Azur at Crowne Plaza celebrates National Day with jazzed-up local delicacies

About Azur

No matter what my Instagram feed shows me, bak chor mee will always supercede pasta, teh si siu dai stomps on cappuccino and chwee kueh triumphs over eggs benedict.

Classic local food is without a doubt, a source of national pride for many Singaporeans. Local foodies will be pleased to learn Azur is serving up reinterpreted local dishes as part of their special National Day menu. Think satay-marinated Australian rib eye and lobster laksa with angel hair noodles. We visited the award-winning buffet and a la carte restaurant to see if it lived up to the hype.

The Food at Azur

We first had Boston Lobster Laksa with Angel Hair Italian Noodles ($28++), a modern reinvention of Singapore’s favourite laksa. Served with Angel Hair Italian Noodles and Boston Lobster, this dish adds an interesting twist to the classic laksa.

The laksa gravy was thick and flavourful, and was served with generous amount of ingredients – clams, shredded chicken, quail eggs and bean sprouts. The lobster was also fresh, sweet and cooked to perfection. 

While Angel Hair Italian Noodles with laksa is an interesting combination, I still prefer having traditional rice noodles as it better soaks up the laksa broth and the taste of coconut milk.

Our next surprise came in the form of Satay Marinated Australian Rib Eye ($35++). I like my satay gravy thick with a flavourful punch of peanut, without overpowering the taste of the meat, and this rendition hits all the right notes. Surprisingly, the satay gravy went well with the tender meat of the rib eye steak.

Served with ketupat rice, a medley of vegetables and potatoes, this is definitely an East-meets-West dish that we’d recommend. 

The King Crab Hokkien Noodles in Clay Pot ($32++) was well garnished with chives, crispy pork belly, baby squid and calamansi. 

On top of the Alaskan King Crab served alongside the hokkien noodles, we bit into delightful chunks of crab meat that were well-mixed with the familiar taste of bee hoon and yellow noodles.

These National Day ala carte creations can be ordered for dinner. All three dishes are also served with Tiger Radler, a combination of Tiger Beer and natural lemon juice.

We also had the chance to try some of the items at their buffet spread. What caught our attention was the ‘dessert island’, which had an impressive spread of cake, pudding, cake pops and ice cream. The bite-sized desserts mean that you get to try almost every item without overeating or feeling guilty. 

Verdict

I have to applaud Azur for having the courage to recreate some of Singapore’s best-known dishes. These are definitely way more pricey compared to the ones that you usually eat at hawker centres, but the generous portions and fresh seafood make up for it. On that note, we recommend that ladies with tiny appetites try to share these dishes. 

On top of the National Day menu, Azur will also be bringing back its Bounty of the Ocean Buffet Feast for two weekends. Diners can enjoy seafood dinner buffet that includes live stations, carvery and fresh seafood for $68++ per pax.

Getting to Azur

Address: Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, Level 2
Telephone Number: 6823 5354
Opening Hours: 6am – 11pm (Daily), closed between 3pm – 6pm on weekdays
National Day Menu: 1 – 17 August 2014
Bounty of the Ocean Buffet Feast: 22 – 24 August, 29 – 31 August 2014

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This post was brought to you by Azur.