Singapore in the South Beach area, the Beach Road Kitchen opened alongside it in December 2016. Partially housed in restored colonial buildings, Beach Road Kitchen seeks to pay homage to the historical markets located in this area dating back to 1873, as well as showcase culinary skill through their buffet line-up of 12 stations.

Ambience at Beach Road Kitchen is bright, clean, and comfortable. The 12 buffet stations are neatly arranged and easily accesssible. Seats are carefully positioned to allow for a low measure of privacy, and there are areas for large groups. Helpful maps as table place mats aid to guide diners to the range of options. The place usually isn't too crowded, which makes for a pleasant dining experience.

Service at Beach Road Kitchen befits the high standards of a hotel restaurant. Staff are friendly, welcoming, and attentive, according each diner personalised attention. They are quick to clear or remove finished plates throughout your meal, which is an especially important factor for a buffet. Food trays are regularly stocked up, except towards the end of the night. Staff are also able to guide diners with dietary restrictions.

Food at Beach Road Kitchen is international, featuring a range of American, British, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Singaporean dishes. Quality of ingredients is premium and fresh, and taste is generally good, except for a few disappointments. Portions for a buffet are unlimited. Prices are high, similar to high-end hotel buffets. Budget about SGD $80++ per person, less if you leverage their promotional offers.


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JW Marriott Hotel Singapore Entrance

Beach Road Kitchen Exterior

Beach Road Kitchen Interior

Beach Road Kitchen Buffet Hours & Prices

Seating

Seating

Buffet Stations Layout

Wood-Fired Oven

There are a total of 12 stations for the buffet line-up. The detailed map helpfully guides you not only to the location, but also has points about what to expect there. The most picture-worthy spots are the Seafood Room (Station 2), the Grill (Station 10), and the Sweet Shop (Station 12).

Station 01 - Charcuterie & Cheese Market

Station 02 - Seafood Room

Station 03 - Vertical Salad Bar

Station 04 - Noodle Bar

Station 05 - Drinks Bar

Station 06 - Singaporean Specialities Area

Station 07 - Chinese Dishes Area

Station 08 - Asian Rotisserie Area

Station 09 - Indian Dishes Area

Station 10 - Grill

Station 11 - Western Rotisserie Area

Station 12 - Sweet Shop

There is a dazzling array of dishes all laid out for the buffet. I like that the majority of dishes, at least for those I tried, use fresh, premium ingredients.

Bread Box

Alaskan Red King Crab Legs, Fresh Scallops, Prawns On Ice

DIY Noodle Ingredients

Salad Bar Options

Salad Bar Options

Fresh Pomfret Fish

Fresh Sea Bass Fish

Desserts Asian

Desserts Western

The Plate Of Charcuterie & Cheese is just decent, helping to open the appetite. To be sure, they do offer premium cold cuts, but these are fairly straightforward. For the cheese, there's more range of soft cheese than hard cheese. Decent at best.

Plate Of Charcuterie & Cheese

The Plate Of Seafood was a highlight for me. Nearly everything was excellent. The flaky pliant Marinated Tuna Carpaccio covered with grainy black pepper has a sharp peppery spice savoury meaty flavour. The flaky pliant Smoked Salmon with juicy pearl onions and bouncy capers has a smoky savoury salty tangy flavour. The bouncy Squid Rings Salad with its crisp shallots has a fresh, clean-tasting, sweet savoury flavour. The tender chewy Marinated Anchovies fish with soft basil leaves and juicy sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil has a bright vegetal salty savoury sour flavour. The tender bouncy Sliced Octopus Salad has a delicate sweet savoury sour flavour. The waxy chunky Potato Salad is cool with a refreshing potato starchy sweet flavour.

