Carousel : Singapore

The lobby of the Royal Plaza Hotel on Scotts Road boasts a sparkling jewel in its crown: Carousel. The newly-renovated restaurant has not only expanded its seating capacity to approximately 250, it also now opens till the wee hours of the morning to cater to the movie crowds along Orchard Road.

• The Vibe
  The restaurant is bright and lively, bustling with people busying themselves with the huge spread before them while delicious smells waft throughout the premises. The interior's bold colours, plush furniture upholstery, grand high back leather chairs and dazzling one-of-a-kind designer cutleries wow the crowd with its daring design.

  The entire restaurant is sectioned into four differently themed ‘rooms', the living room; the area with the best view of the interior, the state rooms; which offers guests a private dining experience, the verandah and the terrace. Every section boasts vastly different yet cohesive designs.

• The Food
  Prepare for a tour of delicious flavours as Carousel takes you on a gastronomic journey around the world. Begin your rounds at the Japanese sections. Let the deep red hue of the thickly sliced fresh Maguro (Tuna) and the vibrant orange of the salmon work your appetite into overdrive, or satisfy that urge with a good few pieces of perfectly hand-rolled sushi. Rice grains are firm and do not fall apart upon sinking your teeth into that lukewarm (never cold!) roll, the sign of perfectly rolled sushi.

  Not in the mood for Japanese? How about experiencing the Mediterranean with the wide range of seafood; starting with the wonderfully succulent oysters. Or, be tempted as the array of plump juicy shellfish beckons for your attention. Refresh your palate and take a break from the overload of seafood with, perhaps, a little bit of greens. Stroll on down to the salad bar and conjure up a salad of your liking, or if you prefer, indulge in the exotic cold salads, such as the caper berry or grilled zucchini dressed with herb oil and sultanas already pre-made for your convenience.

  Another one of the restaurant's highlights; the rotisserie, is both a feast for the eyes and the palate. Those in the mood for some juicy meat will rejoice; try out some duck if you're into game meat or the lamb tagine for a taste of faraway Morocco . The simple combination which is the noisette of beef with butternut squash works well in that it effectively bring out the mild sweetness of the beef. Less adventurous diners can head for the Italian home-made pasta spread, or have a taste of Carousel's Hainanese chicken rice balls.

  Save some space for dessert, as Carousel's dessert chef from the Netherlands aims to entice and thrill with his culinary concoctions. With an enormous assortment of his divine creations spread across three dessert sections, he covers good old British favourites such as bread and butter pudding or berry crumble. The last dessert counter serves a collection of mousses, puddings and cakes.

  Your meal around the world comes at only $33.50 for lunch on weekdays and $35++ on the weekends, dinner at $42 and $49 respectively. High tea goes at $23.50 on weekdays and $28.50 on the weekends while the rate for supper is at $19.50.