Ramadhan Special 2013: AquaMarine Part 2

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Did you know that our post on our first visit to AquaMarine is the most viewed post on the blog?
An average of almost a thousand views a month in 8 months!

The popularity of Halal buffet spreads in Singapore is undisputed and there may still not be that many around but there are still more around today than let's say 3 years ago. People love buffets! And AquaMarine is steadily becoming one of the most popular Halal buffet venues in Singapore.

For the holy month of Ramadhan, AquaMarine has invited a special team all the way from Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta led by Chef Sahroni to present a lovely and special Indonesia spread for us this fasting month!

We were lucky enough to have the chance to visit AquaMarine to sample all the goodies!

Me & Chef Sahroni

There's the mastermind behind the delicious dishes being served at AquaMarine this Ramadhan.
Quiet guy in person but I guess that's because he lets his food do the talking.

I'll run down everything for you in the usual style we have for buffet posts. Lots of pictures!
Let me start by explaining how to identify the special dishes on display.

If you a dish displayed with the Indonesian flag on top, that means that the dish was prepared by Chef Sahroni and his team.

You'll still be able to enjoy the normal AquaMarine fare that you love but they'll be displayed with the usual all-white tags okay.

Whole Roasted Lamb

If you're dropping by on the weekends, something extra special awaits you!

They have a whole roasted lamb prepared for the weekends and there'll be a chef there to carve out some meat for you based on your preference. Yes that's right. A WHOLE ROASTED LAMB!

The Expert

Chili Kicap or Sambal Belachan

I don't know if you see what I see... but I see a whole roasted lamb just laying there.. relaxing and waiting for you to take a nice big bite! Hahaha!

The chef tells me they marinate the lamb overnight and they roast it for at least 3 hours til they get the meat to the desired tender state. Enjoy it with a selection of condiments such as Chili Kicap, Sambal Belachan or some cucumbers and onions.

The lamb itself was really tender and tasty and went well with the Chili Kicap I had on the side.
But remember - it's only gonna be there on the weekends!

Assorted Salads & Starters

Jelantas Sayuran (Potatoes & Vegetables with Egg Yolk)

Selada Soun dengan Udang Kecil (Glass Noodle Salad with Shrimp)

Asianan Jakarta (Vegetables with Chili and Peanut Sauce)

They offered a number of salads and starters to get your tastebuds going.
Dishes such as Balinese Tuna Salad, Glass Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Jelantas Sayuran were obviously big favourites.

If you're a fan of egg yolks like me, then go for the Jelantas Sayuran it's the bomb!
But for the real Indonesian-style salad - try the Asianan Jakarta which is topped with kerupuk!!
And for those looking for a nice hearty start - they have Gado-Gado!

Gado-Gado station

Nasi Goreng Borobudur

Ayam Panggang Bumbu Bali

Daging Rendang

Cumi Cabai Hijau

For the rice and noodle lovers out there, they have Nasi Goreng Borobudur and also Mee Goreng for you.
Great to pair with the many dishes they have on offer too!

Try the Ayam Panggang Bumbu Bali if you love the flavour of Indonesian spices.
The meat in the Daging Rendang is SUPER TENDER so that's definitely a must-try!

I actually really enjoyed the Cumi Cabai Hijau. The squid was cooked just nice and the gravy had just the right level of spiciness. Enough to heat your mouth up but leave you wanting more!

Bakar Station

Cumi and Buntut Bakar (Squid and Oxtail)

Woo hoo this was one of my favourite stations!
The squid and the oxtail were really really grilled perfectly!

The Oxtail simply fell apart from the bone and had a great sweet-savoury flavour.
The squid was not only well-grilled but also had squid eggs hidden within! Extra flavour!

Penyet Station

They also had a Penyet Station which serves rice with a choice of Ayam Penyet or Bebek (Duck) Penyet!

Oxtail Soup

And saving one of the best for the last...
I have actually never had Oxtail soup previously but this July 2013 I have had the chance to try a few different versions and I can safely say that I'm a lover of it!

The Oxtail Soup is apparently one of the signature dishes served by Chef Sahroni at Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta where he is based and I we can definitely see why.

