Singapore Restaurant Review
The restaurant at the Hotel Jen Tanglin in Singapore serves mouthwatering Asian street fare at buffet tables or a la carte in stylish surroundings. So how good is the food?
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J65 is one of four food and beverage outlets at the Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore, foucsing on Southeast Asian cuisine.
The dining room of J65 has the look and feel of a Southeast Asian wet market – except it is cleaner, quieter, far more stylish, and much less chaotic.
Food stations are scattered about the room serving everything from salads and soups to dim sum, sushi, and sashimi to Hong Kong style barbecued meats, hot dishes, yummy sandwiches, mouthwatering desserts, fresh fruit, the list goes on.
While the focus is on Southeast Asian cuisine, there are also several international favourites.
There are seafood dinners Friday and Saturday and a Champagne Brunch on Sunday with a free flow of champagne,
I was hosted by the hotel for three nights. Because I had access to the Club Lounge, that’s where I had most of my meals.
I really enjoyed both the atmosphere and the food. The staff were also warm and friendly.
All Day Dining
I did manage, however, to have one breakfast and one lunch at J65.
For breakfast, I hit the buffet tables, studiously avoiding the typical Western breakfast choices.
They looked fantastic and I was very tempted, but since I was in Singapore, I wanted to sample the types of Singaporean fare you would find at a traditional Singaporean street market.
I was not disappointed. The curries were diverse and plentiful. I also tried the Singapore Chicken, which appeared to be the same as Hainan Chicken. I liked the taste, but I didn’t like the bones.
There are two schools of thought: some people want the bones left in (they think it adds flavour), and other people want the bones removed (they find the splintery bits of bone a bit annoying).
I adhere to the latter school. I think chefs should ask, “With or without bones?”
Southeast Asian Street Food
For lunch I decided to skip the buffet tables and order a la carte as I was still full from breakfast.
I wanted to try laksa, a hot and sour noodle soup with a coconut milk base. It is popular in both Singapore and Malaysia.
There are many takes on laksa, and there were fully six types of laksa on the restaurant’s menu.
I chose the one with tiger prawns. The serving was very generous, the prawns were succulent, and the broth was yummy.
I would, however, have preferred a bit more heat. I have a feeling they tone it down a bit for overseas diners because they think they can’t handle spicy food.
Learn how to cook Singapore food at home!
Friendly Staff
Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go
An informal cafe is located right off the lobby. It’s the perfect spot to read, surf the net, or have an informal meeting.
There is comfortable seating for on-site dining and a grab-and-go service for hotel guests in a hurry.
Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go serves salads, sandwiches, and other quick bites as well as fruit juice, artisanal coffees, and masala teas.
The hotel also has a Chinese restaurant serving lunch and dinner and a cocktail lounge, which opens in the evening.
Planning a trip to Singapore? Check out the Singapore Tourism Board website for more Singapore information.
Where
Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore, 1A Cuscaden Road, Singapore. Telephone: (65) 6831 4333.