Having stayed and passed through Ramada at Zhongshan Park quite a few times, I’ve been quite curious about their all-day dining restaurant, Flavours at Zhongshan Park. This is mainly due to the many local delicacies I tend to spot whenever I happen to be at this Balestier Road hotel. While I did have a few opportunities to check it out such as during my staycation at Ramada at Zhongshan Park, I never really got to as the restaurant always seemed to be full during my two day hotel stay. Most recently, the restaurant has launched a Hawkerlicious buffet spread to cater to its patrons and that gave me another reason to return. I do note that the place is quite popular among nearby residents – given that Balestier Road is already known for local food – so I thought that was a good sign!
First things first, the buffet spread at Flavours is not particularly huge. In fact, it is quite modest when compared to hotel buffets elsewhere which is not entirely a bad thing as this is also reflected in the more reasonable pricing. However, they do manage to curate the food items such that the essentials are all covered, with a distinct inclination towards local food while still maintaining some international fare. There is a sushi stand in one corner, with a mix of rolls and salmon sashimi.
There is also a salad corner with various types of healthy eats. Don’t miss the achar – a Peranakan spicy and sour mixed vegetable salad! It’s placed within a pineapple so it’s really easy to spot.
As mentioned previously, the restaurant has a well-curated selection of mains. There is heavy emphasis on local food and the selection changes from day-to-day. During my visit, I spotted some hearty seafood hokkien noodles and salted fish fried rice for some carbo loading and one of my typical zichar choices – stir friend pork with spring onions.
Salted egg yolk seems to be the flavor of the moment but I prefer it being used as it’s meant to, which is with delectable seafood such as prawns or squid. Flavours at Zhongshan Park serves up some mean portions of salted egg yolk squid rings.
There are also quite a number of pork dishes. One that should not be missed is this slab of crispy pork belly which was just mouthwatering. Do have it early in the evening while it’s still hot and crispy!
A prominent feature of Flavours’ buffet is the DIY kueh pie tee station which I remember seeing during my previous visits. It’s quite popular among diners. Personally, kueh pie tee is one of my favorite local delicacies so I just couldn’t help myself.
chef de cuisine, Kristopher Cheng posing in front of the seafood section
That being said, the highlight of the Hawkerlicious buffet was yet to come. In what seems to be a zichar stall set up, diners can take their pick from fresh clams, snapper fish, prawns and mud crabs and cook it to one’s liking by adding a slew of sauces. These essentially represent the most popular zichar dippings in Singapore at the moment – black pepper, salted egg yolk, assam curry and ginger and onion.
Don’t make the same mistake such as I by concentrating too much on the made-to-order seafood. I was too full by the time I looked at the desserts! The desserts selection also served to reflect local flavors, with a DIY ice kachang station as well as sweet endings such as durian pengat and various types of kueh.
The Hawkerlicious Buffet Dinner is priced at $45++ for adults and $22.50++ for children aged 5 to 12 years old from Monday to Thursdays and $49++ for adults and $24.50 for children aged 5 to 12 years old on Fridays to Sundays.
Flavours at Zhongshan Park
Ramada at Zhongshan Park
16 Ah Hood Road
Singapore 329982
Reservations: +65 6808 6846
Leave a Reply