Some time back, a buddy of mine celebrated his 21st birthday at Azur, the international buffet restaurant at Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel. With 50 other guests, he secured a private corner for the dinner affair!
The restaurant used a mixture of blue as colour theme, giving the place a dark cool image. Staffs were relatively quick to change plates given our sheer crowd, refilling water every now and then. As with all buffet, its difficult to comment on every single dish. So lets just zoom onto the good ones!
Topshell and Salmon Sashimi
You don't often see topshell being served at buffets. With resemblence to abalone in shape and taste, it was chewy and had a subtle ocean flavour to it. The quality of salmon took me by pleasent surprise. Although not the belly portion, the cut was fatty and fresh enough for an excellent sashimi experience.
Cold Lobster
Believe me, everyone was rushing for this! The hottest item on the cold seafood counter, it was cleared as quickly as it was being replaced! Juicy and chunky, lobsters are really the crown jewel among shellfishes. The only greedy feedback I could give was that it would taste even better when baked with cheese!
Penne in Cream Sauce, Drunken Prawn in Herbal Soup
One of the live stations made pasta with choices of linguine, penne and sphaghetti and a variety of toppings and sauces. It was rather good with al dente texture and not-too-overpowering sauce.
The prawns were another major highlight. Large tiger prawns were 'drowned' in alcohol, then scalded quickly in a boiling pot of soup. Juicy, crunchy flesh with hints of chinese herbs and wine, with the soup itself being a pleasure to drink too. Shiok!
(Clockwise from back) Pork Ribs with Grilled Pineapple, Cream Fish, Chicken 'Something', Irish Lamb Stew
Some of the other hot dishes were rather good too. I particular liked the combination of ribs with pineapple which was sweet and savoury, and the lamb stew with tender chunks of lamb shank.
Desserts selection
I always try to save some stomach space for desserts despite being a rampant carnivore. These were mostly served in little platters, a considerable act for you to sample different types alongside the usual chocolate fondue and ice cream counters. I particularly like the banana cheesecake which was thick and rich with a nice crusty base.
Special thanks to my friend's parents for hosting and treating us to the fantastic dinner. All of us had a great time mingling with friends and well-wishes for the birthday boy. I would probably be back for more lobsters and drunken prawns. A good way to celebrate after semester exams!
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