Greenhouse at Ritz..first created waves for the extensive range of 80 types of oysters at a Sunday Champagne Brunch years back..it was a feature on television then. I still remember dreaming of going there just for a meal someday, would be ideal.
I'd never make a pass at a good offer, so imagine the thrill when there was a 1-for-1 at Greenhouse, I leapt at the offer, literally. With a marketing blitz uncannily similar to Shangrila's, Greenhouse was fully booked, lunch slots were filled up even faster.
Greenhouse resembles one with the lush greenery at arm's length.
Cosy comes at a price. I have to apologise for the terrible photos because we were sitted in the cosiest and darkest corner. :(
Orchestra music fills the bustling cafe...I think I just need a victorian gown to waltz in just to complete the picture. :P
Trays of sushi.
Ready scoops of icecream...
See the top cake? That's the famous mango mousse cake that I should've stuffed myself with at the start.
Shooters.
A tower of strawberries!
Table setting.
Thoughtful gesture, bowls of lemon water. :)
On the plate (L-R): Cured meats, seafood, sushi, agedashi tofu
Assorted Sushi (California Rolls, Ebi Maki, Salmon Maki)
The rice was hard and the ebi tempura was already cold, could have been left out for awhile. The salmon maki with a thick long sliver of salmon was better though.
Agedashi Tofu
The tofu was hard and tasted "old", more like beancurd than tofu.
Chawanmushi
One of the hot items that got snatched up the moment they were placed in the steamer. The chawanmushi's silken soft!
Cured meats (Coriander Seed Sail Cured Marinated Salmon with Pickled Melon, Raw Scallop served with lime and Olive Oil, Beef Cappucio)
I was impressed with the range of cured meats up for selection. Thinly sliced and well marinated, my favourite has to be the raw scallops, sweet and wobbly! The freshness of the scallops permeates with every bite, I couldn't help but head for seconds!
Seafood (Oysters, Mussels, Shellfish, Crab)
Gorgeous display of seafood. It's always amusing to watch chefs embed the shells gingerly. The shucking of oysters and placing them on the ice bed take place simultaneously. Seafood's very fresh once again, the sweetness and firmness of the flesh is any seafood lover's dream.
On the plate (L-R): Seafood, Olive Bread, Salads
Soups (Crabmeat soup, Wild Mushroom Soup)
Only made an attempt on the wild mushroom, lacked a certain punch to the thin soup, would have been better if flavour was stronger or the consistency thicker.
Salad Bar (Caesar/Thai Beef Vermicilli/Ngoh Hiang)
The Thai Beef Vermicilli was on the sweet side, beef slices were tender. Ngoh Hiang was also a tad sweet.
Sashimi (Salmon, Tuna, Octopus, Yellowtail)
Beelines form for this counter and the chef's hands did not stop moving throughout the buffet. Main grouse, the sashimi was not properly cleansed of bones/fins, felt like slipshod job done but otherwise the sashimi was fresh.
Soft Shell Crab Tempura
Crisp tempura with meaty soft shell crab, puts the Japanese restaurants to shame!
Roasted Meats (烧肉, 叉烧)
Both meats were on the sweet side.
Baked Crayfish with Cream Sauce
Worthy of my polishing three of these crustaceans meat and cream within three huge slurps. The meat was slightly soft but otherwise good.
On the plate (L-R): Vegetarian, Prawn, Bee hoon, Samosa, Naan and curries.
Naan (Mint Chutney, Yogurt)
Chewy naan that tasted good on its own, I didn't dare to venture with the yogurt nor the chutney.
Fried Items (Samosa/Calamari Rings)
Crispy samosas plumped with mashed potato.
Curries (Butter Chicken/Lamb Curry/Vegetable Korma)
The Butter chicken was too sweet, lamb and vegetable was average.
Crackers (Pompadom/Prawn Cracker)
Well fried these are without a trace of oil.
Vegetarian (Buttered Corn/Baked Pumpkin/Chickpeas with Tofu)
I adore this section too! Vegetables baked so well, I loved the pumpkin. Cubes of honeyed pumpkin never tasted this good.
Wok Fried King Prawn with Sambal Chilli and Basil
My favourite of the lot, the prawns are fresh, succulent and very tasty.
Sing Chow BeeHoon/Rice
The Beehoon came with prawns and char siew, this dish ended up surprisingly sweet.
Braised Beef
Tough beef chunks in tasty sauce.
Lamb Chop
I found the lamb hard to eat, could have been the way it was cooked, the meat was not easily teased apart.
Pork
The pork patties were soft, tasted more chicken than pork.
Teriyaki Chicken
The chicken lacked bite and seemed honeyed more than teriyaki.
Mixed Vegetables (Lo Han Chye)
Did not try.
Snapper
Meat was firm, tasty!