The beef broth was brimming with a nice hearty beef flavour and the meat itself was tender.
If you love beef and/or oxtail then this is definitely a must must have.

Done with the special mains? How about some dessert specials?

Beautiful Decor

Pudding Serikaya

Pudding Pandan

Klepon (Onde-Onde)

Dadar Gulung

Well they definitely get top marks for presentation!! Check out the Klepon!

They not only look good but taste good too!
That top white layer on the Pudding Pandan is actually coconut cream... Yummy!
The Kelpon was a one-bite wonder!

The Dadar Gulung was obviously a hot favourite with the crowd.
It kept flying off the serving tray and all gone within a few minutes!

Centek Manis (Sago Pearls with Coconut Milk)

One of my favourites was the Centek Manis.
Not only do they look pretty, they taste excellent. Nice and smooth texture and you can taste the coconut milk flavour as soon as you chomp down.

Lapis Legit

Lapis Surabaya

Another two special creations are the Lapis Legit and the Lapis Surabaya.

I cannot begin to tell you how soft and fluffy the Lapis Surabaya was. Simply delicious.
And for the traditional Kueh Lapis, go for the Lapis Legit or the Sarang Semut!

Wow what a spread! And that's just the special offerings for Ramadhan!
You can still get the usual favourites too!

Smoked Salmon and Cold Cuts

Oysters

Snails (for the more adventurous!)

Crab Claws

Assorted Sushi and Sashimi

Chawanmushi

Indian Food Spread

Ikan Bakar

Chilli Crab

Lamb Chop

Durian Spring Roll

Chocolate Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Let me just say this about the Chocolate Butter Pudding....
OH MY GOD!!

If you are lovers of Bread and Butter Pudding, you simply MUST try this!
Chocolate + Butter = THE BOMB!
And when you bathe that combination in Vanilla Sauce, you're in for a sinful treat!!

Tell me honestly that the pictures above are not making your mouth water...

Durian Pengat

And if you want something equally as sinful but a little more local...

Go for the Durian Pengat!

It looks like ice cream but it's pure durian.

My darling wife wants to make enquiry if she can buy one whole tub of it!

Not to worry, they do serve dates for us breaking fast.
And there is also a prayer room reserved on one of the upper levels for Solat before you begin on the big feast breaking fast with your family and loved ones.

Aquamarine has been on the up and up since our last visit and it's quite clear why.
Good food and special seasonal promotions make for a great place to makan and one of the best Halal buffet spreads in town!

Prices for the buffet are as follows;

Sunday to Thursday - $68++ per adult / $34++ per child
Friday and Sturday - $78++ per adult / $39++ per child

Special thanks to Chermaine and Cheryl for the invitation.
Great experience thanks to a great team effort!

 

Aquamarine

Marina Mandarin Singapore
6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Square

http://www.meritushotels.com/en/hotelinformation/marina-mandarin-singapore/dining-entertainment/aquamarine
Tel: 6845 1111

Operating Hours (Iftar):
Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Ramadhan Special 2013: IndoChili

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Quite awhile back, I saw an old office buddy 'Like' a page on FB.
It was a makan place called 'IndoChili' which served authentic Indonesia fare. When I first messaged them to check on Halal certification status, they were still processing it. And a few weeks later, they got back to me with good news - IndoChili was finally certified Halal!

And finally, we got the chance to visit just in time for Ramadhan!

IndoChili is located a long Zion Road (just across the road from Great World City) and a really cozy place to have some good food and have a chill-out session with friends.

 

Such a cozy corner am I right? They also have normal dining tables and chairs if you're like (both indoor and outdoor) but this was actually really nice if you plan to relax and digest your food while chit-chatting with your friends and loved ones. (Those chairs are REALLY comfy by the way)

There were so many things to try on the menu! But alas, out stomachs could only handle so much so we chose a few dishes and will leave the rest for our next visit! :P

Kerupuk and Nuts (Complimentary)

Well they really got me in the mood to start eating when they served some complimentary Fish Kerupuk and Kerupuk Belinjau! But hey how about some real appetizers to get things going eh?

