Oscar's @ Conrad Centennial

A fortnight ago, a team of four participated in their company's Amazing Race Challenge. For all their sweat and toil, they managed to arrive first runner-ups and scored themselves a $200 dining voucher at Conrad Centennial. Lo and behold, guess who was on that team? -I ain't gonna wipe that smug of my face- Haha!

Last week, my colleagues and I headed over to Oscar's at Conrad Centennial to savour the fruits buffet of our labour. After sorely missing out on a photography chance at Fullerton, I made it a point to arrive at Oscar's five minutes earlier to survey the scene in proper due diligence. You wouldn't believe how tremendously relieved I was when the manager half-heartedly allowed me to snap some pictures of the food.



Ta-dah! I thought I had taken many pictures but on hindsight, the buffet was still appears underrepresented. Anyway, I’ll just let the pictures do most of the talking.


Cold Seafood Bar

How do you like being “stood up by a shellfish”? I was bemused the standing poison of the cold seafood as they looked like they were about to leap into a jazz medley anytime soon.


Sushi and Sashimi

A regular feature at most buffets, the sushi and sashimi spread is an effective gauge of how good the buffet is. While I liked the selection, having a housefly buzz about enthusiastically wasn’t my idea of ‘the more, the merrier’


Asian Selection

I was put in a difficult position because for the first time, for the hot food actually looked as good as the dessert spread. It was only sensible to make a mandatory round around the steamers before zooming in on the dessert. Asia was well represented in the International Buffet. United in “deep-fried cracker” spirit, the papadums and keropoks aptly chaperoned the rendangs and curries and for milder tastebuds, the stir-fried beef kway teow and garlic fried rice in seafood broth (also known as ‘Mui Fun’) were unexpectedly traditional and pleasing.

There was a noodle bar outside where they prepared laksa, prawn mee, bak kut teh but an absolute must-try was the deep-fried old-school-style wantons!


Grilled Vegetables, which were supposed to accompany the Roast Chicken (not pictures)




(L-R, Clockwise from top) Stir-fried beef kway teow; Mui Fun; Pork Leg in lentil stew and Duck Confit in Candied Orange Sauce

There were too many grilled, roasted, stewed dishes to recall specifically, but the duck confit and salmon on potato patties were notable.

I had a feeling you would probably scroll straight down to the dessert section.


(L-R, Clockwise from top) Mango Cheesecake, Pecan Brownie, Lemon Meringue Shots, Madelines

Reminiscent of New York Fashion Week, the dessert spread was adorned with frou-frou trimmings and frills, pastels, icing sugar dust and varying hues of chocolate brown.

"Sweet dreams are made of these.."

Apart from these featured, there were shotglass tiramisus, pick-your-ice cream with pick-your-toppings, plateful of various nonya kuehs.

Dessert brings out the best in me. When faced with a dazzling array of sugar, caramel and chocolate, I become a conciliatory, gentle pacifist. Great mango cheesecake, by the way! I also loved the shot glass portions...


Waffles, banana, strawberries and custard.

P.s. Crepes are served too.

Why wHY wHy do I sound and act like Charlie Bucket when in reality, I’m Augustus Gloop with a capital ‘G’?


Second round of dessert, I had a gorgeous fruit-topped sponge cake, encased in almond silvers and icing sugar, a berry-ordinary berry crumble.

Check out that huge puff pastry cane!


A rack of cookies

Something unique to Oscar's was their chestful of cookies, cookies and chocolate pralines.

I tried my darnest not to overeat, but with a bite of this, a scoop of that.. I almost wished I had the tow services on speed dial.

We had a lovely spot by the verandah, where I could just declare myself useless, incapable of anything that might require me to get off the linen sheets. You, YES YOU humble servant can fetch me more dessert.. I can't help but feel shortchanged by the amount of time we spent at Oscar's. Two hours is WAYYY TOO FREAKIN' SHORT.. No, I don't wanna leave... Don't wanna return to the office.


Warning: A sweep through of Oscar’s dessert spread could induce sugar over rush and result in some cruise-to-shame couch-thumping action.



I always think no self-respecting food blogger /writer should enjoy buffet. It goes against theory of "savouring each bite and every moment", after all, where’s the fun in stuffing your face? Well, here.. there.. ok, I’m bordering on masochism here. I am so totally hide-under-the-table-napkin embarrassed about loving snooty hotel buffets.

Six months ago, I celebrated the birth of spring in Copenhagen by hopping downtown with Kiku, Birget and Justine. aRh, the memories I have of Copenhagen.