We check out Colony’s revamped, and socially distant, champagne brunch to find out how all-you-can-eat concepts have adapted
Gone are the days when buffet lines come well-stocked with an endless amount of food. With Phase 2’s safe distancing measures in place, restaurants and eateries offering buffet spreads are not allowed to operate. And this includes any form of shared dining amenities – from drink dispensers to condiment stations.
Many buffet restaurants have pivoted to endless à la carte servings as an alternative. Instead of filling your own plate with food from the counters, the waitstaff will bring them to you instead. But how does this new free-flowing experience differ? And it is still worth splurging your money, and calories, on buffets in the new normal? We sample Colony’s revamped, socially distant champagne brunch to find out.
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Reduced seating capacity means that the restaurant can’t take in as many diners as before. Ample space has been kept between dining tables to make your experience more comfortable. Making a prior reservation helps guarantee a seat (or five) at the gorgeous restaurant – but do remember to turn up for your reservations and cancel at least a couple of days if your plans change.
While you won’t get the same impact from walking up to the extensive buffet lines at Colony, the restaurant has digitally translated the experience. In its e-menu, accessible via QR codes on the table, each and every dish comes with an accompanying photo to help hungry diners visualise the food better. For reference, there are some 60 dishes available on its Sunday champagne brunch – which means 60 different food images to help whet your appetite. The same visually driven menu can also be found across Colony's lunch and dinner offerings as well.
The food is served directly to the table now – saving you the hassle of walking to and from the table. Ordering is fuss-free, too. Simply place an order with the friendly waitstaff and the food arrives in a couple of minutes. Despite the increased workload – of having to take orders, serve guests, and clear empty plates – the level of service at Colony remains just as efficient. Dishes were promptly cleared away and our champagne flutes were almost never empty.
The free-flowing à la carte ordering format comes with a small trade-off: not being able to portion out exactly how much you want. Food comes pre-plated, which means portions, while small, are standardised to ensure efficiency. The lobster Eggs Benedict comes served on a palm-sized brioche, and the seared lobster comes in halves – easy, snackable portions that leave plenty of room for seconds, or thirds. But plates of slow-baked beef tomahawk, along with carb-based dishes of Colony Singapore laksa and prawn noodle soup, arrive in heftier portions so we recommend splitting them with someone else at the table.
Ordering à la carte doesn’t mean that there isn't any room for personalisation. In the mood for fresh slices of salmon? Customise your sashimi platter so that it's filled with the stuff. Want just one briny bivalve when oysters are typically served in twos? Not a problem. Chicken rice without the rice? We don't know why you would, but you certainly can. At Colony, it's still possible to enjoy a buffet meal catered to your whims and fancies.
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