1 Market buffet more than satisfies

Diners pay before entering and get a
stamp on their arms for re-entry.

1 Market at Plaza Singapura bills itself as "the first big halal-certified buffet restaurant in Singapore by a celebrity chef". There are certainly other halal-certified buffets, but yes, there is only one Chef Wan, a celebrity chef from Malaysia who has also written by cookbooks and appeared on TV.

On researching this restaurant you will see quite a few negative reviews - on the overcrowding, food presentation, variety, freshness and quality of the food, that it is not value for money, basically everything that a buffet restaurant should be good at. All I can say is perhaps I am more easily pleased because I didn't find any of the above to complain about - and we paid full price, not by Groupon.

It took me a while to visit the restaurant because it was always fully booked in the past, and full-house when I finally did get a reservation. This second visit, on a Thursday evening, revealed much fewer diners, with one section closed off. I called on Wednesday at lunch time, and secured the reservation for dinner the next evening. I didn't try everything but what I did have was good.

Food presentation was average, but this is fine when I am more interested in how the food tastes. There were complaints online about the way the sashimi had been presented, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary that evening. The lighting at all the tables could have been brighter though - I could have taken better photos then.

There was quite a bit of variety, with a sushi and sashimi section, cold seafood section, Hong Kong dimsum, a salad section, main dishes, drinks, desserts and special counters for Asian favourites - Teochew porridge, Hainanese chicken rice, prawn mee, and DIY fruit rojak. There was ice cream and a chocolate fountain as well.

Most of the dishes - in keeping with Asian cuisine - are heavy on the carbs and can be very filling very quickly, so pace yourself. Bargain hunters can fill up on the seafood and sashimi, neither of which I tried. 

The beef rendang was tender, fragrant, and
smothered in a rich, thick gravy.

I do recommend the satay, beef rendang, and Penang char kuay teow. I also like the Teochew porridge though there wasn't much of a choice for dishes so others might disagree.

The fruit rojak is a favourite for me, but then I like fruit. The dessert spread included durian and mangosteen. There were a lot of pastries for the chocolate fountain. What I especially liked is a chocolate ganache dessert they had in clear plastic containers, with a little bit of fruit at the top and I think brownies as the base. It is very rich and best shared. The custardy bread and butter pudding was also quite nice, especially accompanied by warm vanilla sauce, the kind that has real vanilla seeds in it. 

The Penang char kuay teow had a good amount of seafood in it and the kuay teow was just the right firmness for me. 

From left: mutton satay, chicken satay and beef satay with a drizzle of peanut sauce. The mutton was my favourite, but all were tender and juicy. Some bits are a bit on the charred side so choose your sticks carefully. This is hands-down the best satay I've had in recent times.

The fruit rojak before mixing. I didn't take any of taupok or the sambal, but did have, from 12 o'clock, pineapple, jambu, starfruit, turnip, green mango, and yew char kuay, plus ground peanuts and the rojak sauce. There is one more fruit that I don't remember around 2 o'clock - possibly apple.

If there is anything to complain about, it is that a lot of the sauces are sticky and one serviette may not be enough. I had extra tissues with me but wet tissues would have been so much better.

I left satisfied and would go again. It's possible that detractors were comparing how much you pay for Asian dishes at a traditional food centre and how much more you would pay to eat the same food in the comfortable, air-conditioned surroundings of a buffet restaurant in Orchard Road. Most of that food would however not be halal which is the key draw for 1 Market, and it's unlikely that you can get all of the same dishes at the same high quality in one place. I certainly hope 1 Market survives for a long time to come.

Interested?

1 Market is at Plaza Singapura (Dhoby Ghaut MRT station)
68 Orchard Road #04-45 to 49 (new wing)
Singapore 238839

Make a reservation at +65 63419159
Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (food will not be replenished after 9.30pm)

Weekend high tea: 3pm to 5.15pm 

Check out the promotions
Read the Suroor Asia review on Asian Market Cafe, another halal buffet in Singapore

Review: Le Steak Singapore, Central Branch

I visited Le Steak by Chef Amri at Mackenzie Road for the first time recently. The restaurant is very accessible, being very close to exit A of Little India station. It's the corner restaurant at the shophouses in the picture below.

