Momentus Hotel Alexandra, Level 7 | Chinese New Year 2026 Buffet
Ambience & Setting
Perched on the seventh floor of Momentus Hotel Alexandra, Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie welcomes diners into an elevated sanctuary that marries contemporary sophistication with festive warmth. The rooftop setting provides an airy, open atmosphere where natural light filters through during lunch service, while evening diners are treated to the soft glow of ambient lighting that creates an intimate yet celebratory mood befitting the Lunar New Year season.
The restaurant’s design philosophy emphasizes spaciousness and comfort, with well-appointed tables that allow for both intimate family gatherings and larger celebratory feasts. Red and gold accents subtly woven throughout the space pay homage to traditional Chinese New Year symbolism without overwhelming the modern aesthetic. The live carving stations become theatrical focal points, where the sizzle and aroma of charcoal-grilled meats and the gentle crackle of perfectly rendered pork skin create a multisensory prelude to the feast ahead.
The open kitchen concept and visible rotisserie stations add an element of theater and transparency, allowing diners to witness the craftsmanship behind each roast. The gentle hum of conversation mingles with the clinking of serving utensils against porcelain, creating a convivial atmosphere that captures the essence of Chinese New Year gatherings—abundance, togetherness, and joy.
The Feast: An In-Depth Culinary Journey
The Signature Roast Station
14-Day Shio Kombu Butter Aged Angus Ribeye (4.5/5)
This centerpiece demands attention from the moment you approach the carving station. The aging process transforms the beef into something transcendent—the shio kombu (salted kelp) and butter work in tandem over fourteen days to tenderize the meat while infusing it with umami depth that borders on the oceanic.
Each slice reveals a gradient of hues: the deeply caramelized, almost mahogany crust gives way to a rosy medium-rare center that glistens with rendered fat. The charcoal grilling imparts not just visual char marks but a genuine smoky essence that permeates the meat. The texture is a study in contrasts—the exterior offers resistance before yielding to a buttery, almost molten interior that dissolves on the tongue. The beef’s natural sweetness is amplified by the aging process, while the kombu introduces subtle mineral notes that prevent the richness from becoming cloying. This is beef that commands attention, each bite a reminder of patient craftsmanship.
Live Carving Roasts
‘Sha Pi’ Suckling Pig (4.5/5)
Available exclusively on Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first day of celebrations, the suckling pig represents a rare treat executed with precision. The skin—the crowning achievement of any suckling pig—shatters with an audible crack, revealing flesh so tender it requires minimal chewing. The hue of the skin ranges from burnished amber to deep copper, evidence of careful roasting that renders the fat without drying the meat beneath.
The suckling pig’s youth ensures an inherent sweetness and delicacy that distinguishes it from its mature counterparts. Each portion offers skin that’s paper-thin yet structurally sound, providing textural contrast against meat that’s almost mousse-like in its tenderness. The fat layer, gossamer-thin, has rendered completely, leaving behind only flavor without greasiness. This is celebratory food at its finest—luxurious without being heavy, traditional yet refined.
Vanilla-Scented Crackling Pork Belly (5/5)
If the suckling pig whispers elegance, the pork belly shouts indulgence—and earns every bit of its perfect score. The vanilla infusion is a masterstroke, introducing an aromatic complexity that elevates what could be a pedestrian dish into something memorable. The scent hits first—sweet, floral vanilla intermingling with rendered pork fat creates an almost confectionery aroma that belies the savory nature of what’s to come.
The crackling achieves what many attempt but few master: absolute crispness without brittleness. It shatters cleanly, revealing stratified layers of meat and fat that have been rendered to perfection. The top layer is a deep golden-bronze, almost burnt sienna in the most caramelized spots, while the meat beneath shows pale ivory striations of fat between deeper pink-beige meat.
The textural journey is remarkable—the initial crunch dissolves into creamy fat, which then gives way to fibrous but tender meat that’s been braised to the point of submission. The vanilla doesn’t dominate but rather adds a subtle sweetness and aromatic lift that cuts through the richness, making each subsequent bite as appealing as the first. This is pork belly that transcends its humble origins, proof that technique and a touch of creativity can elevate traditional preparations.
Black Truffle “Phoenix” Chicken (4/5)
The poetic naming hints at the dish’s aspirations, and it largely delivers. The chicken emerges with skin that’s been rendered to a delicate crisp—not as aggressive as the pork crackling, but with enough structural integrity to provide satisfying textural contrast. The golden-amber skin glistens with residual fat and truffle oil, creating an almost lacquered appearance.