Braised Herb Duck
Another tasty find, the meat was chewy and herbs well infused into the meat.
Black Pepper Crab
I risked getting my fingers all dirty and messy just for the black pepper crab! The meaty claws left me slurping loudly.
On the plate (L-R): Cheeses and Bread.
Breadsticks/Vegetables with Dips (Blue Cheese/ Red Pepper/ Green Pepper)
The first time ever, I chomped on plump raw mushrooms. The dips are delicious, especially blue cheese which is both stinky and thick.
Bakery (Olive Bread, Cheese Twists, Bread loaves)
Credit has to be given to Greenhouse for the wide variety of breads, although they were exposed the whole night, the bread still remained soft and moist. A variety of bread textures were available, crunchy cheese sticks, soft olive bread or chewy bread loaves. I lost the carbo battle here. I randomly found a bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that, was spectacular.
Cheese Selection with Fruit/Crackers
Another place that I dropped my guard and went nuts over the cheese. No signs were provided but molten cheese, brie...I sniffed a blue cheese wedge.
Soups (Bubur Cha Cha/Cheng Tng/Barley)
The bubur cha cha was watered down but I liked it, the coconut in the usual BBCC is way too thick for my liking.
Cheng Tng had orange peel in it which I did not take to very well.
Barley was the blandest of the lot.
Strawberry Tower
Nobody dared to touch the tower until the crepe chef started plucking strawberries off.
Chocolate Fondue
Made a pass as usual.
Sugar Cookies (Sugar/Chocolate)
Squares of delight, the cookies are crunchy and crumbly.
Dessert Shooters (Lychee/Strawberry Panna Cotta/Chocolate Mousse/Mango Mousse/Burnt creme with Raspberry Mousse)
Dessert shooters usually disappoint because of a lack of distinct taste or basically tasted blah. The same goes for the shooter platter up for tasting..not a huge fan of mousse to begin with so I was unimpressed by any, the panna cotta was more curd like than cream.
Mango Mousse Cake
Ranked 47th on Top 50 Yummiest Cakes, I was looking forward to it the most. Pity the cakes were snapped up so quickly and I could only savour a slice! They replaced it with the chocolate brownie thereafter.
It's got layers of mango mousse, sponge cake mango slices and topped off with mango balls. The mango taste is not overbearing, in fact I'd say this is one of the tastiest mango mousse cake I've eaten. The spongecake is not soggy with mousse, it's one well balanced cake.
Creme Brulee
Creamy and uber smooth creme brulee!
Mixed Berry Tart
The tart had a terribly sour finish, I left it at one mouthful.
Berry Cheesecake
The unpleasant sour continues.
Layered Custard Cake
Did not taste very nice.
Chocolate Cake/Chocolate Brownie
The toblerone dome shaped brownie was deemed "bad", chocolate cake was much better. It's made of solid chocolate with little cake.
Crepe with strawberries and custard (Live Station)
The crepes were too rubbery and thick. The strawberries and custard were delicious though.
Ice-cream (Strawberry gelato/Vanilla Bean/Chocolate Chip/Pistachio/Maple and Walnut/Caramel)
Icecream that's worth seconds, thirds and forths! Pistachio was too heavy on the nut taste, vanilla bean extra fragrant, strawberry gelato's creamy and maple walnut's super yummy! There are maple honey pebbles within.
Fruits (Lychee/Guava/Apple/Pear/Pineapple/Grapes/Grapefruit)
Greenhouse is one of those buffets that offers the widest range of fruits, great finish to end off a heavy meal.
Kuehs (Ang Ku Kueh/Kueh Dadar/Yam Kueh)
The Ang Ku Kueh skin was too sticky, the peanut filling was quite lumpy as well. The Yam kueh fared better, the dense yam layer was pure and thick.
Thai desserts (Look Choob (Green Bean Miniature Fruit)/Agar)
The agar agar was a disaster. Look Choob's delicious, the green bean paste was done really well.
Ritz Carlton's service level has long been lauded as case studies in texts, they pay attention to the finer details that enhance service to a different notch altogether.
#1 A bowl of water with a wedge of lemon is placed on every table.
#2 An orchestra plays famous melodies whilst the restaurant bustles with activity.
#3 Plates get cleared so very often.
#4 Food gets replenished quite quickly.
Quality of food is there, I thought they would compromise on the quality given the 1-for-1 ongoing promotion but I left pleasantly impressed.
$58++
Greenhouse Cafe
Ritz Carlton Hotel
I'd never make a pass at a good offer, so imagine the thrill when there was a 1-for-1 at Greenhouse, I leapt at the offer, literally. With a marketing blitz uncannily similar to Shangrila's, Greenhouse was fully booked, lunch slots were filled up even faster.
Greenhouse resembles one with the lush greenery at arm's length.
