Crossroads Cafe @ Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel Singapore: a review

This review of Crossroads cafe at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel features food items from two separate visits.

Crossroads Cafe review

Located at the busiest road intersection along the Orchard area – Orchard Road itself and Scotts road – Crossroads Cafe is a great place for the downtown shopping break.

The husband, myself, and our son love stopping by here when we do come to town.

As usual, the American Express Love Dining programme gave us a 50% discount when we dined in – the standard benefit rate for two adults (husband and myself). Our son (under 1 year old) didn’t add towards the headcount.

There are a few American Express credit cards that provide Love Dining privileges. Namely, the Platinum Credit Card, the Platinum Reserve Credit Card, and the Platinum Charge card. (I know, the names sound really similar and it can be confusing). My favourite is the Platinum Charge card thanks to a whole host of other benefits it offers – read about it in the post here:

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 140,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 62,500 Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 35, 000 Krisflyer miles when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

Menu

The menu here is international. Typical western dishes such as Fish and Chips are served alongside local favourites such as Char Kuey Tiao and Hokkien Mee.

In this Crossroads Cafe review, – to qualify for discounts by Love Dining benefits – each adult has to order at least one qualifying Main Course from the a la carte menu. Love Dining qualifying items are dishes from the ‘Salad’, ‘Mains’ (EXCEPT Steak Frites), ‘Pasta & Risotto’, ‘Sandwiches & Burgers’, ‘Local’ and ‘Signature’ options.

Check out the menu below, or download it from the Crossroads Cafe website right here.

Image Source: Crossroads Cafe, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Salad and Sharing plates

Do not belittle the salads or starter items here – the servings are actually huge. Like, if you have a smaller appetite, they would be considered sufficient kind of huge.

See how the Salad Dish looks almost as large as the Fish and Chips?

The Grilled Asparagus and Pumpkin Salad isn’t just a bed of leaves. Grilled asparagus, pumpkin and zucchini is tossed with radicchio and flax seeds in a balsamic dressing.

Grilled Asparagus and Pumpkin Salad

One of my favourite appetizers is calamari, and Crossroads Cafe does it just right. Lightly battered and deep fried, the Salt and Pepper Calamari were so crunchy and addictive with chipotle mayonnaise.

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Unlike the calamari that i’ve had elsewhere, such as at Prego (Fairmont hotel), whereby calamari tends to be JUST calamari, the version served here also includes battered and deep fried lemon slices, green beans, and random vegetable pieces. An unexpected but pleasant surprise, it’s almost like having calamari with vegetable chips.

Battered and Deep Fried Lemon Slice – this was as yummy as the calamari

International and Local Mains

I’ve mentioned to my circle of friends, that if you enter a restaurant serving western dishes, and don’t quite know what to order, the most idiot-proof choice is usually Fish and Chips.

Fish and Chips

It is a simple dish – beer battered cod fish, served with thick-cut chips and tartar sauce – the dish is almost like a test of a restaurant’s overall quality. Fish and Chips is one of those things that can either WOW the diner or leave a person disappointed.

We LOVED it here. Well-fried and crispy without being too oily or soggy, the cod was truly fried to perfection. It’s MUCH better than the one I’ve had at FYR and the Drunken Poet (Irish pub). This was just the right amount of crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

It’s also nice that Crossroads Cafe is thoughtful about the little things – see the yellow cloth? That’s a half-lemon wrapped up – squeeze the lemon as it is over the battered cod, and the lemon seeds will NOT fall out. Cool, eh?

Hello, Lemon

The burgers here are also statement pieces in their own right.

Marriott Burger

The Marriott Burger is THE signature food item here – by signature it indicates that this burger can also be found at other Marriott hotel outlets, such as the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach. 

Made with cheddar, tomato, crispy bacon, dill pickle, and a 100% ground angus beef patty, it is a must-try for beef burger lovers. Juicy, flavourful, and very filling, my husband has declared his love for this burger and says that it is “very comforting”.

100% Ground Angus Beef

Equally comforting is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger

It comes with red cabbage slaw, gherkins, spicy mayonnaise… and satisfyingly crunchy sounds with every bite.

Would you ever go to a hotel and order local food items? Some may think it’s insane to pay SGD 20-30 for something that can be bought at the hawker center for a fraction of the price, or that these items are only for foreign tourists who don’t know any better.

To each his own – after all, it IS true to some extent that one is paying for the service and hotel ambience. But there are times when a dish is worth the money, and the Singapore Laksa Lemak is one of them.

Singapore Laksa Lemak – see the huge prawn right there?

Firstly, the serving is HUGE – it is easily 1.5 times to double the portion of most hawker centers or food court. Secondly, the rice noodles here come with quail egg and a few LARGE PRAWNS, which gives the dish a more luxurious vibe.

Rice Noodles, Quail Egg, Bean Curd, Fish Cake, Spicy Coconut Gravy with Prawns

The deliciously rich and spicy coconut gravy is another wow factor. Really, if I’ve got guests from abroad coming in and if they wish to dine comfortably (or if they’ve got small kids) and if going to a hawker center doesn’t fly, Crossroads Cafe would be a good place to try local dishes in the ambience of comfort and hotel-level service. 

American Express Platinum Charge Card (Image source: American Express)

Want some Love Dining?

Apply for an American Express credit card and get bonus points!

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 140,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 62,500 Membership Rewards points when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 35, 000 Krisflyer miles when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

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