The bouncy chewy Clams In Tomato Sauce has a bright vegetal sweet flavour. The bouncy chewy Mussels With Cucumber has a bright vegetal earthy sweet flavour. The bouncy springy Fresh Scallop has a clean-tasting sweet salty briny flavour. The chewy springy Dog Cockle In Pesto Sauce has a robust earthy vegetal savoury flavour which I found interesting. The succulent decadent fresh Alaskan Red King Crab Legs were outstanding as well, with their bright sweet savoury briny flavour.

Plate Of Seafood

Plate Of Seafood

Plate Of Seafood

Plate Of Seafood

The Singaporean style Plate Of Bak Kut Teh Soup With Pork Ribs was tasty and well-executed, with tender savoury meaty pork ribs, and a delicate herbal peppery spice flavour to the soup / broth. But the Singaporean Plate Of DIY Laksa Yong Tau Foo wasn't as good as I'd like.

Plate Of Bak Kut Teh Soup With Pork Ribs

Plate Of DIY Laksa Yong Tau Foo

Plate Of DIY Laksa Yong Tau Foo

From the Plate Of European Dishes, what stood out for me was the Beef Stew, with its tender, succulent cuts of beef shank, with bold meaty savoury salty flavour. I also liked the crisp crunchy texture of the wood-fired Tomato & Blue Cheese Pizza, and its sharp pungent cheesy flavour. The other items were below average.

Plate Of European Dishes

Plate Of European Dishes

From the Plate Of Chinese Dishes, what stood out for me was the Herbal Chicken, with its tender, bouncy texture of chicken on bone, and lovely floral herbal sweet savoury flavour. I also like the bouncy spingy texture of the Braised Shiitake Mushrooms, with its bold earthy herbal savoury flavour. The other items were terrible, making this section the low point of my dining experience.

Plate Of Chinese Dishes

Plate Of Chinese Dishes

From the Plate Of Indian Dishes, what stood out for me was the Roti Prata / Prata, with its crisp, flaky, fluffy texture, and light buttery bready sweet flavour. I also like the flaky tender texture of the Fish Curry, with its savoury sour spicy flavour that has a sharp kick of fiery heat. The other items were average.

Plate Of Indian Dishes

Plate Of Indian Dishes

From the Plate Of Rotisserie & Grills, what stood out for me was the Grilled Corn, with its juicy texture, and delicate vegetal sweet flavour; as well as the Beef Galbi, with its tender succulent texture to the thinly sliced beef ribs on bone, having a bold salty savoury smoky meaty flavour. I also liked the Hot Cross Bun, with its natural bready sweet flavour, studded with fruity sweet juicy raisins, and its fluffy soft texture. The other items were good as well.

Plate Of Rotisserie & Grills

Plate Of Rotisserie & Grills

The star was the Plate Of Baked Sea Bass Fish With Roasted Garlic & Caramelised Lemon. A whole, fresh sea bass fish, grilled to perfection, served with a clove of roasted garlic and a half caramelised lemon. The fish meat is tender and flaky, properly seasoned so it has an addictive savoury salty sweet flavour. Pair it with the herbal spice smoky notes of the roasted garlic, and a drizzle of the sour zesty tangy caramelised lemon juice. Highly recommended!

Plate Of Baked Sea Bass Fish With Roasted Garlic & Caramelised Lemon

Plate Of Baked Sea Bass Fish With Roasted Garlic & Caramelised Lemon

Plate Of Baked Sea Bass Fish With Roasted Garlic & Caramelised Lemon

From the Plate Of Desserts, what stood out for me was the light, spongy Pandan Chiffon Cake, with its delicate floral earthy sweet flavour; as well as the Caramelised Apple Tart, with its crisp crunchy tender soft textures, and robust earthy sweet fruity flavour. I also liked the sticky chewy texture of the 9 Layered Cake / Rainbow Kueh / Jiu Ceng Gao with its floral sweet flavour, and the smooth rich creamy texture of the Blackberry Cheesecake with its light fruity sweet cheesy flavour. The other items were average.