Le Steak by Chef Amri at Mackenzie Road is literally across the road from exit A of Little India MRT station.

We called to reserve, and because it was for breaking fast, we were asked to turn up by 6.30pm, 6.45pm at the latest. It wasn't really clear why diners had to be so early as sunset was at 7.15pm that evening - perhaps the restaurant wanted to have all orders taken and everyone served early. 

It was full house on a Friday, and we pre-ordered our meals from the Ramadan set menu, which offers a choice of soup or salad for the starter, followed by a choice of main - prime steer (PS) ribeye steak, lamb ribs or barramundi - and a dessert of the day. The meal costs S$28 nett, with orange juice or a soft drink an extra S$2. Dates had already been placed on the table and the drinks and starters arrived well before 7.15pm.

I ordered 'salad' which turned out to be a creamy pasta salad rather than leaves. It had chewy bits that simulated bacon, and was quite tasty but not a large portion. Everyone else had a yellow soup which came with a slice of baguette.

My salad.

The main actually took quite a while to arrive, roughly 20 minutes after the salad had been eaten, even though this had been pre-ordered. All four of us were served within half an hour of the starter course being cleared. The couple next to us waited an hour for their mains though.

Our steaks were quite large but the salad and potato weren't as more-ish. My medium steak verged on the medium rare and was flavourful and tender. There was more fat than I would have liked but I someone else would probably have enjoyed those bits.

The main. A tender ribeye steak, medium, with brown sauce, salad and mashed potato.

Dessert was an small portion of pandan-flavoured kueh lapis, which was quite nice. I thought they could have been a little more generous with the coulis as there definitely isn't enough for the entire slice of cake. On the other hand, kueh lapis is not usually eaten with any sauce at all so the coulis was actually a bonus. There were several desserts served, with some getting a rainbow lapis cake, and others something else in ramekins.

Pandan kueh lapis, garnished with a strawberry quarter and strawberry coulis. There is a smattering of icing sugar.

We ended up paying S$30.50 per person, including a drink each plus a round of water later on - the water cost S$0.50 per person, though this was not mentioned when we asked for it. 

Ambience-wise, be prepared for humidity as the aircon did not seem to be very strong. The fans were going at full blast but with no walls it felt like we were sitting out in the open.

Service was a little slow as there were very few wait staff (I think three) given the number of diners in the restaurant. While our plates were cleared quite promptly, it was more difficult to catch anyone's attention for additional requests. We ended up going to the cashier to pay rather than ask for the cheque as it looked like everyone would be too busy to entertain us.

Le Steak Singapore positions itself as the only halal steak place in Singapore. The meal is reasonably priced and it is a valuable addition to the halal restaurant scene. The food is definitely value for money given the price, though big eaters might have to order something else on the side. Service would probably be quite pleasant when the restaurant isn't as crowded.

Interested?

Le Steak Singapore is at 19/21/23 Mackenzie Road, Singapore 228678. Reservations are required during Ramadhan for iftar, from 6.30pm to 8pm. Call +65 6238 0609 (hotline open at 3pm). 

View the Ramadhan menu on Facebook.

Read the Suroor Asia blog post on Le Steak's other Ramadhan offers.

Hashtags: #lesteak, #lesteaksingapore

Halal facial cleansers hit supermarket shelves

Ginvera and Wipro Unza have created halal skincare brands for Southeast Asia, known as Syahirah and Safi respectively. I took a few of the products for a test run.

Syahirah Facial Cleanser, 100g. The packaging is in Malay. While the Syahirah brand is clearly targeted at the Malaysian market by Ginvera, and the product is made in Malaysia, it does not carry a halal logo. The Ginvera website clearly says that the Syahirah Skincare Series is halal however.

Promises: 'Bio hydration' and 'twice the hydration' with rose extract and sodium hyaluronate. According to the back of the tube, users will get fresh, healthy and radiant skin. The product is deep cleansing and will refine the pores without causing dryness.

Highlighted ingredients: The rose extract gives an astringent effect that refines pores and keeps the skin firm. Other ingredients which promise to keep the skin moist include goat's milk and biotin; thanaka* extract, licorice extract and vitamin C to lighten skin, and  a 'UV light protector', as well as witch hazel and vitamin E to tighten pores. Sodium hyaluronate* delivers sustained and lasting hydration to the skin.