Cosy comes at a price. I have to apologise for the terrible photos because we were sitted in the cosiest and darkest corner. :(
Orchestra music fills the bustling cafe...I think I just need a victorian gown to waltz in just to complete the picture. :P
Trays of sushi.
Ready scoops of icecream...
See the top cake? That's the famous mango mousse cake that I should've stuffed myself with at the start.
Shooters.
A tower of strawberries!
Table setting.
Thoughtful gesture, bowls of lemon water. :)
On the plate (L-R): Cured meats, seafood, sushi, agedashi tofu
Assorted Sushi (California Rolls, Ebi Maki, Salmon Maki)
The rice was hard and the ebi tempura was already cold, could have been left out for awhile. The salmon maki with a thick long sliver of salmon was better though.
Agedashi Tofu
The tofu was hard and tasted "old", more like beancurd than tofu.
Chawanmushi
One of the hot items that got snatched up the moment they were placed in the steamer. The chawanmushi's silken soft!
Cured meats (Coriander Seed Sail Cured Marinated Salmon with Pickled Melon, Raw Scallop served with lime and Olive Oil, Beef Cappucio)
I was impressed with the range of cured meats up for selection. Thinly sliced and well marinated, my favourite has to be the raw scallops, sweet and wobbly! The freshness of the scallops permeates with every bite, I couldn't help but head for seconds!
Seafood (Oysters, Mussels, Shellfish, Crab)
Gorgeous display of seafood. It's always amusing to watch chefs embed the shells gingerly. The shucking of oysters and placing them on the ice bed take place simultaneously. Seafood's very fresh once again, the sweetness and firmness of the flesh is any seafood lover's dream.
On the plate (L-R): Seafood, Olive Bread, Salads
Soups (Crabmeat soup, Wild Mushroom Soup)
Only made an attempt on the wild mushroom, lacked a certain punch to the thin soup, would have been better if flavour was stronger or the consistency thicker.
Salad Bar (Caesar/Thai Beef Vermicilli/Ngoh Hiang)
The Thai Beef Vermicilli was on the sweet side, beef slices were tender. Ngoh Hiang was also a tad sweet.
Sashimi (Salmon, Tuna, Octopus, Yellowtail)
Beelines form for this counter and the chef's hands did not stop moving throughout the buffet. Main grouse, the sashimi was not properly cleansed of bones/fins, felt like slipshod job done but otherwise the sashimi was fresh.
Soft Shell Crab Tempura
Crisp tempura with meaty soft shell crab, puts the Japanese restaurants to shame!
Roasted Meats (烧肉, 叉烧)
Both meats were on the sweet side.
Baked Crayfish with Cream Sauce
Worthy of my polishing three of these crustaceans meat and cream within three huge slurps. The meat was slightly soft but otherwise good.
On the plate (L-R): Vegetarian, Prawn, Bee hoon, Samosa, Naan and curries.
Naan (Mint Chutney, Yogurt)
Chewy naan that tasted good on its own, I didn't dare to venture with the yogurt nor the chutney.
Fried Items (Samosa/Calamari Rings)
Crispy samosas plumped with mashed potato.
Curries (Butter Chicken/Lamb Curry/Vegetable Korma)
The Butter chicken was too sweet, lamb and vegetable was average.
Crackers (Pompadom/Prawn Cracker)
Well fried these are without a trace of oil.
Vegetarian (Buttered Corn/Baked Pumpkin/Chickpeas with Tofu)
I adore this section too! Vegetables baked so well, I loved the pumpkin. Cubes of honeyed pumpkin never tasted this good.
Wok Fried King Prawn with Sambal Chilli and Basil
My favourite of the lot, the prawns are fresh, succulent and very tasty.
Sing Chow BeeHoon/Rice
The Beehoon came with prawns and char siew, this dish ended up surprisingly sweet.
Braised Beef
Tough beef chunks in tasty sauce.
Lamb Chop
I found the lamb hard to eat, could have been the way it was cooked, the meat was not easily teased apart.
Pork
The pork patties were soft, tasted more chicken than pork.
Teriyaki Chicken
The chicken lacked bite and seemed honeyed more than teriyaki.
Mixed Vegetables (Lo Han Chye)
Did not try.
Snapper
Meat was firm, tasty!
Braised Herb Duck
Another tasty find, the meat was chewy and herbs well infused into the meat.
Black Pepper Crab
I risked getting my fingers all dirty and messy just for the black pepper crab! The meaty claws left me slurping loudly.
On the plate (L-R): Cheeses and Bread.
Breadsticks/Vegetables with Dips (Blue Cheese/ Red Pepper/ Green Pepper)
The first time ever, I chomped on plump raw mushrooms. The dips are delicious, especially blue cheese which is both stinky and thick.
