New in town: Permata Singapore, Sultan Gate — Boasts 60+ Nusantara-inspired dishes

With new food places springing up around Singapore right before our very eyes, it’s been a while since we had a halal buffet place pique our interest this much. Introducing Permata Singapore, a Nusantara-inspired buffet line that opened just before Ramadhan, and now, perfect for intimate reunions.

It’s housed in the historical mansion of Gedung Kuning, which many, I’m sure would’ve walked past if you’re ever around Arab Street. For the uninitiated, Nusantara cuisine stretches across the Indonesian Archipelago and is an old Javanese term to mean ‘the outer islands’. The buffet line here is nothing short of an impressive variety from familiar favourites such as Roti Jala and Wagyu Beef Rendang.

You can explore this regional cuisine through the plates of six sambal varieties (the sambal tempoyak, which is made with durian, is our favourite!), Ulam (traditional salad), Kerabu (blue-coloured rice eaten with dried fish or fried chicken, crackers, pickles and other salad), and Ayam Binjai. Of course, it’s needless to say, the seafood spread here comes recommended, with fresh prawns, la la, crawfish, and mussels on ice to kick off your meal.

Be sure to make room for dessert—as with any buffet—because you won’t want to miss out on Permata’s Buah Keluak Brownie, made with a native seed commonly used in Javanese cooking and Intan Permata, a chiffon cake infused with natural pandan flavour, glazed with white chocolate and calamansi zest.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not feeling like a massive helping here, as small bites of Epok-Epok, Keropok, and Pandan Chicken is here to satisfy as well. Got your appetites whet yet? Good, because your wallet will be glad to know that the buffet will only set you back by S$42++ for lunch and S$52++ for dinner from Monday to Thursday, while from Friday to Sunday, the prices shift up slightly to S$48++ for lunch and S$58++ for dinner. These prices are opening specials, so make your reservation with little haste!

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