Welcoming Platter ($9.80)

This platter is actually a sampler of some of the appetizers you can actually order.
It comes with a couple of sticks of Sate Ayam Madura, Risoles and Perkedel (Potato Cutlets).
It's prefect if you wanna try a few different appetizers and also good for sharing with friends.

The potato cutlets were excellent. I know quite a number of you might be saying "It's just normal Bagedil what's the big deal?". Well believe you me, there's a big difference between a good potato cutlet and a not so good potato cutlet - and this one was a good potato cutlet.

Risoles

I'm not sure about you guys but I had never heard of Risoles (pronounced Ree-So-Leys) before our visit to IndoChili so I wasn't sure what exactly we were in for.

Apparently it's a kind of croquette which means you're gonna get a nice crunchy deep-fried potato layer on the outside and some delicious filling consisting of mainly chicken and veggies like carrots and celery in there.

It may be a savoury treat originating from Europe but the Indonesians have definitely made this particular deep-fried goody their own.

Definitely something new that you should try if you have not already done so!

But as delicious as the Perkedil and Risoles were, I simply could not wait to move to the item I was most looking forward to on the Welcoming platter...

Satay Ayam Madura

Indonesian-style Satay is something I definitely have come to enjoy.
There's something special about it... I know we all love Satay but this is something you MUST have.

At IndoChili, they charcoal-grill the chicken satay to tender perfection and it just rips right apart when you take a nice big bite. And if pairing it with the traditional Satay peanut gravy is not enough, they keep it 100% Indon-style with the addition of some sweet soy sauce!

One of the best and most authentic Indon-style Satay that my darling wife and I had was in Jakarta and this definitely brought back memories of that.

The Welcoming Platter comes with 2 skewers of the Satay Ayam Madura so the next time we go back, I'm definitely going to order the full plate of 5 skewers!!

Nasi Timbel ($11.80)

Here's another favourite which I'm sure those of you who have visited Indonesia would have seen being offered everywhere from restaurants to even road-side stalls.

It comes with banana leaf-wrapped white rice, ayam goreng (complete with kremes!), veggies (cucumber and tomato), a piece of salted fish (solid Indon touch!), tahu and tempeh plus a side of fiery sambal to complete this hearty dish.

The fried chicken was the bomb! Especially with the kremes (crunchy fried crumbs) which again bring back memories of eating in Jakarta and Bandung. This dish was really a one-stop for those of you looking something filling and satisfying. And by the way, the sambal was spicy but not too spicy (for those of you who might be a little worried).

Steamed White Rice for Nasi Timbel

Sayur Asem

Unwrap the banana leaf to uncover freshly steamed white rice which is fluffy and simply a delight.

The Nasi Timbel set also come with a nice bowl of Sayur Asem.
For those of you who have read my other reviews, you will know that I am a sucker for Sayur Asem and I'm surely gonna order it if it's on the menu. Luckily for me it came with my Nasi Timbel. Bonus!

The Sayur Asem was excellent and came with the usual goodies like young jackfruit and corn all bathing in the sweet-sour tamarind based broth. And what impressed me most was they include Biji Belinjo in their Sayur Asem. This is a traditional ingredient in Sayur Asem and some places simply neglect to include it but well done IndoChili!

No regrets at all having the Nasi Timbel!

Buntut Goreng Special ($16.00)

I'd actually never had Oxtail Stew before. It's not that I don't fancy it but I guess I just never really had the chance to try it. It's one of my Dad's favourite dishes so I figured this might be a good chance to try it.

A little something different though. This versions is the 'Goreng' (fried) version which sees the oxtail fried and served separately from the soup which they serve to you in a hotpot complete with flame to keep it nice and steamy for you! (As seen on the right)

The soup was tasty and reminded me of a really hearty beef broth with veggies like carrots all stewed to perfection.

But how would I find the actual Oxtail itself?
Hmmmmm....

OMG.
If this is Buntut Goreng then you have got to give me more!

I was okay to just settle for the tasty soup but the Oxtail itself way surpassed what I thought it was going to be like.
I'm sure the onions and sweet sauce played a big part but the Oxtail meat itself was so yummy!

It simply falls off the bones and I could do so with just a fork on my first taste. And for something that is supposedly fried, I didn't find it at all oily. In fact, the tenderness of the meat made me think that this might actually have been roasted in the oven for awhile at least.