Black truffle perfumes each bite with its distinctive earthy, almost musky aroma. The meat beneath remains remarkably juicy, suggesting either brining or careful temperature control during roasting. The breast meat, often the driest portion, shows pink juice when carved—a testament to proper technique. The truffle flavor walks the line between presence and dominance, enhancing rather than overwhelming the chicken’s natural flavor. While excellent, it lacks the transcendent quality of the pork belly or the umami bomb of the aged ribeye, earning a still-respectable four stars.
Takeaway Treasures
Dong Po Wagyu Beef Karubi (5/5)
This dish haunts memory long after the meal concludes. The Dong Po preparation—a slow-braising technique that transforms tough cuts into unctuous delicacy—works magic on the already-marbled wagyu karubi (short ribs). The meat emerges with a deep mahogany hue, almost black where the braising liquid has caramelized against the surface.
The texture defies expectation: this isn’t fall-off-the-bone tender; rather, it maintains just enough structure to require a gentle bite before surrendering completely. The fat has rendered into the meat and braising liquid, creating a sauce that coats the tongue with silky richness. Each piece glistens with a lacquer-like glaze that catches the light, hinting at the sticky-sweet-savory complexity within.
The flavor profile is remarkably complex—initial sweetness from rock sugar and Shaoxing wine gives way to savory depth from soy and star anise, while the wagyu contributes its characteristic buttery richness. The interstitial fat, marbled throughout, adds pockets of almost creamy texture that melt at body temperature. This is the kind of dish that lingers in sense memory, prompting returns and cravings for days afterward.
Fragrant Cured Meat ‘Lap Mei Fan’ (4.5/5)
The perfect foil to the Dong Po karubi, this rice dish embraces umami with abandon. Chinese sausage (lap cheong) releases its fat into the rice during cooking, creating grains that are individually distinct yet subtly sticky, each one glistening with rendered pork fat and soy sauce. The rice takes on hues ranging from pale gold to amber where it’s absorbed the sausage drippings.
Nuggets of cured meat—sausage, duck, and pork—provide textural variety and concentrated bursts of flavor. The sausage offers sweet-savory chew, the duck contributes a gamy richness, and the cured pork adds saltiness and fat. Together, they create a mosaic of textures and tastes that make plain rice unthinkable. The dish is comfort food elevated, nostalgic yet refined enough for a hotel setting.
Twice-Cooked Black Garlic Pork Belly Char Siew (Rating not provided)
The glossy, lacquered appearance suggests hours of basting and roasting. Black garlic—fermented until sweet and molten—adds complexity beyond standard char siew’s red fermented tofu and five-spice profile. The edges show aggressive charring, almost black, where sugars have caramelized past amber into deeper, bitter-sweet territory. This char provides textural contrast and flavor complexity that prevents the sweetness from becoming one-dimensional.
The twice-cooking technique ensures the fat has rendered completely while the meat remains moist. Each slice shows the characteristic red ring of char siew marinade penetration, with meat that’s mahogany-red fading to pink at the center. The black garlic adds funky, almost balsamic notes that cut through the sweetness, making this more sophisticated than typical char siew.
Seafood & Cold Appetisers Station
Drunken Chicken (4.5/5)
This Shanghainese classic arrives as a beautiful roulade, the chicken breast rolled and poached before being steeped in aged Shaoxing wine and wolfberries. The meat takes on a pale ivory hue, almost translucent at the edges where the wine has penetrated most deeply. Thin slices reveal the careful rolling technique, creating a pinwheel effect.
The texture is silky and delicate, the poaching having rendered the breast tender without drying. The Shaoxing wine infusion provides a gentle alcoholic warmth and nutty complexity, while wolfberries contribute subtle sweetness and visual appeal with their ruby-red jewel-like presence. This is refined drinking food, sophisticated and aromatic, demanding to be savored slowly.
Cold Pork Trotter Jelly (4.5/5)
A testament to traditional Chinese charcuterie, this dish transforms humble pork trotters into an elegant aspic. The jelly—naturally formed from collagen-rich skin and tendons—sets into a quivering, translucent amber mass studded with pieces of tender trotter meat. The texture is extraordinary: the jelly melts instantly at body temperature, coating the mouth with rich, slightly sticky gelatin before revealing the tender, slightly chewy meat within.
The flavors are clean and porky, enhanced with soy sauce, ginger, and sometimes star anise. The dish is served cold, providing refreshing contrast to the heavier roasted items, yet offers richness through its collagen content. It’s food that showcases technique and patience—nothing here is instant or shortcuts.
Poached Tiger Prawns with Ginger-Scallion Dip (Rating not provided)
The prawns arrive in their shells, poached to the precise moment where the flesh transitions from translucent to opaque. The meat is snappy and firm, offering resistance before releasing sweet prawn flavor. The ginger-scallion dip—a Cantonese classic—provides aromatic heat and allium sharpness that enhances without masking the prawns’ natural sweetness.