Looks: White, pearlised. Although thanaka is yellowish this is completely white.
Scent: I love the rose fragrance. The rose fragrance lingers so you have to like the smell if you want to use this product.
Feel: Comes out like toothpaste, retaining its shape. Foamy layer which washes off quickly. My skin felt clean and cool afterwards, not surprising when thanaka is used as a sunscreen. 

What's in it: water, glycerin, stearic acid, myristitic acid, palmitic acid, potassium hydroxide, olive oil PEG-7 esters, lauric acid, potassium cocoyl glycinate, cocamidolpropyl betaine, PEG-7 glycaryl cocoate, propylene glycol, ethylhexyl, methoxyclinnamate, limonia acidissima (thanaka) extract, rose damascena flower water, goat's milk powder, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, hamamelis virgiana (witch hazel) extract, fragrance, hydroxyethylcellulose, tocopheryl acetate, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, sodium hyaluronate, biotin, EDTA, methylparaben, propylparaben.

While the Natural Fresh brand by Ginvera does not look like it would be a halal product, the packaging carries a halal logo. I don't normally buy scrubs but the offer was a discount if you get two so I picked this. This product is made in Malaysia and cost S$6.85 for two 100g tubes, on offer at the time.

Promises: The Moisture-Lock Formula exfoliates dead skin cells and refines pores, and is suitable for all skin types.The scrub says it will remove rough, dull skin and visibly refine pores. 

Highlighted ingredients: According to the back of the tube, apricot kernels are an excellent exfoliator and contain vitamins. Sunflower essence moisturises and conditions, while the Moisture-Lock formula hydrates and retains skin mosture. Tocotrienols contain 60 times more potent vitamin E to neutralise free radicals.

Looks: White. The exfoliator can barely be seen but feels gritty to the touch. 
Scent: Strong apricot fragrance. 
Feel:  Takes a bit of squeezing. Has very little water content. Lathers easily with a little water. Takes longer to wash off because of the exfoliator. The skin felt smoother after one application.

What's in it: deionised water, glycerin, myristic acid, oxidised polyethylene, palmitic acid, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, lauric acid, glycol stearate, olive oil PEG-7 esters, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, trehalose, hydroyethylcellulose, biotin, sunflower (helanthus annuus) seed oil, red grape (vitis vinifera) seed oil, jojoba (simmondsia chinensis) seed wax, olive (olea europaea) husk oil, tocopherol, apricot (prunus armeniaca) seed powder, rice (cryza sativa) bran oil, methylparaben, propylparaben, fragrance, EDTA.

Safi Mengecilkan Pori, with sari mentimun (cucumber juice) and habbatus sauda* - that's the flower towards the middle of the tube. Safi, by Wipro Unza, has also got a separate cleanser which is part of the more premium Rania Gold family. The packaging carries a halal logo. A 100g tube costs S$3.85. 

Promises and highlighted ingredients: The back of the tube says that it is formulated with cucumber extract and habbatus sauda to clean skin effectively. The cucumber refines pores while the habbatus sauda nourishes and has anti-bacterial properties, leaving the skin healthier, softer, and more radiant. This cleanser is suitable for all skin types.

Looks: White.
Scent: A very strong smell of cucumber which I found unpleasant, though that might have been the habbataus sauda as well. 
Feels: Comes out like toothpaste, retaining its shape. Lathers quickly and washes off quickly.

What's in it: Water, myristic acid, palmitic acid, glycerin, potassium hydroxide, stearic acid, propylene glycol, potassium cocoyl glycinate, glyceryl stearate, cocamide methyl MEA, BHT, tetrasodium EDTA, nigella sativa (habbatus sauda) seed oil, curcumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract, fragrance, methylparaben, propylparaben. 

Safi Rania Gold is also halal and costs S$5.80. It has the prettiest packaging, with a subtle glittery pattern on the gold tube, in contrast to all the others which have a white background. 

Promises and highlighted ingredients: The front of the 100g tube says this cleanser contains nano-particles of 24K gold, silk protein and vitamin C. The back of the tube promises that Safi Rania Gold will remove impurities on the skin. The gold will stimulate collagen production for more supple skin and less obvious wrinkles; the silk protein will lock in moisture, while the vitamin C is for UV protection.

