I attended the first Wedding for 2018 at the Carlton Hotel Singapore Wedding Lunch Banquet at Hall 5. It was to celebrate the matrimony of a colleague. This was my first attempt dinning at Carlton Hotel banquet hall though I love the food at their Chinese Restaurant Wah Lok Cantonese Restaurant. I wondered if the standard will be on par.
Carlton Hotel Singapore Wedding Lunch Banquet.
At the Wedding lunch, Carlton Singapore served an 8-course meal from starter, soup, mains to dessert.
As always, the first dish is a Cold Dish Combination. Offering 5 items on this platter with XO Tophsell that mimicked abalone. Next, the Smoked Duck which wasn’t too salty, that was good. Japanese Baby Octopus was tasty. Followed by the Prawn Salad which was mediocre. Lastly was the Mini Tomato with Plum and we find it strange. We were expecting an item with some display of culinary skill and technique.
Second dish was the Braised Superior Broth With Shredded Topshell and Diced Seafood. No sharkfin and it was replaced with seafood and topshell. The broth alone was delectable. Ingredients though abundant, I find some of the seafood was bland and over-cooked.
We love the sauce in the Steamed Sea Bass With Minced Garlic in Soya Sauce. Personally, I felt the fish was steamed at a perfect temperature and timing. Some of my colleauges didn’t like the texture of the fish which I think it is very much individual preference as that particular texture is the nature of Sea Bass.
Sauteed Wasabi Prawn was mild in wasabi, dominated by mayonnaise flavour instead. The deep-fried prawn fritter remained crispy even with the sauce.
Giant Topshell with Spinach was yet another dish, the third dish, comprised Topshell. Perfectly blanched spinach on a dish of sweetish sauce which I didn’t prefer. Personally, I would like it purely savoury.
Signature Crispy Chicken with Onion was one of the dishe we enjoyed. Crispy skin with succulent well marinated meat. The crispy shallot on the chicken elevated the flavour.
Completing the meal with a disappointing Lotus Leaf Rice With Diced Seafood. The rice was over-powered with seafood, though sounded awesome, however the seafood was a little pungent and resulting in a flat taste due to missing flavour from Chinese Sausage.
Finally, rounding it up with a dessert, the Chilled Aloe Vera with Jelly and Lemongrass. A dish with mixed reviews. Some love it, some hated it due to the overwhelming lemongrass. For me, I have mixed feeling about the dish too. I like lemongrass in general but this one taste too artificial and I didn’t like the green colouring in the jelly.
A final word regarding the service. The crew who served out table was relatively friendly. The only point my colleagues kept lamenting was he didn’t refill our tea often.
NAHMJ Verdict
Quantity is sufficient for 10 at Carlton Hotel Singapore Wedding Lunch Banquet, but our table consisted mainly of ladies with only 1 gentleman so that’s could be a reason. However, it was a little unsatisfying when numerous dishes contained a same ingredient, Topshell. Tastewise, most of the dishes were tasty.
Carlton Hotel
76 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189558
Tel: +65 6338 8333
Website: https://www.carltonhotel.sg/
Getting There
By MRT:
- East-West line or North East line – City Hall station
- Circle line – Bras Basah station
By Bus:
- Cathedral of Good Shepherd along Victoria Street 130, 133, 145, 197, 851, 960
- After CHIJMES along Victoria Street 2, 12, 33, 147, 190
- NTUC Income along Bras Basah Road 7, 14, 14e, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 131, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 175, 502, 518, 700, 700A, 857
- Hotel Grand Pacific along Victoria Street 2, 7, 12, 32, 33, 51, 61, 63, 80
- Stamford Centre along Hill Street 124,147, 166, 174, 174e, 190
- Capitol Building along Stamford Road 7, 14, 16, 36, 77, 106, 111, 131, 162, 162M, 167, 171, 175, 700, 700A, 857, 971E
- St Andrew Cathedral along North Bridge Road 61, 124, 145, 166, 174, 197
- Opp Penisular Centre along North Bridge Road 32, 51, 63, 80, 195, 851, 961
Rating: 7/10