Well, whatever they did to it - I approve!

But there is something I might point out...

The Buntut Goreng Special is served with a dish of sambal.
I mentioned earlier that the sambal served with the Nasi Timbel was not that spicy.. well this is a whole different story let me tell you!

I'd like to think that I'm quite a 'Hantu Chili' which means I can definitely handle spicy food (I take after my Mum - the ultimate 'Hantu Chili') but this sambal was way out of my league. Even my darling wife left it aside after a first taste. This sambal really packs a punch!

I'm sure those of you who love super spicy hot sambal will definitely enjoy this.
Maybe I should bring my Mum to test it :)

Sambal Mangga ($4.80)

And speaking of spicy...
We also ordered the Sambal Mangga and Sambal Goreng to accompany our dishes.
This was a nice Indonesian rendition of a mango salad. Definitely perks up your taste buds and gives you an appetite to keep eating I can tell you that.

Sambal Goreng Tahu Tempe ($7.80)

I know we are used to having a drier version of Sambal Goreng but the Indonesian-style includes a little more gravy so this goes really well if you're having a rice dish.

This is also a great choice if you're looking for a veggies-only dish!

Jus Alpukat ($6.80)

If you love Avacado Juice, this is the beverage of choice for you!
Delicious avocado and iced up and refreshing! And the best thing is that this not the watered-down type you might get at some places so this means this will probably last you for the whole meal.

And here's an interesting thing my darling wife spotted first.
Normally you'd get Avocado Juice topped off with some Gula Melaka (brown sugar syrup) to give it a hint of sweetness. Well, what you see above is... Chocolate syrup!

It's not conventional I know but it's actually not bad!
Well for those who still prefer the traditional Gula Melaka, don't worry you can still request for it when you place your order with the friendly staff. :)

Citron Soda ($4.80)

You guessed it! Some citrus (lemon and orange) syrup and fruit bits with soda water for a refreshing beverage to wash down all the yummy food!

They also had Jus Durian! Hmmm... maybe next time!

And you would think that after all that we would be full-up right?
Well we saw the desserts on the menu and couldn't bear to leave without sampling!

Es Cendol ($5.80)

My darling wife is a Cendol fanatic so we all know what she's gonna have am I right?

Pandan jelly, kidney beans, jackfruit, Gula Melaka and coconut milk all atop a bed of shaved ice...

I think we can tell by the look on her face that she's enjoying her Cendol! :)
And that was her first spoonful mind you.

Special mention about the shaved iced that was so finely shaved that it melts so smoothly when you devour a whole spoonful.
Simply delightful when it blends with the coconut miles and gula melaka.

If you like Cendol - try this!

Es Teler ($6.80)

Let me start by saying this - THIS WAS THE BOMB!

Finely shaved ice with jackfruit, avocado and coconut all covered with condensed milk!
Sinful maybe but definitely worth it I'm telling you. If you have a sweet tooth like me, this is perfect!
I finished every last thing in that dish.

I really saved the best for last on this one. I'm even going as far as to say that this is probably...
THE BEST DESSERT I'VE EVER HAD!

Adam's Verdict: 4.5/5

Maryah's Verdict: 4/5

There are still so many items on the menu that we are simply dying to try.
Rawon, Tahu Telur, Tumping Mini (which was sold out when we visited!) and assorted Ikan Bakar among other things.

This is a great place to come and enjoy great food. The staff is really friendly and the ambiance is just lovely.
Thanks to IndoChili for having us! We're definitely coming back!

IndoChili

54 Zion Road

www.indochili.com
www.facebook.com/IndoChili
Tel: 6445 1766 / 8168 4958

Operating Hours: 
11.30am til 10.30pm Daily

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***Special Ramadhan Promotion***

From now til 7 August 2013, enjoy a FREE Ramadhan Dessert when you visit IndoChili!!
(Limited serving per person while stocks last)

You will also receive a 10% discount vouched which you can use on your nest visit to IndoChili!
Make your reservations today at www.indochili.com

Check out The Halal Food Blog's FB page for more information on a special Ramadhan Contest where you stand a chance to win IndoChili dining vouchers!!