The last time we went to an all-you-can-eat buffet was with The Old Folks, more than a year ago. It was located in a five star hotel, was relatively well known and sported a correspondingly hefty price tag.
We’re not actually buffet fans, but we figured that The Old Folks would appreciate the wide array of food on offer. Since they generally stick to tried-and-tested Chinese restaurants and end up ordering the same few dishes, it would help broaden their food horizons.
Even if some items were too adventurous, there should still be enough choice for them to find things that they enjoyed. They didn’t have any expectations going in, and maybe because of that, they seemed to have enjoyed the meal.
We, on the other hand, didn’t.
For sure, there was enough variety. But with the exception of a small handful of dishes, the food was of mediocre quality. The supposedly high-value items like cold lobsters, raw oysters and pan-seared foie gras all tasted meh.
That is, if you could even get your hands on them.
Every time a new batch appeared, hordes of diners would descend and vacuum up every last piece. It didn’t help that empty stations took a long time to be replenished, and when they eventually were, it motivated people to snatch up as much as they could.
Since then, we’ve sworn off all-you-can-eat buffets.
But when the latest edition of Singapore Restaurant Week rolled into town, we noticed that Basilico was participating.
The last time we visited Basilico must have been more than a decade ago. Even though it’s been such a long time and we can’t remember what we ate then, we recall that the food was very good.
Particularly memorable was their extensive selection of Italian cheeses. We had taken small pieces of as many different types as possible, but we still didn’t manage to try everything on display.
Their cheese buffet has survived through the years, and has matured into a “seasonal selection of over 40 artisanal Italian aged cheeses”.
Location
So, despite our aversion to buffets, we decided to give Basilico a chance. I went as far as putting it on the top of our shortlist for this season’s Restaurant Week. We invited four of our good friends along to join us as reinforcements, and made our way to the restaurant on a rainy Saturday night.
Basilico is located on the second floor of the Conrad Orchard Hotel. For those of you who remember it as being in the Regent Hotel, it hasn’t physically moved. Since the beginning of 2023, the Regent has been re-branded as a Conrad.
It’s probably going to cause all sorts of confusion with tourists, since there are now two Conrad Singapore hotels and they’re quite far apart from each other. The hotel rooms were still undergoing refurbishment and the only things open were the F&B outlets and function rooms used for wedding dinners.
Which would explain the very generous pricing for Restaurant Week bookings. The identical Basilissimo Dinner that cost S$98++ per person was being offered for only S$68++, a whopping 30% discount.
Despite our below market rate reservation, we were ushered to a quiet room with only four tables. There were plenty of other seats in the main dining hall that they could have assigned us, so their gesture of placing us in a quiet and cosy corner was much appreciated.
Formaggi
The first thing that our friendly waiter told us to visit was their cheese room. That was new to me, because I don’t recall there being a dedicated cheese room the last time we visited. But then again, that was a long time ago and they must have significantly expanded their collection.
I asked her where we could find this magical room, and despite the steady stream of diners coming in, she personally and unhurriedly escorted us there. And it was indeed an entire room, and not a small one, dedicated to all things cheese.
The first thing that hit us as we stepped through the doorway was a wave of ripe funkiness. If you’re a cheese-o-holic (like our fellow diner SL), you’d feel like a kid in a candy store. There were so many different cheeses that I kept losing count as I slowly made my way down the long table.
Basilico claims that there are over 40 different types, and I believe them. In fact, it seemed like there could have been even more. Scattered throughout the treasure trove of fermented dairy were various accompaniments, including fruits and honeys.
We had failed miserably in trying everything the last time, and with this seriously expanded offering, we didn’t even bother trying. I left the cheese selection duties to The Wife and she made at least four trips there.
Antipasti
I decided to tackle this buffet by staying on theme, and customising my very own multi-course Italian dinner. And as we all know, a good Italian meal starts with good antipasti.
My first port of call was the tomato station, which happened to be strategically placed next to the fresh cheese station. There were three tomatoes (heirloom, roma, cherry) and four cheeses (mozzarella, burrata with squid ink, guicata, ricotta) and I scooped a bit of everything.
Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, was my favourite combination and I went back for a refill. The black squid ink coating the burrata looked ominous, but it only had a mild impact on its taste.
There was a bread station, complete with loaves of different flavours, breadsticks and crackers. I gave it a cursory look but quickly walked past. Because bread is very filling, and I had limited stomach capacity.
Right next to it was a range of condiments, dips and toppings, as well as a wide assortment of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We told the chef our preferred flavour profiles and he selected the appropriate bottles and poured out the right combination.
