Today, I managed to get superglue on my fingers and trip over myself a billion times. Just the day before, I had a spectacular fall at a traffic junction in Bugis. I'm such a hazard to myself. It's totally killing the image. Totally.

Anyway, here's today's review for you voracious eaters and readers. Our nice ad agency bought boss and I lunch today at Melt. For the uninitiated, Melt, is the new buffet concept by Oriental (and every other hotel, it seems).

TODAY'S MENU

What: Melt - The World Cafe
Where: The Oriental Singapore
Opening Hours: 12noon - 2.30pm (Lunch), 6.30pm - 10.30pm (Dinner)
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Price: $32+++ (Lunch), $39+++ (Dinner)


With half the number of buffet stations that The Line has, Melt comes across cosier and more subdued as opposed to the hip and trendy outfit that is The Line. The brown and red interiors make for a soothing visual experience the moment you enter, very much in line with the rest of the recently-revamped hotel.


Of special mention is the service at Melt. Almost flawless, the chefs and wait staff are on hand to assist in making recommendations at the different counters or help dish a fidgety omelette rice package onto your plate. My plate always made a quiet disappearance once I was done with the round. Only gripe I have is that they clear your cutlery without replacing it.


Food-wise, expect slightly above-average quality. The veal was excellent though, so was the lamb cutlet which was surprisingly tender. An interesting twist came in the form of fruit naan. Yes, my naan had bits of strawberries which made for a very pleasant tang. As usual, there are Thai, Indian, Western, Japanese and dessert counters. Nine stations in all. And yes, there is also a chocolate fountain. Not one, but two. One milk, one white. However, the milk chocolate fountain wasn't loaded with enough chocolate and looked like metal trays stacked on top of one another, dripping with chocolate. If operated properly, like the one at The Line, you shouldn't even be able to see the metal trays.


For dessert, there are shot glasses filled with various treats in refrigerated glass pull-out drawers. I had a miniature glass of wine jelly with mandarin orange and lychee. Deliciously refreshing but a little heavy on the alcohol. The waffles were not to my liking though. Toppings were aplenty, from mini eggs to peanut butter and fruit, but the waffles themselves lacked flavour and ended up very bland. The butter quotient was definitely lacking.


A good place to go if you want to avoid the lunchtime crowd at The Line. At $32 per person, it makes it a rather worthwhile trip to head to Melt. Oh, and the restaurant manager himself is quite a dish ;) Ashton Kutcher lookalike in a pin-striped suit with a sexy European accent. Hey, he more than made up for the bland waffles :)


Verdict: Go ahead, give it a shot (and while you're at it, I wouldn't mind the manager's number :))