Food Capital Review: Riverside Hotel Buffet With Over 50 Dishes, Including Barbecue Platters And River Lobster

Food Capital buffet at Grand Copthorne Waterfront

While most think of the Jiak Kim Street area as a testament to Zouk days long gone, I recently found out that the stretch is also home to an international-themed all-day buffet, located at Food Capital in Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.

Priced at $65++ per adult for lunch and $85++ per adult for dinner, the buffet promises over 50 dishes, with fare from India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and more spotting the menu. What makes it stand out from other hotel buffets is also the option to dine next to the Singapore River—especially romantic in the evenings—and their live charcoal-grilled items.

Food at Food Capital

As this is an ala carte buffet, orders are placed through slips of paper that double as your menu at the table. Though I found this system clunkier than the QR menus at other buffet restaurants, it still gave an overview of the expected fare: carved meats, Indian food, local delights, desserts, Japanese food, salad, seafood on ice, and barbecue platters, which includes grilled lobster tail. Do note that seafood on ice and the BBQ Grill Special of Grilled Lobster Tail are dinner exclusives.

A good buffet, in my books, is not judged by just quantity, but the quality. Seafood is one of the easiest gauges. At Food Capital, the Seafood On Ice selection, which has Chilean scallops, prawns, cherry clams, black mussels and langoustine, were discernibly fresh and sweet, served on a bed of dry ice for the ‘gram. 

The Sashimi, of which there are salmon, tuna, and mock abalone, was fatty, and generously sliced.

The fact that there are no order limits for these also makes the $85++ dinner fee for dinner worth it.

There are limitations on the barbecued lobster tail, however. Each diner gets one portion. The lobster tail is grilled a la minute, sporting char marks when it arrives at the table. Succulent and smoky, it’s a pity we couldn’t get more.

For other barbecued items, diners can choose to build a Barbecue Platter from live prawn, otah, spicy sotong, river lobster, chicken, prime rib, pork belly, and pork sausages. These come with a sauce of your choice, and I highly recommend the sambal chilli chinchalok for the umaminess it gives the meats. 

While barbecue is a spotlight at Food Capital, I found their tandoor oven selection to be my favourite. Pillowy Garlic Naan is made fresh, and served with your choice of Mutton Stew With Lentils or Tandoori Chicken. The latter is coloured red by a robust spice blend, and smoke-kissed by the tandoor oven. 

The mutton stew was also aromatic and far from gamey, given depth by the curry and lentils. Both are mildly spicy, so even kids can enjoy them.

Outside of the meat and seafood selection, diners can carb up with their Grand Copthorne Laksa, or Lobster Bisque Penne. Alternatively, there are also salads, albeit in very small, bite-sized portions. 

Desserts include the usual Chocolate Fondue or delicate cakes, as well as fresh-made Waffles served with your choice of ice cream.

Ambience at Food Capital

Diners get to choose to sit in- or outdoors. The former is set in the hotel lobby, with high ceilings and plush, intimate furnishings, while the latter faces the Singapore River, and gets quite peaceful in the evenings.

The one downside is that the hotel is not near any MRT station, so it’s a fair bit of a walk from the nearest one at Clarke Quay.

The verdict

If you’re looking for date night restaurant ideas, or a place to dine when on staycation at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel, Food Capital makes for a decent option. Despite the limitations on lobster tail, you do still get free-flow seafood options if you’re dining for lunch or dinner, aside from plenty of roasts meats to make the buffet price worth the splurge.

For more buffet options in Singapore, check out our Yi Zi Wei review, all about their six-in-one buffet, or our review of Tang Lung Restaurant dim sum buffet.

Address: 392 Havelock Road, Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Singapore 169663
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10pm
Tel: 8168 1539
Website
Food Capital is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Lim An and Beatrice Bowers.
This was a media tasting at Food Capital.