Unlike your run-of-the-mill buffet, where they stack the seafood station with a myriad of choices, the setup here was decidedly more muted. But what they lacked in volume and variety, they made up for it in quality. I especially liked the scallops, which were plump and juicy.
Similarly, there was a limited selection of cold cuts and we assembled our own version of the classic prosciutto e melone. The sweetness from the melon balanced out the saltiness from the ham to create a delicious bite.
Primi Piatti
Chinese course dinners typically end with carbs, but Italians typically consume theirs early in the meal. The usual suspects were all there, including three types of pasta and the same number of pizzas. The lasagna was made extra fancy with the use of wagyu and was easily the tastiest of the lot.
I was tempted to grab a slice of the quattro formaggi, but decided otherwise because pizza is also a form of bread. And the broken record in my head kept reminding me that “bread is very filling, and I have limited stomach capacity”.
Our friend RC is a big risotto lover and was looking forward to having some. She couldn’t find any at the station and when we asked our waiter, he replied that the kitchen rotates their carb items and risotto wasn’t on the menu that night.
He then flashed a conspiratorial smile and whispered: “Let me see what I can do.”
Twenty minutes later, he re-appeared with a bowl in his hands. He set it down in front of RC and said with a flourish: “Please enjoy ma’am.” It was a specially-made truffle mushroom risotto that he had arm-twisted the chef to prepare.
There was no way that we were letting RC have the entire bowl, and we all swooped in with our spoons, leaving her with just enough to satisfy her craving. It was a very good risotto, possibly the best I’ve ever had.
Secondi Piatti
The protein section consisted of only six choices, but managed to cover all the major creatures. Accompanying sauces were quite interesting and included an Amarone red wine reduction and a pink peppercorn cream sauce.
This was the section that I returned to the most, because even with the limited options, they were all done very well. Or perhaps it was precisely because there was a small selection that enabled the kitchen to push out high quality food.
The two standouts were the Stufato di Manzo (beef stew), which was The Wife’s favourite item of the night (besides the cheese, that is), and the Branzino al Forno (baked seabass), which was my number one pick.
As the seabass bakes in the oven, the chef whips the sauce made with white wine, butter, garlic and capers. When the fish is done, he lets it rest and then spoons over the sauce, finishing with some garnish for colour contrast.
How did I know the way that the fish was cooked? Well, the seabass was so popular that it got decimated as soon as it came out. So, after repeated aborted attempts to score a piece, I discretely camped out in front of the station.
It gave me a chance to observe the entire cooking process, and also have a chat with the chef. He said that the particular fish I was patiently waiting for was actually his eighth of the night, proof of its popularity with the diners.
Contorni
There were several side dishes to choose from, including a pretty eggplant salad, some roasted cauliflower and creamy mashed potatoes. I chose to forego them in order to conserve my precious capacity for the other stuff.
Dolci
Desserts were laid out prettily and comprised several cakes, tartlets, mini panna cotta shot glasses and, of course, an assortment of gelato. I was disappointed that it didn’t include pistachio, my personal favourite, so I had to console myself by spamming my chocolate gelato with rainbow sprinkles.
There was some pistachio-flavoured cream in one of the cakes, which acted as a consolation prize. I also snuck a bite of the strawberry sorbet from The Wife, and it was tart, refreshing and very, well, strawberry.
Overall, I would say that the dessert station was a success. Looking back at the photos, I noticed cakes that we didn’t see by the time we started on the sweets. So, if you see something you especially like, grab a slice while stocks last.
Vini
My initial thoughts were to order some Italian wines to go with the Italian meal, but JM was a member of the Park90 wine club, which was located in the hotel, and we deferred to his better judgement.
Lucky for us, his choices of a French Vosne-Romanée and a German Riesling were very nice, and paired very well with the food. We enjoyed the wine even more because he took care of the wine bill. And as we all know, free alcohol is the best alcohol. Thanks JM!
It was logistically challenging though, as the sommelier had to be summoned from Park90, located somewhere else in the hotel, and then had to transport the bottles over. Membership certainly has its privileges.
The service throughout the night was excellent, and the staff went about their work calmly and with smooth efficiency. They took the time to chat with guests, and came across as warm and sincere. It was quite unlike typical buffets, where staff are generally in a mad rush to clear empty dishes.
There’s a reason why Basilico is highly regarded and has managed to thrive over the years. Its specialisation in Italian cuisine, focus on quality not quantity and the pièce de résistance, an amazing cheese room, truly sets it apart from other all-you-can-eat buffets.
All six of us enjoyed our dinner that night. Not only because of the good food, wine and service, but also more importantly, because of the wonderful company of old friends.