Elevated Classics
Longevity Noodles with Crab Roe and Trout Caviar (4.5/5)
These noodles represent symbolic longevity, traditionally served uncut to represent long life. The restaurant elevates the homestyle dish with luxurious toppings that would be unthinkable in a home kitchen. The crab roe adds vibrant orange bursts against the pale wheat noodles, contributing briny sweetness and a slightly grainy texture that melts on the tongue. Trout caviar provides textural pops and additional salinity, each sphere bursting with oceanic flavor.
Despite the rich appearance, the sauce demonstrates restraint and balance. It coats each strand with just enough richness to provide savor without creating heavy, cloying mouthfeel. The noodles themselves maintain ideal texture—tender but with enough resistance to feel substantial. This is comfort elevated through quality ingredients and careful execution.
Tableside Service
Braised Eight-Head Abalone with Sea Cucumber (4/5)
Eight-head abalone refers to the size classification—eight abalones per catty (approximately 600g)—indicating substantial specimens. The braising liquid, dark and glossy, clings to the abalone’s surface, creating a mahogany sheen. The texture hits that desired tender-chewy sweet spot, requiring gentle mastication to release its oceanic sweetness and the savory-sweet notes absorbed during braising.
Sea cucumber provides textural contrast with its gelatinous, slightly crunchy consistency—an acquired appreciation but valued in Chinese cuisine for its supposed health benefits and textural contribution. The dish is executed well, if not memorably, earning solid respect without inspiring rapture.
Golden Lava Cheese Baked Lobster (2.8/5)
This fusion attempt stumbles where others soar. The lobster meat, while visible beneath its golden cheese blanket, suffers from mushiness suggesting either overcooking or the use of previously frozen product. The cheese topping—a mixture that browns and bubbles under the salamander—provides visual drama with its molten, lava-like flow, but cannot rescue the compromised protein beneath.
The flavor isn’t objectionable—cheese and lobster can work together—but the textural failure undermines the entire dish. Lobster should offer sweet, firm, slightly springy flesh; this offers neither firmness nor spring. For a buffet commanding premium pricing, this dish disappoints, particularly when juxtaposed against the excellence of the roasted meats.
Desserts: Wholesome Nostalgia
Yam Purée with Caramelised Pumpkin (No rating provided)
This Teochew classic proves the evening’s most popular dessert, and deservedly so. The yam is steamed until completely tender, then mashed and enriched with coconut milk and sometimes lard until it achieves a cloud-like consistency. The color is pale lavender-grey, almost ethereal, studded with ginkgo nuts that provide textural contrast and subtle bitterness to balance the sweetness.
Caramelized pumpkin adds visual beauty—golden-orange cubes glistening with caramel—and additional sweetness complexity. The dessert is served warm, comfort incarnate, evoking memories of festival celebrations and family gatherings. It’s not refined in the Western pastry sense, but it doesn’t aim to be; this is soul food, tradition made edible.
Other offerings include steamed nian gao (glutinous rice cake), pineapple tarts with their buttery shells and tangy-sweet filling, and green pea cookies that crumble delicately while releasing subtle legume sweetness. These are not showstoppers but beloved classics that complete the nostalgic journey through Chinese New Year flavors.
Final Assessment
Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie’s Chinese New Year 2026 buffet succeeds on multiple fronts. The signature roasts justify the visit alone—particularly the Vanilla-Scented Crackling Pork Belly and Dong Po Wagyu Beef Karubi, both earning perfect scores through exceptional execution and memorable flavors. The restaurant demonstrates understanding that buffets need not mean compromise; quality ingredients and proper technique can coexist with abundance.
The buffet’s strength lies in its commitment to both tradition and refinement. Familiar Chinese New Year dishes appear in elevated forms—longevity noodles garnished with caviar, yam purée served with caramelized pumpkin—while classics like drunken chicken and lap mei fan appear in their finest expressions. The over thirty dishes provide variety without overwhelming, each station offering distinct flavor profiles and textural experiences.
The few missteps—notably the mushy lobster—feel like minor stumbles in an otherwise assured performance. The early booking perks (10% discount, complimentary yu sheng, bonus wine) add value, while the rooftop setting provides an escape from street-level crowds without sacrificing accessibility.
For families seeking a Chinese New Year celebration that honors tradition while embracing contemporary comfort, Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie delivers abundance, quality, and the festive atmosphere essential to welcoming the Year of the Horse with proper reverence and joy.
Early Booking Benefits:
- 10% off food bill (reservations before 16 Jan 2026)
- Complimentary Yu Sheng (tables of 4+ adults)
- Bonus bottle of wine (bookings with 6+ adults)
Location: Momentus Hotel Alexandra, Level 7, 323 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159972
Contact: +65 90215192
Nearest MRT: Queenstown (EW Line), Redhill (EW Line)