Have been to this place numerous times. We went yesterday to entertain some relatives who returned from overseas for a visit.
It is amazing to realise that before Hyatt renovated this place, the same coffee house (then called the Hyatt Cafe) was selling Western buffet with grilled meat as main course (then called Simply Fresh). There were regular themed buffets now and then. The business then was only so so. After the renovation, the cafe started serving hawker style local food with minimal variations (can only recall a peranakan theme) and was selling to full house practically every day. This is the ideal place to bring foreign visitors to sample local food in air conditioned comfort and 5 star hotel service. It is also certified Halal and we can always see lots of Malay customers enjoying themselves here.
The food served was generally quite tasty. There were various food stations, generally organised based on ethnic origins
1. Malay station where people regularly queue up for the fragrant and succulent satay (chicken, beef and mutton). In addition, there were beef rendang, acha, pernakan food and various forms of curry. There was also a BBQ station serving chicken (other occasions featured sting ray)and otah.
2. Indian station served tandoori chicken, naan and standard northern Indian fare.
3. Chinese food served zi-cha items like vegetables, fried turnip cakes (Chai-tow Kueh), fried rice, huge prawns (Cantonese Har Lok) and soup (lotus roots with chicken yesterday and this could rival those served in some of our Chinese restaurants). Of course there were Hainanese chicken rice (tender and juicy chicken), roast duck (such crispy skin), laksa, prawn noodles etc. Yesterday I also discovered very tasty fish head noodle soup. The soup came with tomato making it a bit sour and very refreshing making you ask for more.
4. There were popiah and rojak. They were ok but cannot match the more outstanding items mentioned.
5 There was free flow fruit juices for lunch. I had 2 glasses of guava juice which was most refreshing. Other choices included jack fruit, barley, and sour plum yesterday. Fresh seasonal tropical food were served.
6. Dessert choices were extensive with nyonya kueh, ice cream (5 selections), pulut hitam, ice kachang, goreng pisang ...unfortunately I could only find space for my usual favourite, coconut ice cream.
The place was packed on a Sunday. One has to queue for the favourite items like chicken rice and satay because these were chopped or grilled there and then.
Manpower was a bit stretched due to the high work load but the staff was always courteous and trying their best. Soiled plates were regularly removed. It helped that fruit juices are free flow at the buffet station.
It was not a cheap place ($38++ per person for lunch)to eat but cna be considered worth the money spent if you are a big eater. Obviously many buffet loving Singaporeans and foreigners think so resulting in a full house almost everyday during meal times.

The title pretty much sums it up. You get a lot of variety, the food certainly tastes pretty good in general, but is this the best representation of chicken rice/roti prata/fish curry/laksa in Singapore? Of course not. However, like some reviewers before me have pointed out, this would make a good introduction to our local fare for visitors to Singapore.

While none of the cooked food really made me sit up and take notice, I did like the spread of regional fresh fruit available. The ice cream (coconut, durian, sweet corn, mango, soursop) was very good and refreshing; I went back for seconds and thirds, especially enjoyed the coconut and durian together.

The food is admittedly quite salty. Despite guzzling 3 glasses of ice water during dinner, I was thirsty the rest of the night.

The service staff were kept on their toes all night as it was a Saturday. (Note: Make your reservations, folks. This place is always packed) They were courteous and polite, which made up for the long time it took for water glasses to be topped up.

The decor is heavy on earthy colours and warm lighting, which made the establishment pleasantly cosy. However, the noise from neighbouring diners detracted from the ambience, so much so that I had to raise my voice a few times just to talk to the people sitting beside me. This is much more suited for group dining, not for romantic duos. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

i loveeeeeeeeeeee every single thing they have in their buffet spread!
All-time favourite is the north indian counter---butter chicken and tandoori prawn..soooo goood!!!and the deep fried jackfruit, gula melaka, kueh, i LOVE their made-on-the-spot green kueh, don't really know the name but its the green pancake roll with brown coconut thinn inside...oooh sooo lemak!!!!!!!
they have bbq stingray, roastchicken/duck/soya chicken, mini buddha jump over the wall, ......
i am so hungry now. oh and the green been soup with some coconut thing inside..its my favourite, even though a lot of people don't really like it.
the ambience is really nice too, very modern, woody and homely.

damn, im hungry now..