Bakery (Olive Bread, Cheese Twists, Bread loaves)
Credit has to be given to Greenhouse for the wide variety of breads, although they were exposed the whole night, the bread still remained soft and moist. A variety of bread textures were available, crunchy cheese sticks, soft olive bread or chewy bread loaves. I lost the carbo battle here. I randomly found a bottle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that, was spectacular.
Cheese Selection with Fruit/Crackers
Another place that I dropped my guard and went nuts over the cheese. No signs were provided but molten cheese, brie...I sniffed a blue cheese wedge.
Soups (Bubur Cha Cha/Cheng Tng/Barley)
The bubur cha cha was watered down but I liked it, the coconut in the usual BBCC is way too thick for my liking.
Cheng Tng had orange peel in it which I did not take to very well.
Barley was the blandest of the lot.
Strawberry Tower
Nobody dared to touch the tower until the crepe chef started plucking strawberries off.
Chocolate Fondue
Made a pass as usual.
Sugar Cookies (Sugar/Chocolate)
Squares of delight, the cookies are crunchy and crumbly.
Dessert Shooters (Lychee/Strawberry Panna Cotta/Chocolate Mousse/Mango Mousse/Burnt creme with Raspberry Mousse)
Dessert shooters usually disappoint because of a lack of distinct taste or basically tasted blah. The same goes for the shooter platter up for tasting..not a huge fan of mousse to begin with so I was unimpressed by any, the panna cotta was more curd like than cream.
Mango Mousse Cake
Ranked 47th on Top 50 Yummiest Cakes, I was looking forward to it the most. Pity the cakes were snapped up so quickly and I could only savour a slice! They replaced it with the chocolate brownie thereafter.
It's got layers of mango mousse, sponge cake mango slices and topped off with mango balls. The mango taste is not overbearing, in fact I'd say this is one of the tastiest mango mousse cake I've eaten. The spongecake is not soggy with mousse, it's one well balanced cake.
Creme Brulee
Creamy and uber smooth creme brulee!
Mixed Berry Tart
The tart had a terribly sour finish, I left it at one mouthful.
Berry Cheesecake
The unpleasant sour continues.
Layered Custard Cake
Did not taste very nice.
Chocolate Cake/Chocolate Brownie
The toblerone dome shaped brownie was deemed "bad", chocolate cake was much better. It's made of solid chocolate with little cake.
Crepe with strawberries and custard (Live Station)
The crepes were too rubbery and thick. The strawberries and custard were delicious though.
Ice-cream (Strawberry gelato/Vanilla Bean/Chocolate Chip/Pistachio/Maple and Walnut/Caramel)
Icecream that's worth seconds, thirds and forths! Pistachio was too heavy on the nut taste, vanilla bean extra fragrant, strawberry gelato's creamy and maple walnut's super yummy! There are maple honey pebbles within.
Fruits (Lychee/Guava/Apple/Pear/Pineapple/Grapes/Grapefruit)
Greenhouse is one of those buffets that offers the widest range of fruits, great finish to end off a heavy meal.
Kuehs (Ang Ku Kueh/Kueh Dadar/Yam Kueh)
The Ang Ku Kueh skin was too sticky, the peanut filling was quite lumpy as well. The Yam kueh fared better, the dense yam layer was pure and thick.
Thai desserts (Look Choob (Green Bean Miniature Fruit)/Agar)
The agar agar was a disaster. Look Choob's delicious, the green bean paste was done really well.
Ritz Carlton's service level has long been lauded as case studies in texts, they pay attention to the finer details that enhance service to a different notch altogether.
#1 A bowl of water with a wedge of lemon is placed on every table.
#2 An orchestra plays famous melodies whilst the restaurant bustles with activity.
#3 Plates get cleared so very often.
#4 Food gets replenished quite quickly.
Quality of food is there, I thought they would compromise on the quality given the 1-for-1 ongoing promotion but I left pleasantly impressed.
$58++
Greenhouse Cafe
Ritz Carlton Hotel
All tis 58++ for 2 person? Is it on weekday or weekend dinner?
ReplyDeleteHi Yuryco!
ReplyDeleteThe 1-for-1 offer is only applicable to ladies on wednesdays dinner with DBS credit card. :)
Looks like u r impressed with the standard offered by Greenhouse. Do you feel it is better than The Line?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
ReplyDeleteI went to The Line during their Anniversary celebrations which may or may not have an impact on their quality of food... if based on that particular visit..The Greenhouse is way better. Hope that helps!
Hey hi, may I know what is the cost of the saturday and sunday buffet? I am thinking to give a surprise for my bf's birthday.
ReplyDeletehi anon!
ReplyDeleteI'm not too sure the exact pricing but they have their famous Sunday vintage champagne brunch going on. The last I heard was in the region of $138++.. alternatively you can call them at 6 337 8888. Hope that helps!