'Tis season, Amara Hotel is adding a unique twist to their festive menu.

Christmas is a great time for people to get together and spend some time with their loved ones. Thanks to the gracious invite from Amara Hotel, my friends and I were able to enjoy their festive feast. Three months ago, we shared our thoughts on Amara Singapore's buffet spread. We're back again at the restaurant to try out their festive menu for Christmas and New Year. This time, the hotel has a beautiful iridescent Christmas tree located as a centrepiece in the lobby. There are many offers to shout about, such as guests standing a chance to win cash prizes up to S$500 when they dine at either Element or Silk Road restaurants between 6.30pm – 10pm during Christmas Eve!

Amara Hotel Element Restaurant Festive Season Menu Review

Ambience: 8/10
Hygiene: 10/10
Service: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Value for money: 8/10

Cuisine: Peranakan
Payment methods: Cash, Credit Card & NETS

Peranakan-Roasted Turkey With Buah Keluak Sauce

The Buah Keluak Sauce is something much to rave about — the chef inadvertently admitted that we are his 'guinea pigs' as it was his first try at the local rendition of the turkey. I thought that the roast turkey was slightly on the dry side. I've tried to roast turkeys before and God knows how tedious that would be! Perhaps the juiciness of the turkey could have been retained if there were bacon strips placed on top while in the oven. 

Marinated Duck Rillettes, Red Wine Dried Fruit Chutney, Gherkin Salsa

I feel hungry the moment I think about the marinated duck rillettes! Each mouthful easily melts in your mouth and the salsa brings out the complex flavours of the dish

Tuna Tataki With Cucumber Ribbons And Puffed Quinoa

Tuna Tataki

Any ordinary dish can become an instagram-worthy dish when you make the effort to strip a few cucumber ribbons on the serving plate.

Cocktail Prawns And Crab Meat With Duo Melon

A nicely decorated plate of prawns with contrasting colours from the muskmelon and honeydrew. Prawns were fresh and slightly citrusy and acidic. 

Festive Cold Cuts Platter

The festive platter was made up of three different types of antipasti: Parma ham, prosciutto, and wiltshire ham. Antipasti isn't exactly the most popular kind of dish in Singapore, but it is a must-have Christmas dish.

Butter Pumpkin Squares

The pumpkins were topped with sunflower seeds and rocket salad. Visually, this dish stood out for its bright colour, but the texture was too mushy for my liking.

Cognac Lobster Bisque

A classic french recipe, this cognac lobster bisque is thick and creamy but a little too salty.

Stir-Fried Moreton Bay Bug With Salted Egg

The diners at my table agreed in unison that this dish was our favourite — the salted egg went well with the slipper lobster.

Grilled Tajima Wagyu Beef with Foie Gras Cubes

I got really confused if this was mushrooms or beef steak because the gravy and colour of the meat was a messy patch of brown. Don't judge the dish by its appearance — the meat was juicy yet tender. I can imagine diners going for their seconds and thirds for this dish!

Steamed Broccoli With Conpoy And Chinese Mushrooms

It baffles me that the chef would include this dish as part of a christmas menu — this felt out-of-place because the idea I had for Christmas is pretty westernised. But who is to say what should go into a festive menu? Can we feature mooncakes during Chinese New Year, and turkey during mooncake festival? After all, they're just food to bring people together!

Steamed Grouper With Lime Beurre Blanc Topped With Tomato Vierge

The grouper was one of my favourite dishes because it was really fresh and slightly sweet. I regretted not getting more of those on my plate because the other diners wiped it off clean! Hahaha!

Roasted Chicken With Meat Floss

The roasted chicken was a tad too dry but yet flavourful. I'd prefer it to be juicy though!

Desserts Section

Cempedak Yule Log Cake

The log cake isn't too sophisticated— it's very chocolatey. Take a small slice because it might give you sugar rush!

Pink Champagne Lychee With Petit Marshmallow Yule Log Cake

A cute log cake which would make any young one happy.

Cempedak Crème Brûlée

Creme Brûlée is one of the most sophisticated desserts that history has ever invented — I mean, who would have taught that torching a cold dessert could create a crisp layer of sweetness? This is absolutely my favourite.

Macarons

Someone on my table took more than 2 dozens of macarons! The macarons were really sweet but these dainty treats are quite enjoyable. 

Other dishes worth trying:

Traditional Roasted Turkey With Rosemary Herbs (SGD $138 for 5kg)
Honey Glazed Boneless Ham (SGD $128 for 2.5kg), Honey Glazed Bone-In Ham (SGD $230 for 5kg)

Amara Hotel Christmas Promotions

24 & 25 December 2017: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
31 Dec & 1 Jan 2018: New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Element restaurant

Buffet Lunch, 11.30am – 3.30pm, S$68++ per adult, S$34++ per child

Buffet Dinner*, 6.30pm – 10pm, S$108++ per adult, S$54++ per child

*Add S$2++ per adult for free flow draft beers, sparkling and house pour wines (only on Xmas Eve)

*Diners can stand a chance to win cash prizes up to S$500.

New Year’s Eve: *Add S$30++ for FUNOLOGY 2018 Countdown party: free flow draft beers, sparkling and house pour wines. And diners can stand a chance to win cash prizes up to S$2018.

Element Restaurant AmaraAddress: 165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088539