We Tried A $44++ Halal Buffet Inside A 19th Century Building In Kampong Glam

Permata Singapore has $44++ halal buffet in Kampong Glam

When it comes to halal buffets, Permata Singapore is one of the most well-known names around. Housed in a 19th-century building in the historic Kampong Glam, the restaurant offers a mix of traditional Malay, Indonesian, Singaporean, and other Southeast Asian dishes.

The buffet here is priced from $88++ for two diners, or $44++ for one during the weekday lunch hours. That’s a mid-priced buffet in this economy, so we need to ask the question: is it worth the cost?

Food at Permata

While Permata doesn’t have the largest spread around, those looking for a feast should have no problem with the amounts of mains, sides, and carbs on display. To start, we dropped by the seafood-on-ice section to see how this buffet staple holds up.

The seafood-on-ice section here was rather small, with the items above being most of it. They were generally decent, with the crunchy, sweet Prawns and plump Mussels being standouts. The Salmon was nicely smoked, too, though it’s not beating the fine sashimi at other buffet spots.

There’s a section of dishes that gives one the tools to create a plate of nasi lemak. You’ve got Ayam Goreng, Beef Rendang, Sambal Petai Ikan Bilis, Omelette, Prawn Fritters and more, with Nasi Lemak Rice to tie it all together.

Here’s how it all fits into one plate. This was by far our favourite section at the buffet, thanks to the fluffy and fragrant coconut rice, the juicy prawn fritters, and the flavourful beef rendang and ayam goreng. However, those two meat dishes had major flaws, namely that they were much too dry and tough.

The buffet also has Chilli Crab, though we’d suggest giving this one a miss. The chilli sauce, though mild and sweet like you’d expect, was also overtly salty, and the flower crabs were devoid of much meat.

The Tulang Merah fared much better. We enjoyed the sweet, savoury, and spicy notes of the red sauce, which really enhanced the meatiness of the mutton shank. Inside the bone was the rich, fatty marrow that was also a joy to consume.

Interestingly, the buffet has Chai Tow Kway, also known as fried carrot cake. We liked that it had the sweetness of dark soy sauce and the soft, eggy goodness of the hawker classic, although it lacked that wok hei edge that the best carrot cake has.

Another hawker staple, the Chicken Rice, is available here as well. We’d also advise giving this dish a skip, as the bland rice and tough chicken fell short of the standards of our de facto national dish.

We were also disappointed by the Laksa, which was marred by a really watered-down broth. Sadly, the nasi lemak was the only main dish we enjoyed here, and we hope this was a one-off rather than a regular occurrence here.

Nevertheless, we liked the range of appetisers and desserts here. Our favourites were of the local variety, including the Kueh Pie Tie and Chwee Kueh.

Ambience at Permata Singapore

Permata looks like a cross between a colonial building and traditional Malay housing. It’s spacious and comfortable, and has an almost maze-like layout that makes it fun to wander through. As far as buffets go, this ambience is certainly unique.

Permata is a 10-minute walk from Bugis MRT Station.

Permata Singapore – Eatbook Review

If we’re being honest, there are too many flaws with Permata’s fare to justify the $44++ per person price. If your expectation is top-notch food, then there are better halal options around. But if you like the unique spread and the 19th-century ambience, then Permata may be worth a shot.

For a halal buffet we enjoyed, read our The Landmark Restaurant review. For affordable buffets, read our cheap buffets in Singapore guide.

Address: 73 Sultan Gate, Singapore 198497
Opening hours: Sun-Fri 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 9:30pm, Sat 12pm to 2:30pm, 5pm to 7pm, 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9082 9941
Website
Permata Singapore is halal-certified.

Photos taken by Rishav Chakraverty.
This was a media tasting at Permata Singapore