The annual Lobsterfet at Lime Restaurant runs from 15 June – 6 Aug this year. It is priced at S$166++ per adult, and includes free flow juices and beer. We made a reservation for 2 on 15 July, Sturday.
The Published Menu
Booking
Reservation was through their website, and requires a 25% deposit – in our case, this amounted to S$98.60 after taxes. This “deposit” is actually a credit card hold only – it is not charged or posted, and is eventually reversed. You will still need to pay the full amount at the restaurant.
Arriving at the restaurant
There is ample parking at Parkroyal’s car park, and the car park lift opens at level 1 where Lime Restaurant is in plain sight. I must say that I was impressed by the reception – despite being a busy night, our server asked us if this was our first time at Lobsterfest. When we replied to the affirmative, she proceeded to bring us around briefly, introducing the various stations and also the “star” dishes. Our table was right in the middle of the restaurant which was convenient, but unfortunately it also meant that there was a lot of foot traffic beside the table.
The food
The food was divided into sections, with each of them featuring at least 1 lobster dish (on top of the other foods available):
- Cold seafood – half-lobsters, lobster claws
- Salads/Entrée – lobster brioche, Caesar salad with lobster claw (and anchovies!)
- Western – lobster mac & cheese, lobster thermidor, lobster bisque
- Local/Asian – lobster laksa, chili lobster, kam heong lobster, steamed lobster
- Outdoor grill – grilled spiny lobster
- Desserts – no lobster dishes
Despite this being a full-house night, access to food was easy. The only ones that had any sort of queue were those that required live-fire cooking: the lobster thermidor, and outdoors grilled lobster.
Hits and Misses
Table service was really attentive, with our plates cleared in a timely fashion. It also struck me how pleasant all the staff were, given what a busy night it was.
Food-wise, the grilled spiny rock lobster was particularly good. We also enjoyed the lobster bisque (which we only discovered towards the end of our meal), and the lobster brioche.
Unfortunately, the cold section was a bit of a letdown. The cold lobsters were somewhat rubbery (go for just the claws instead!), sashimi selection was very limited, and there weren’t any oysters. Also, it would have been nice if they could come up with a lobster-inspired dessert. I’m thinking lobster ice cream, perhaps?
Payment and Deals
The timing of Lobsterfest coincided with an offer by Amex, where we get S$100 back after spending S$400 at specified Pan Pacific hotels.
Do note that the usual 25% GHA member discount does not apply for Lobsterfest, specifically. It is also not eligible for earning Discovery $Dollars unless you are a guest staying in at the same time.
Finally, remember to ask for a complimentary parking ticket – it covers 3 hours of free parking, which would otherwise have cost us S$15.
My Thoughts
I’m glad to have experienced Lobsterfest, after missing last year’s. At the end of it, I was stuffed from lobster and went to bed thinking that I cannot bear seeing another crustacean for the next few days at least! It is pretty pricey though, and if going by value alone, there are probably other buffets that would make me very happy indeed.
