Todai International Buffet

It seems to me that we are not fated to enjoy the award winning buffet spread at Carousel, just like New Year's day, the restaurant was already fully booked when I tried to make a reservation to celebrate Abby, Eco and JLo's birthday. 

On a whim, I decided to try to call Todai at the Marina Bay Sands and it was with luck that they are still able to accommodate our big group. 

I became curious when I saw a sign that says they have been in operation since 1985 since I only heard of Todai quite recently. It turns out that they started in California and this is their first venture into the Southeast Asian market and where better to open that in buffet-crazy Singapore. 

Buffet lunch is priced at 75 SGD net (2500 PHP), it is a bit pricey as the average would be around 30-50 SGD for restaurants and 50-80 SGD for hotel restaurants but I tell you, it is worth it. 

With a sitting capacity of almost 400, the place is sprawling. Tables are spaced apart at comfortable distances unlike most buffets. 

The spreads are also massive and you don't see the exact same dish being served at different areas. See how endless the dishes seem and they have several stations just like the ones below. 

The presentation and the quality of food are also superior than most. See the california maki below looking so beautiful. 

As it claims to be the "Mother of All Seafood Buffets, I have to say that it is a claim well substantiated. I couldn't believe how fresh and big the prawns and scallops were. 

They also serve freshly shucked oysters but I am not a fan of oysters so I skipped those. I focused on the snow crab legs which were deliciously sweet. 

The only area that left me a little wanting would be the dessert station. There were not a lot of choices and while I got quite excited about the macaron pyramid, it was just okay and was a little too chewy for me. 

But overall, it was one enjoyable birthday lunch, one that won't be forgotten anytime soon. Thanks again, Abby, Eco and JLo! 

Todai International Buffet

B2-01 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

2 Bayfront Avenue

Singapore 018972

www.todai.com.sg

Weekend in Singapore

Rhommel finally decided to pay us a visit from Manila last weekend. I picked him up at the airport last Saturday. He had a really really minor altercation with immigration which caused him to be among the last few to exit out. We were both hungry but he didn't want to go to Aston's or anything familiar so we ended up at the food court.





Since we both lacked sleep, we didn't have the energy to continue exploring so we both went home and slept. What a weekend!

At around 4, when Em-J got back from work, we all got ready and headed out to Orchard. We ran into Analyn and we shared Em-J's Bonchon chickens. He insisted on eating first before heading to dinner.



Eco was also having a delayed birthday celebration so we met up with them at Outram Park. Sadly, the restaurant was closed so we ended back up in Somerset at Brotzeit.







Eco was very generous and we had a feast! I particularly liked the camembert cheese with cranberry sauce and the schnitzels. The boneless all meat pork knuckle, I was not particularly fond of. I found that it lacked a bit of flavor.





We then went to Starbucks at Yishun to have coffee while waiting for Hugo's screening.



The next day, we woke up late, just in time to get to Marina Bay to catch Wicked with Stu. We then spent time exploring the vicinity while waiting for Makansutra to open at 6.







Eating there was Rhommel's only request so we ordered some of our favorites and surprisingly, we were able to finish everything off.



Surely where there are lots of eating, it's bound to be a fun weekend and it sure was.

Wicked

Wicked has all of Manila's theater fans very excited, thanks largely to a bootlegged copy uploaded on YouTube a few years back. U.S., London and even Australia are too far for us so when they announced that they were opening here in Singapore, we were among the first in line.



I got free invites to the Gala premiere so I went with Abby and Eco. I didn't watch the show cause my tickets were for the next day but it was already quite an experience being there. They had a green carpet leading to the entrance of the theatre and there were a lot of local celebrities being interviewed.



I was overwhelmed when I saw the set. It was exactly the same with I saw from the YouTube videos complete with the time dragon. Very very cool! They were a bit cool with people approaching the stage during intermission to have their pictures taken during the first week. Now, you couldn't even approach the orchestra below to take a peek.





On a side note, the ushers need to learn a thing or two about good customer service, we wanted to have our pictures taken at the lobby behind the huge Wicked wall but they looked at us and gestured that the area is already closed. No explanations, no smile. We had to settle for the TV outside.



That minor inconvenience aside, it was really quite an experience. Everything was grand and more than the beauty of the set, I was very impressed with their lighting. They were able to simulate rain that looked very realistic. One Short Day and Defying Gravity were also numbers that were made more effective because of it.

The leads were very good with crystal clear voices, as Tin said, she had a lot of goosebumps all throughout the performance. Here's Tin with David Harris who was outside signing his CDs.



Last weekend, Rhommel and Stu flew in from Manila to supposedly watch the closing performance of Wicked but it got extended till April. For those who haven't seen it, it's worth ever penny.



There are rumors swirling that they are also opening in Manila soon but I can't confirm, I really hope they do because it's theatre magic that one should really experience.

Another side note,  we all love the  theatre's lobby. It's a great backdrop for photo ops. :p