Looks: Pearly pale orange, which felt unusual, as I'm used to white cleansers. 
Scent: Pleasant.
Feels:  Has very little water content. Lathers easily with a little water. According to the instructions, this cleanser has to be left on for three minutes before rinsing. Washes off easily.

What's in it: Water, palmitic acid, myristic acid, glycerin, potassium cocoyl glycinate, stearic acid, potassium hydroxide, methylpropanediol, glyceryl sterate, persea gratissima (avocado) oil, lauric acid, mica, pentasodium triphosphate, polyquarternium-10, BHT, tetrasodium EDTA, carnosine, acetyl heptapeptide-9, colloidal gold, sericin (silk), sodium ascorbyl phosphate, fragrance, methylisothiazolinone, GI 77491 (iron oxides), GI 77891 (titanium dioxide).  

*Active ingredient glossary

Habbatus sauda, also called nigella sativa, 'black cumin', or 'black seed', is famous in Islam as a cure-all recommended by the prophet Muhammad. The seeds of the plant, or an oil derived from them, have been found to be effective against a wide range of bacteria and fungi; improve male fertility, enhance spatial memory, promote bone healing, prevent osteoporosis; eliminate depression, reduce gastrointestinal damage and promote the healing of gastric ulcers; and benefit diabetes sufferers.

Rosa damascena has been studied for aromatherapy and found to significantly reduce pain in 2015, and slowed breathing and blood pressure in a 2009 study; generic rose extract can protect against skin damage; An extract of the petals was found to have antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but no antifungal activity. Rosa damascena has also been shown to protect against memory loss, reduce mentrual pain to a degree similar to mefanemic acid (Ponstan), and to reduce stomach pain when taken orally.

Sodium hyaluronate is found naturally in the eye and is similar to the fluid in the knee joint. It can be injected into the skin to treat wrinkles. It is used topically (externally, on the skin) for pain relieving gels and in 1993 was shown to ensure that more medicine will stay on the surface of the eye than if it is absent.

The thanaka or thanakha tree bark yields a yellowish paste that people in Myanmar use as a cosmetic, skincare product and sunscreen. The tree has many names in different countries; scientifically it is known as limonia acidissima or hesperethusa crenulata. Extracts from thanaka bark showed strong anti-inflammatory and significant antioxidation properties.

Prata Wala for a thosai fix

Prata Wala in Jurong Point serves affordable, tasty Indian food in comfortable surroundings, and is open till late. I go there for the thosai, but it also has chapatti, prata and naan, all made to order. 

Start off getting a seat in the busy restaurant (a challenge at peak periods), then make your order at the counter. The restaurant is canteen-style: order dishes displayed at the counter from the menu on the wall, then pay up. You get a buzzer which will light up when the food is ready for collection, pick up the cutlery and serviettes yourself, and tuck in. There is a sink in a corner if you would like to eat with your hands.

The fresh thosai is crispy and comes with generous portions of sambar, tomato chutney and coconut chutney. It goes well with teh tarik, but the drink has become too sweet lately.

The restaurant is open from 5am to 3am. 

Interested?

Download the menu
Locations

Asian Market Cafe presents halal local favourites buffet style

We celebrated Mother's Day at the Asian Market Cafe this year. This buffet restaurant is part of the Fairmont Singapore and serves local food in the main, with delicacies from other regions on occasion. We went on Mother's Day eve, a Saturday, which is timed more like a high tea, from 1pm to 4pm. 

There are salad and dessert sections on one side of the restaurant, and live cooking stations opposite. The food is beautifully presented, carefully labelled and generally good though there were a few misses. Service was good too, with staff removing plates quickly and coming round towards the end of the meal to take orders for coffee or tea. Beverages are included in the price.

A tasty Mediterranean pasta salad to begin. It had apple slices and olives as well as julienned bell peppers. 

Roti jala is made fresh at a live cooking station. There is a curry chicken accompaniment, but I only took the curry. If you've not seen roti jala, think of a crepe made of lace, so that it is crispier than usual.

A second helping of roti jala, this time paired with Thai green curry chicken.

