Elmer Dills, famous Los Angeles food critics, once described Todai as "THE MOTHER OF ALL SEAFOOD BUFFETS"
After taking a sneak peak at its premises in the basement of the ultra sleek mall of Marina Bay Sands, my expectations grew by a mile. Beware at this point...
Dinner at Todai was a invited food-tasting session by HungryGoWhere and I arrived ravenous from a hard days work in the kitchen. Thank goodness for the lovely Kirin beer to get conversations started over the table. Not that it was too important given that the buffet line was the star of the show. I very quickly ran over to introduce myself.
What I loved most about Todai's international seafood buffet spread was the diversity and structure of it all. If my memory doesn't fail me, there was the pizza and pasta section, noodles, korean food, Churrasco station, crabs, sashimi and sushi station, cold cuts and salads, teppanyaki (NEW), chinese food, dim sum and dessert stations.
To cut to the chase, if you, like me, do not excel at orientating buffets then heed my advise on this one. Attack the Alaskan Crabs, beef short rib, sushi, sashimi and Churrasco stations for maximum gratification.
You'll be surprised to find out that most of the kitchen staff behind the counters hail from Korean hence do not be surprised if communication is minimal despite the open kitchen concept. Inherently, the Korean food (try the pan fried egg battered fish) is impressive despite it's potential to be neglected in a predominantly seafood menu concept. Some of my favorites of the night include the pork belly from the Churrasco section and the wide array of colorful sushi unique to the Todai's kitchen.
After filling yourself to the brim with all things savoury and making an extra run just to double check that all items have been sampled. Make your way to the dessert counter. The cream cheese swiss roll and new york cheesecake were delightful; so are the shortbread cookies that would make a great accompaniment to a cup of hot coffee as finale. Avoid the apple crumble and brownie unless you want a parched desert as a mouth.
In all honesty, I find Todai's buffet a bit on the pricey side. An affair only justifiable should you be an avid crab fan willing to get your hands dirty. Unfortunately, I failed miserably in that department and on hindsight, would not have parted with the money for such ordinary fare. Todai offers a very casual "non-buffet" type dining experience gearing more towards family outings and large gatherings. So do give it a shot if you fall within that category and are urgently seeking a venue large enough to cater to your group size.
2 Bayfront Avenue
#B2-01A Marina Bay Sands
Tel: 66887771Fax: 66887701
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