March 22, 2017

Escape Restaurant & Lounge @ One Farrer Hotel & Spa ~ Durian Fried Rice, Eat-All-You-Can Food Spread & Teochew Porridge Buffet!



DURIAN FRIED RICE??? I'm totally sold! Nevermind that my body's unwell (probably too heaty) just a few days before our dinner date.

We definitely have to make the trip to Escape Restaurant & Lounge for that unique durian fried rice!

Located on the ground level of One Farrer Hotel & Spa, and easily accessible via exit A of Farrer Park Mrt Station (NE8), Escape is the hotel's signature 365 days, 24/7 dining venue (yes, that means supper is included!) with a live interactive kitchen concept that focus on both international and local cuisine.


Our attention were inadvertently drawn to the open concept kitchen and ala-minute cooking stations which offers a glass-less, fully-unobstructed view of the chefs displaying their culinary skills. The heat from loud bellowing flames licking the wok, clanging and banging sounds, and familiar smokey lard smell somewhat transformed the restaurant into a street side dining experience.

Diners, chefs and food... any Gordan Ramsey moments? Lol!

Though the Eat-All-You-Can Food Spread may not be the most extensive that I've seen, it features the quintessential line-up of Salads, Cold Cuts, Cheese, Bread, Sushi, Sashimi, Chilled Seafood, Western Favorites including pizza and a pasta station, Asian Delicacies such as chicken rice and fried carrot cake, as well as a small yet competent section dedicated to Indian Cuisine.


The fresh seafood were especially appealing. Those scallops, crayfish, prawns, snow crabs and freshly-shucked oysters had us going for repeated rounds.

Eat, eat eat all we can! Haha!

Besides unlimited servings of the above-mentioned, the highlight of our meal was definitely the Signature Dishes which are cooked to order and served ala-carte.

We certainly enjoyed the yummy goodness of Durian Fried Rice, KL Tai Lok Mee and Seafood Chili Crab Noodles!


The Durian Fried Rice was definitely pushing the boundaries on how the "king of fruits" can be incorporated into savory dishes.

While the seafood egg fried rice itself could easily hold its own with good grain separation and flavors, the addition of a tiny dollop of durian flesh provided an interestingly sweet and fragrant note. It was strangely addictive.

As PinkyPiggu cannot "tahan" the scent of durian (why???), her favorite was the KL Tai Lok Mee. The plate of stir-fried dark noodles was spot on with sticky, well-caramelized aromatic black sauce and generous amount of pork lard. I agreed this was very hard to resist.


God's favor is smiling upon us as diners that evening had a special preview of the Teochew Porridge Buffet that will soon be launching on 29th March 2017.

Come night time, some light porridge is perfect for late night party goers looking for supper, or those simply craving for warm comfort food.


It could be the lack of good porridge buffets around or the "aging" tastebud of mine, but Escape's Teochew porridge buffet hit a soft spot in me.

A bowl of warm porridge accompanied by condiments like Fermented Bean Curd, Peanuts and Black Bean Salted Fish is nothing fancy but highly satisfying. Of course I wouldn't mind dishes like Steamed Pomfret Fish with Toufu, Chai Po Omelette, Pig Skin, Pig Intestines, Pork Belly, Braised Duck and Chicken Wings too, just to name a few.

All these for only $16++ per person. So affordable!


For sweet endings, a spectrum of colorful Nonya Kuehs, Dessert Cups as well as Cakes are available. Be sure to try the Yogurt Soft Serve which had garnered many fans from our table due to its silky texture and refreshing taste.

In the increasingly crowded buffet options available in Singapore, Escape played the game by executing some classic dishes really well, and coming up with quirky items such as Durian Fried Rice.

However I guess what will draw me back again would be the Teochew porridge buffet offered during supper time. That was quite unforgettable.


The Eat-All-You-Can Food Spread at Escape Restaurant & Lounge is priced as follows:-

  • Breakfast (Daily 6am-10.30am): $30++ per person
  • Lunch (Daily 12pm-2.30pm): $50++ per person (with free flow of soft drinks)
  • High Tea (Daily 3pm-5pm): $18++ per person
  • Dinner (Mon-Thu, 6pm-10pm): $60++ per person (with free flow of soft drinks)
  • Dinner (Fri, Sat, Eve of PH & PH, 6pm-10pm): $68++ per person (with free flow of soft drinks)
  • Teochew Porridge (Daily 11pm-3am): $16++ per person

Ala-carte Menu is also available.


Escape Restaurant & Lounge
Address: One Farrer Hotel & Spa, 1 Farrer Park Station Road, Singapore 217562
Contact: +65 6705 7828
Website: http://www.onefarrer.com/en/escape.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onefarrerhotel/
Opening Hours: Breakfast 6am-10.30am / Lunch 12pm-2.30pm / Tea 3pm-5pm / Dinner 6pm-10pm / Teochew Porridge Buffet 11pm-3am / Supper 11pm-5am

Prices are stated in Singapore dollars and subject to 10% service charge & 7% GST. Information is correct at point of published date.

* Written by BFF, a guy who is desperately trying to find a balance while lost in the world of sights, sound and taste.
* Edited with additional inputs by PinkyPiggu
* Photos by PinkyPiggu

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