The sauted beef was a favourite, with the dish emptying as quickly as it was replenished. I thought it was average.

Three flavours of roti john were available, cut into slices, and kept crispy. This is the egg and mushroom version.

The barbecued stingray was tender and juicy. My portion is garnished with black bean sauce. 

The crab gravy was served in a separate tureen, with deep fried mini mantou piled nearby. The mantou were crispy without being greasy, but the gravy - which looked authentic - was insipid, full of corn starch and lacked any crab flavour at all. It felt like it had been made by someone who has never tasted chilli crab. A total miss. I didn't take the crab itself - too much hassle.

The chai tow kway (white version) looked great but was a complete miss. The carrot cake part was average, but the egg was a dense chewy layer to one side instead of being mixed into the cake, and had been over-salted. 

And on to the desserts. There was a lot of choice, including durian pengat, but what really drew me were the signature Fairmont Macau egg tarts. These are mini-sized and served warm. The flaky pastry was buttery, crisp, and crumbly, complementing the creamy egg custard perfectly.

The desserts really showed how much care the Asian Market Cafe takes styling the food. The lemon raspberry cakes had a curl of chocolate, an edible flower, jellied cranberries and a shaped spoonful of lemon mousse resting on raspberry cake, which was in turn resting on a coconut base.

There are computer games near the entrance for the kids, and for mother's day, free balloon sculptures.  

Asian Market Cafe is at level 2 of the Fairmont Singapore. The nearest MRT stations are City Hall and Esplanade, and it is accessible via Raffles City mall. The dress code is casual.

It is open for lunch Monday to Friday from 12pm to 2:30pm, and for weekends from 12pm to 4pm, which is more relaxed.
Dinners Sunday to Thursday are from 6pm to 10pm, and from 6pm to 10.30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays. 

As a hotel restaurant the buffet is a bit pricier. A Saturday lunch cost S$55++ per adult. 

Reservations are recommended. Call +65 6431 6156 or email dining.singapore@fairmont.com. 

Global Islamic fund sector worth US$72.9 billion in Q314

The global Islamic fund sector has gathered US$72.9 billion in assets under management (AuM) as of 17 September 2014, according to KFH Research's Islamic Funds Review Q3-2014. 

As of September, there are 1,149 Islamic funds, the research firm said, predicting that the outlook for the last quarter of 2014 of the Islamic fund sector is broadly positive, with Islamic banking and capital market trends expected to reinforce the advancement of the shari’ah compliant funds sector. 

"We forecast global Islamic AuM to fall between US$87.9 billion and US$97.3 billion by end-2017," the company noted online.

More about the review is available here.

*Image from the KFH Research website.

Hungrygowhere recommends 19 eats at the 2014 Geylang Serai bazaar

Hungrygowhere has reviewed Singapore's largest Ramadhan bazaar and highlighted 19 delights to try there. The Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar is bigger this year, and in the top ten are:

1. The Turkish chicken kebab, the "ultimate street food"
2. The Turkish pide
3. Dum Briyani, a "happy marriage of rich flavours"
4. Turkish grilled chicken, "great for those who love crave food"
5. Banana desserts
6. Coconut ice cream, which was very popular last year, and the no. 1 recommendation then
7. Popiah ice cream, "fun"
8. Vadai, "kept us going back for more"
9. Ayam perchik (chicken on a stick), "not easy to resist"
10. Shishtawouk, "very moreish"

For more details of the 19 including pricing and stall locations, check out the Hungrygowhere article here. The bazaar operates through the month of Ramadhan every year, and the closest train station is at Paya Lebar. 

World Islamic Insurance Directory (WIID) 2014 launched

Source:: MEIR website

Middle East Insurance Review (MEIR) has unveiled its 8th annual edition of the World Islamic Insurance Directory (WIID) 2014. The only Islamic insurance directory in circulation was launched at the annual World Takaful Conference in Dubai in mid-April. 

WIID 2014 provides a snapshot of the global takaful scene with detailed financial and management data of over 200 takaful and retakaful operators in the market. It is published jointly by Takaful Re and Middle East Insurance Review. 


According to WSJ, which quotes figures from the WIID, the global Islamic Insurance industry is still slow to scale despite the potential rewards.


A copy of WIID 2014 can be ordered here.