The Moluccas Room, Marina Bay Sands – Rijsttafel Weekend Ala Carte Buffet Brunch

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands is home to several luxury brand houses as well as good restaurants. During an idyllic afternoon spent at the giant mall, The Moluccas Room, with its chic and stylish interior, stood out to me.

I have a fondness for Indonesian food, so it’s no surprise that I immediately jumped at this chance to experience The Moluccas Room’s contemporary Indonesian fine dining. It marries traditional Indonesian spices and flavours with French cooking techniques.

Rijsttafel Weekend Brunch

Rijsttafel Weekend Brunch Java
S$38++
Available on weekends from 11:30am – 3pm

Brunch and Indonesian cuisine lovers alike can partake in the Rijsttafel Weekend Brunch Java, which offers unlimited servings of more than 10 authentic Indonesian dishes.

Achar

The brunch starts off with a small appetiser of achar. The mixture of pickled vegetables and nuts dances on your tongue and preps your appetite for the feasting ahead!

Nasi liwei

I like how the coconut milk rice is presented in a cone-shaped leaf. Not only does it add a touch of novelty, it also enhances the fragrance of the rice.

Tahu bacem

The Indonesian pickled tofu, tahu bacem, is a bit salty and reminds me of a firmer version of the Chinese braised tofu.

Sambal goreng labu siam ebi

Simmered in a dried shrimp and coconut milk chilli paste, the crisp flavour of the chayote fruit – a good source of amino acids and vitamin C – becomes very slight and you can hardly taste it. The result is a slightly savoury dish, reminiscent of crisp pickled vegetables.

Kering kentang

These chunks of caramelised crispy potato bits are sweet and crunchy with a hint of spiciness and surprisingly not oily at all. It can be highly addictive; I was on my third serving before I realised I’ve already had so much!

Sambal goreng tempe

The sambal goreng tempe (spicy and caramelised, fermented soya bean in chilli paste) provides more texture and crunch when compared to kering kentang, though the latter is finer and has a slight sweetness.

Krupuk puli

There is nothing better to accompany a conversation than crispy titbits like the krupuk puli. With already 3 of the 10 dishes being well-executed small bites, it makes this brunch a great meal to catch up with friends over.

Oseng toge teri medan

While I did not find this dish of pan-fried bean sprouts with anchovies to be outstanding, it does provide a light taste with a moist, yet crunchy texture.

Telur pindang

The Indonesian spiced boiled eggs, telur pindang, may look like Chinese braised eggs, but they have instead a smooth creamy yolk centre rather than powdery. Nicely marinated in its sauce, this dish is a delight to savour.

Sambal goreng udang

The stir-fried spicy prawns are very fresh and succulent. While the first serving is a bit under salted, the spicy and tasty sambal sauce has me ordering more!

Opor sakura ayam

The opor sakura ayam, a generous dish of braised chicken in spiced coconut cream, is tender and moist, coming off the bone easily. The aromatic gravy also pairs well with the coconut milk rice. This is definitely a highlight of the brunch selection.

Sate daging Angus (2 sticks per serving)

My favourite dish of the weekend brunch are these skewers of sweet marinated beef short ribs. With a lightly spiced soy sauce dip to enhance the flavour, the extremely succulent and tender meat almost melts in your mouth! A pity that each diner is limited to 2 servings only.

Ala carte dishes

Other than the Rijsttafel brunch, The Moluccas Room also has plenty of other interesting and yummy items on the menu.

Sate padang lidah sapi (5 sticks per serving)
S$27++

The sate padang lidah sapi is a dish of buttery rich Angus beef tongue satay done Padang style, served with a warm thickened beef broth sauce. With 7 types of satay to choose from, including ox tongue and even yearling breast, there’s bound to be something that will please everyone!

Angus steak rendang
S$32++

The Angus steak rendang is a tender French-style beef steak tenderloin topped with a Javanese-style rendang sauce. While the steak is tender, I find it a touch overcooked, though the extremely flavourful rendang sauce helps make up for it.

Confit sakura ayam tuturaga
S$27++

For the confit sakura ayam tuturaga, a light citrusy chicken confit curry from the Northern Sulawesi region, the ingredients are cooked within the tender chicken flesh.

Even on its own, the rich and appetising curry is simply mouth-watering.

Desserts

Kolak padang
S$15++

The kolak padang is a luscious blend of warm caramelised pumpkin and ‘kepok’ banana with a cool scoop of creamy vanilla bean ice cream. The pumpkin chunks are extremely soft and evenly cooked. While it has the faint hint of a borbor chacha dessert, I will most certainly choose this over the latter.

Serabi
S$12++

If there was to be an Indonesian answer to hotcakes, it would definitely be the serabi – Indonesian pancakes with creamy jackfruit pulps. The sinful, generous drizzling of molten palm sugar sauce sweetens up the well-executed pancakes.

Pisang saleh coconut milk sorbet
S$12++

The grilled banana slices, accompanied with house-made coconut milk sorbet is another highlight of my meal. The rich, cold sorbet teams well with the delectable perfumed grilled banana. A definite must-order!

Located at the waterfront, The Moluccas Room boasts a fantastic view overlooking the Singapore River. You can even catch the fireworks here during. Even if you’re in the area for some tea, the restaurant is a great choice for its warm Indonesian hospitality.

 Loading ...

Do you know of any other great spots for rijsttafel in Singapore? Share all your thoughts via Facebook or Twitter or by leaving a comment!