Plate Of Desserts

Plate Of Desserts

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Update Aug-2022: Returned to Beach Road Kitchen for a family celebration. Glad to see they're as good as ever. The ambience remains bright, clean, and comfortable, and the buffet line is neatly arranged and regularly topped up. Service is very good as always, being friendly, welcoming, and attentive, with staff quickly offering to clear finished plates throughout your meal. Food range is still international, featuring American, British, Italian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Singaporean dishes, made with fresh premium ingredients and generally well executed. Prices have slighly increased to keep pace with market rates, budget about SGD $88++ per person.

Began the buffet with a Plate Of Cheese Selection. Of the range, I selected 1 hard cheese (cheddar) and 1 soft cheese (gorgonzola), along with salted biscuit crackers and fresh honey for pairing. The cheddar has a firm texture with salty cheesy sweet flavour, while the gorgonzola has a creamy texture with milky earthy sweet notes. The crisp salted biscuit cracker lend a grainy salty sweet flavour, while the fresh honey is thick and rich with floral earthy sweet notes.

Plate Of Cheese Selection

Plate Of Cheese Selection

On to the Plate Of Fish & Salad Selection. The tender teriyaki marinated salmon fish carried robust sweet savoury flavour, while the tender black pepper crusted tuna fish carried bold meaty savoury peppery spice flavour. The fresh garden salad (romaine lettuce, butterhead lettuce, arugula / rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, black olives) was crisp juicy crunchy, with combined bright vegetal bitter sweet earthy sour flavour. The watermelon and scallop salad had bouncy deshelled scallops with fresh meaty sweet notes, and juicy cubes of watermelon with bright fruity sweet flavour, yummy.

Plate Of Fish & Salad Selection

Plate Of Fish & Salad Selection

Next the luxurious Plate Of Fresh Seafood Selection, paired with a drizzle of lemon juice and lime juice. The small but plump white clams, and small but meaty blue mussels, hold briny salty sweet savoury flavour. The large oysters were plump and succulent slippery, with clean-tasting briny salty sweet flavour. The meaty snow crab legs were succulent and elegant with mild briny salty sweet flavour, so fresh and clean-tasting. The large snow crab pincers were meaty and juicy, the meat coming clean off with sweet savoury notes, delicious.

Plate Of Fresh Seafood Selection

Plate Of Fresh Seafood Selection

Then the Plate Of Chinese Stir-Fry Selection. The crisp juicy prawn paste chicken wings with lovely shrimpy savoury salty flavour was the best thing here. The mixed vegetable stir-fry (Chinese cabbage, milk cabbage, shiitake mushroom, lotus root, carrot) was straightforward with crunchy crisp textures and bright vegetal sweet savoury flavour. The juicy tender cubes of mongolian pork tender loin with crunchy bell peppers / capsicum held lovely meaty vegetal savoury sweet sour flavour. The fried rice was rather weak, lacking in egginess or smokiness.

Plate Of Chinese Stir-Fry Selection

Plate Of Chinese Stir-Fry Selection

Moved on to the Plate Of Barbecue & Grilled Selection. The marinated pork belly carries a lovely mix of Asian spices similar to satay in taste, with bold meaty sweet savoury spice notes. The grilled chicken has a crispy skin, with tender moist chicken meat, also carrying the same meaty savoury spice notes from the satay-like marinade. The grilled string beans are crunchy with lovely smoky vegetal sweet flavour. The grilled lamb rack was tender and moist and succulent without being overly gamey, holding meaty sweet savoury spice salty flavour. The grilled salt crusted sea bass fish was tender and flaky in texture, with fresh clean sweet savoury salty flavour, nice.