Recently I was having one of my regular dinners at Newton and a retired US Admiral who was visiting Singapore suddenly turned to me and asked me to recommend a place for good local food. While I was putting on my thinking cap, he mentioned that a friend of his recommended Straits Kitchen and I readily agreed since this restaurant does offer a comfortable setting and a place where one can try many local delights under one roof. However, my recommendation of Straits Kitchen usually ends at the tourist who does not have much time to explore local delights on a more detailed scale given their lack of time in Singpapore.

Located at the Hyatt Hotel, the setting is a open concept with a compilation of local varieties of food. Like in any buffet, I try to eat as much as I can and will list the items in the following categories, namely MUST TRY, TRY IF YOU HAVE SPACE and AVOID.

MUST TRY

1) Butter Chicken - The Indian spread here is pretty good and the butter chicken served is tender with the sauce being not too watery and yet not too thick. Goes well with the Bryani rice.

2) Prawn from the Indian Counter- Succulent and a little boucy. Well marinated.

3) Fish Dishes (from the Indian Counter) - Fresh without the fishy after-taste. Generally sauces tend not to be too overpowering so one can still taste the fish.

4) Fried Carrot Cake - Has a nice taste resulting in the right combination of the egg, carrot cake and salted vegetable with a good amount of "wok hei".

5) Fried Rice - Add the sauce from the chilli crab and you will have a potent combination that would have you coming back for more. The amount of oil used is sufficient to give the rice taste yet not too much that you would make your heart have to work overtime.

6) Steamed Hainanese Chicken - Tender chicken cuts with lots of fat underneath the skin. Not for the faint hearted.



TRY IF YOU STILL HAVE SPACE

1) Fried Flat Rice Noodles - At this is a halal joint, the Fried "Kway Teow" does not have the lard content but is still acceptable, just not the same as you would get in your local uncle's store.

2)Prawn with Sea Cucumber - The prawns here are very crunchy like the kind that one would get after soaking in Sodium Bicarbonate for awhile.

3) Roasted Duck - The version done here tends to be a little on the tough side.

4) Chicken, Mutton and Beef Satay - Very ordinary and nothing much to shout about but the meats were generally tender which made it an easy eat. Tends to be high on the oil content though so avoid if you are health conscious.

5) Curry Chicken - Lacked the spice and tended to be a little bland. Probably closer to chicken stew.

6) Bergerdel - Nice soft fried mashed potato though I wished it was a tad warmer.

AVOID

1) Sambal Sting Ray - Most hawker centres can do it better. Meat was tough and the sambal lacked sting. Maybe this was tailored for foreign taste buds.

2) Ice Cream - Nothing wrong with ice cream but save your stomach for the good local cuisine here and have your ice cream another day.

Well, that summaries my experience there although after reading the other previously written reviews I am kicking myself for not realising that they had the "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" or I must just have feasted on that all night.

My sis, back visiting, was complaining at the end of her holidays here, that she hasn't tried a lot of the local food she wanted to try. So I came here and searched for a place that was all-in-one. I found Straits kitchen and after reading the reviews worried the food may not be up to hawker standards. Boy was I surprised when I had my first taste of "Oh lua" (oyster omelette). It was better than so many oh luas I've had in hawker centres. Most of the food, actually ALL of the food I would rate above average. The variety was crazy. My family and I couldn't think of much they have missed out. Grilled sting ray and chicken, otah (the big fat juicy kind), malay food like stewed mutton and beef, indian food like masala, naan, roti john, the grilled cheese thingy, dhaal, chinese food like steamed/roast chicken rice, prawn me, oh lua, laksa, kai lan, poh piah, rojak (u can tell the chef who makes it fresh how u want it), tahu telok (self made), chilli crabs (with man toh), and the highly mentioned Budha jumps over the wall. Now, don't forget to leave some room for desserts. Cheng Tng, Pulut Hitam, "Da Mai", Muah Chee, Guilin gao, Kuehs, Goreng Pisang, Ice Kachang. Omg.. the list never ends!! O ya.. the fresh fruits! We're not talking about watermelons and oranges like you get in those chinese restaurants at the end of the meal. Dragon fruit, mangosteen, lychee, longans, other whose name I don't even know.

Place is pretty, pleasing to the eye. Noisy like you would expect a hawker to be.. ok.. slightly less noisy. No smelling like food when you leave. And you get to have wine with hawker fare!

Price is a little steep, but what the heck. You get free flow of Budha Jumps Over The Wall and Chilli Crabs. You pay for the service too. They make sure they keep the tables clean all the time, make sure your plate doesn't overflow with junk. They're there when you need them. Attentive.

Definitely worth a try. If not for the price I would definitely go back again.