• Update: These set meals have been upgraded. See the follow-up review of the new Re!Fill set meals.
The lure of an attractively priced 3-course dinner packed with many goodies sure entices one to check out Hotel Re!. This hotel is truly a hidden gem, with its location atop Pearl’s Hill. Drivers can take advantage of the hotel’s complimentary parking, whereas non-drivers can take the free shuttle bus service (or a leisurely trek up the hill). Whatever it is, you can’t say they didn’t try.
Take for example the set meals at Re!Fill, the hotel’s flagship restaurant. Everyday a different cuisine is served, such as exotic Thai Mondays and romantic Italian Thursdays (view menu). Not only are the meals reasonably priced at S$12.80++ S$18.80++, each set includes:
- Salad
- Soup
- Main course (choose from two)
- Dessert
- Free flow of bread
- Free flow of tea/coffee
- Bonus: Free parking
Our verdict after checking out this restaurant on a quiet Friday evening? We love the food and can’t wait to go back for more!
Rating:
Let’s start with the coffee. Many restaurants charge at least 4 or 5 bucks for a cup of machine-made coffee. Over at this hotel, you get free-flowing coffee or tea when you order the set meal! The waitresses even ask if you’d like it with or without milk.
Even for someone who generally steers clear of machine-made coffee, I’m surprised to find that I like the black coffee here! The flavour is aromatic and strong enough for me.
Rating:
Also provided freely is the bread, for which they have a toaster available at the bread counter. The untoasted bread is soft and fluffy, and has bits of chewy nuts in it, too.
Rating:
The theme for the day is Japanese. So the soup is beef Shabu Shabu, a Japanese hot pot dish minus the hot pot.
With ample ingredients of thinly sliced beef, mushrooms and vegetables, this is the kind of soup that mommies would cook for their children. It certainly has that home-cooked flavour and really warms the stomach and soul!
For the main course, you may choose between:
– Grilled chicken teriyaki or
– Saba Shioyaki
For a 3-course set meal that costs just S$12.80++ S$18.80++, you probably would not expect pretty plating. And that’s exactly what they do here. Both main courses are laid out beautifully in an array of colours.
Rating:
The grilled chicken is really delicious, drenched in a rich teriyaki sauce. Every home should have a bottle of that sauce; it works magic with any meat or fish. Even pizza.
Speaking of my love for teriyaki sauce, this reminds me of a dining experience at another hotel some years back. I was with my Mom at Traders Hotel’s Cafebiz. After I requested for teriyaki sauce, the waiter checked and said that they didn’t have any in the kitchen. But a short while later he came back with the teriyaki sauce which the chef had specially made for me from scratch! That’s an unforgettable experience, an example of how some restaurants would go the extra mile to make their customers happy :) today I still remember that incident vividly.
Rating:
The grilled mackerel is done Shioyaki style, which means it has been rubbed with salt and slow-grilled. The taste is excellent, with the flesh thoroughly cooked and the skin unburnt and still remaining intact.
Of course, for a fish like this, the downside is that it has a lot of bones. So if you don’t want to eat in fear like I did, go for the grilled chicken instead. For both dishes you get the same teriyaki sauce, complete with chawanmushi and teppanyaki vegetables.
Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard)Rating:
The chawanmushi comes with a spicy kick. The surface is dusted with red chilli pepper, which I find interesting because this is the first time I am eating this egg custard cup with a note of spiciness.
Rating:
The waitresses are always prompt in clearing the dishes and finally, we are served the dessert. True to the health-conscious mindset of the Japanese, instead of ice cream and cake, we get a healthy healthy fresh fruit cocktail.
Like the other dishes, it is prettily arranged: diced papaya, watermelon and honeydew in a glass, topped by a dainty cherry. If anyone wanna impress his or her date by tying a knot in that cherry stem with the tongue, that’s the time. The restaurant is very quiet for a Friday evening.
Here’s the colourful menu of this colourful restaurant. Pick your cuisine and head down on that day!
I like this rotating menu concept, because it sure gets people curious and coming back on other days! And, with the few specific dishes to cook on each day, I’m pretty sure the chefs have an easier time in the kitchen, too.
Another hidden gem in the vicinity is Seventh Heaven. That’s a great place for more desserts after a hearty meal!
Aug 24, 2009
6
this sounds like a nice place to check it out on a crowded weekend.. however, if got no car.. it will be quite troublesome to go there
Aug 25, 2009
3472
Luckily they have the shuttle service, so it’s not so bad. I don’t think they have the themed set meals on weekends though.
Aug 25, 2009
6
oh… i would like to try the Italian food theme..seems nice. by the way, i saw link hotel lounge offering set dinners too. i have not tried yet.. but looks good too
Aug 25, 2009
3472
Oh yes you are right! I just saw the promotion on their website, too. They don’t provide more details though. I wonder what’s the food they serve in the set meals.
Aug 26, 2009
1
I saw the promotion too, the italian themed dinner is lovely.
Aug 28, 2009
51
Ah yes… past by that huge red (i think) sign each time I’m on Chin Swee Road… kinda’ reminds me of a budget hotel tucked in the corner.
Aug 29, 2009
3472
The sign does make it look like a budget hotel. I got that first impression, too, until I was wowed by the photos I saw of the rooms. The decor is pretty funky, and looks more like a boutique hotel.
I think the sign is bright yellow and purple/pink, but I can’t be sure :D
Sep 3, 2009
137
I think I have seen the hotel sign before when I am on the road but never thought of going there. Who would know they have attractive deals like this? I am quite interested in having the Nonya meal. $12.80 for all those things you mentioned sounds very worthwhile.
Sep 4, 2009
3472
Yes, it is a great deal. i hear that they change their menu monthly, too. So if you go this month, there’s a chance that the food you would be getting are different from what you see in the menu above.
Oct 20, 2009
6
hey babe,
they added one more course which is the salad and also the price.
Oct 21, 2009
3472
Oh! Lucky for us the new price is still very attractive. Thanks for letting me know. I have updated my post.