Plate Of Barbecue & Grilled Selection

Plate Of Barbecue & Grilled Selection

Then the Plate Of Indian Curry Selection. The peas pulao has fluffy basmati rice and juicy green peas, combining for lovely grainy vegetal sweet buttery flavour. The sev is fluffy with grainy sweet savoury notes. The butter chicken was tender but oddly sweet savoury in taste, not that great. The brinjal masala was juicy crunchy with sharp sour savoury spice flavour, tingling the palate. Loved the mutton rogan josh with its tender chunks of boneless mutton that carried robust meaty salty spice flavour. The dhal makhani was lovely, with grainy thick texture and a pleasant earthy savoury salty flavour that begged for more. The crisp crunchy papadam crackers were excellent with grainy earthy savoury salty flavour, making you crave more.

Plate Of Indian Curry Selection

Plate Of Indian Curry Selection

Then the Plate Of French Rotisserie Selection. The beef bourguignon stew was hearty with succulent tender beef chunks, juicy cherry tomatoes, and rich beef stew gravy that carried robust meaty vegetal sweet savoury herbal earthy flavour. The roast beef was likewise tender and succulent, medium rare doneness with smoky meaty savoury salty flavour. The truffle mashed potato was creamy smooth, perhaps overly so, with deep earthy sweet salty savoury starchy milky flavour. The roast potatoes were chunky and tender, nicely starchy sweet savoury in taste. The signature salmon and spinach wellington had a crisp chewy pastry crust that flakes nicely. With tender salmon fish meat and soft wilted spinach within, combining for buttery grainy meaty sweet savoury vegetal flavour, so tasty.

Plate Of French Rotisserie Selection

Plate Of French Rotisserie Selection

Transitioned over with the Plate Of Asian Dessert Selection. The coffee infused kueh lapis legit / spekkoek has a toasty buttery sweet flavour and a moist soft texture to the cake. The Thai coconut pudding with jackfruit slices and lemongrass jelly was lovely, with slippery wobbly textures and combined floral earthy milky fruity sweet flavour. The tapioca kueh with shredded coconut had a soft chewy texture with lovely floral earthy sweet notes. The hard crunchy gem biscuits in shades of green, yellow, and pink, had nice candied sweet biscuit flavour. The dual candy gummies (in pineapple and egg shapes) were sticky and chewy, carrying bold floral sweet flavour.

Plate Of Asian Dessert Selection

Plate Of Asian Dessert Selection

Next the Plate Of Western Dessert Selection. The classic crème brûlée was well executed, with a thin layer of caramelised sugar that cracks beautifully to reveal the rich soft custard pudding within, with floral sweet flavour. The wobbly soft soursop infused milk pudding, topped with juicy blueberry and lychee, has lovely enticing fruity sour sweet flavour. The crunchy almond shortbread biscuit cracks gently to release its buttery nutty sweet flavour, so good. The rich chocolate tart, crumbling with a soft bite, has creamy chocolate ganache with robust chocolatey bitter sweet flavour. The candy flower topped raspberry tart likewise has a soft crumbly bite, with bright fruity sour sweet notes that entice.

Plate Of Western Dessert Selection

Plate Of Western Dessert Selection

Moved on to the Plate Of Waffle With Toppings Selection. The waffle wasn't great, having sat on the tray for awhile, becoming a little more firm and dry in texture. Better if it was hot and fresh, with bready sweet savoury smoky flavour. The toppings included sticky pandan kaya / screwpine leaf coconut egg jam with floral earthy sweet flavour, chunky peanut butter with nutty sweet savoury flavour, and thick nutella / hazelnut chocolate spread with nutty chocolatey sweet milky flavour.

Plate Of Waffle With Toppings Selection

Plate Of Waffle With Toppings Selection

Finally concluded the buffet with the Plate Of Fresh Fruit Selection. The fresh sliced honeydew melon, rock melon, and watermelon, were juicy and fruity sweet in flavour. The fresh sliced pineapple was likewise juicy, but with sharp fruity sour sweet flavour instead. Refreshing.

Plate Of Fresh Fruit Selection

Plate Of Fresh Fruit Selection

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