[Media Invite] Dinner at Todai

2 Bayfront Avenue #B2-01 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972

Tel: 6688 7771

Website: http://www.todai.com.sg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TodaiSingapore

Todai  Restaurant serves international seafood and sushi buffet as well as well as a variety of cooked dishes ranging from Asian-fusion cuisine to European cuisine, so do expect a rather good spread at the buffet. You can also check out my previous review from my previous visit here.

Anyway, last evening's revisit was an invited food tasting session attended by representatives of Hungrygowhere, hosted by the hospitable marketing team of Todai Singapore itself.

So, Todai is celebrating it's 4th birthday in March 2015 with some attractive promotions and an emphasis is placed on the Birthday Dishes around the World. Hereinbelow is a showcase of some of the  meaningful dishes from different countries:

Xiu Tao (steamed buns shaped like peaches are said to attract long life and good health, hence
 also known as "longevity peach"

Yi Mein (also known as "Ee Mian" is consumed on birthdays to call upon a long and prosperous life

Japchae is a sweet potato noodles stir-fried in sesame oil with vegetables and meat,
created in the 17th century to satisfy the Korean King's palate.

Miyeokguk is a soup made from wakame (seaweed), traditionally consumed by women after birth; also eaten on
birthdays as a reminder of the food and nutrition from mothers, bringing good fortune for the rest of the years

Oto is a sacred dish made from hard-boiled eggs, mashed yam and palm oil (yam is replaced by potato in
 this case, for a better flavor) - symbolising purity and fruitfulness.

Jollof Rice is a popular dish in many parts of West Africa, mixture of coconut oil, fresh red
chili pepper and aromatic spices

Light and sweet 4-layer birthday cake from Russia

Having said that, a walkabout around the spacious restaurant reined in lots of selection, and I was at a loss of where to start from - the woodfire oven pizzas at the Italian station, the oven-cooked Chinese dishes, or the seafood / sushi stations?

Eventually, I decided to start with some seafood - raw oysters, mussels and squid.  They also brought in an assortment of bouncy, thick, fresh Sashimi as well as Alaskan King Crab - well, fresh and nice did not seem to be enough to sum it up.  The latter was especially sweet in its natural flavor. There were also Oysters with lemon and miso paste but I did not get to try that one.

Then I tried some meat dishes here and there - chicken wings, sushi rolls, stir fried beef cubes, Korean seafood nian gao etc.  The beef and seafood nian gao left deeper impressions - the former being utterly tender and the latter was crispy and tasty.

I also sampled some Butterfly fish in yuzu sauce, escargots, bacon-wrapped golden mushrooms, blueberry chicken and ribs - the latter was succulent as well, and I liked the meat items paired with refreshing fruity flavors.

Finally, a taste of the highlights - birthday dishes! The Oto (mashed potato in lieu of yam in this case, with palm oil, hard-boiled egg and pine nuts) was an interesting creation with a combination of creamy soft texture but between crunchy bites of the nuts.

Yi Mein (or spelt as "ee mian" usually) was average - long strands of noodles with prawns. The Japchae tasted similar to the Asian glass noodles (known as "tang hoon"), only sweeter.

As for the Jollof Rice, it has been described as a combination of paella rice texture as well as infusion of spiciness of bryani. It was a little saccharine for my liking.  I did enjoy the Miyeokguk (seaweed and beef soup) though, very tasty.

Time for desserts finally. I started with the 4-layered birthday cake from Russia, bearing striking resemblance to the popular rainbow cakes of today. It tasted like rainbow cake as well - from the fluffy and sweet layers of colored cakes to the clotted cream in between the layers.

For other desserts, there were macarons, creme brulee, green tea cheesecake, mango mousse, blueberry roll, waffles, chocolate cake and some tarts. I enjoyed the green tea cakes rather much.

As for fruits, there were mandarin oranges, grapes and chilled persimmon - the latter was very lovely.

And the drinks of the nights were refreshing glasses of Beer as well as Sauvignon Blanc.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable dinner in a comfortable setting as well as fabulous food. There were many familiar faces as well, including but not limited to Running Man, Chubbybotakkoala, Dairy & Cream, Fundamentally Flawed, Esther Xie and Food Esteem etc.

Thank you Todai for the incredible food and hosting, as well as Hungrygowhere for the invite. Lastly, Happy 4th Birthday to Todai Singapore!