Ginger at Parkroyal on Beach Road has launched a limited-time-only “Flavours of Taiwan” menu, inspired by the night market eats that have put Taiwan on the global food map.
From now till Oct 31, the restaurant’s nightly buffet will include a range of dishes created in collaboration with chef Alan Ho, president of the Taiwan Chefs Association. (The regular lineup will also be available, so you can still get the usual fare of sashimi, pasta and the like.)
From “Flavours of Taiwan”, look out for the “Bigger than Face” chicken cutlet; it’s a dead ringer for the real deal you’d expect to find in Taipei. Crisp, light and seasoned just enough, the cutlet is easily polished off without leaving us feeling guilty or greasy.
Other Taiwanese classics are handled expertly, too. Standouts include the stir-fried eggplant with basil and black Angus beef noodles. Some fall slightly short — perhaps somewhat understandably, given the context of a buffet line — the “crispy” duck leans dry, though it continues to deliver on flavour, and in the oyster mee sua we miss those deep savoury notes that usually come in a classic rendition.
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Where the menu shines brightest is in the seafood-based dishes. We like the braised lobster, with the crustacean’s delicate sweetness enhanced by chunks of bitter gourd. Also good is the sesame oil crab stew, which is best summarised as the perfect comfort food, especially for those of you who find joy in eating with your hands.
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Our favourite dish, surprisingly, is an unassuming bowl of clam soup. Green chilli and vinegar add a subtle, yet much-needed pop to the otherwise simple broth of shellfish and chicken.
Desserts include a brown sugar soya milk cake, which turns out to be nowhere as sugary as one might imagine. Even the naggiest of Asian aunties would approve, we think. The caramel mochi yam cup, on the other hand, is probably better suited for those with a real sweet tooth.
The “Flavours of Taiwan” dishes will be available on a rotating basis, so you might find something different on subsequent visits. The dinner buffet at Ginger is priced at $78++ for adults from Mondays to Thursdays and $88++ from Fridays to Sundays, placing it among the more affordable options in town, as far as hotel buffets go. Children get in for S$39++ from Mondays to Thursdays and $44++ from Fridays to Sundays.
Ginger at Parkroyal on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199591
Tel: +65 6296 3600
Email: enquiry.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com
Opening hours: Daily, 12pm – 2.30pm (lunch), 6pm – 10pm (dinner)
