Breakfast at Fratelli was neither cheap nor great. Surprisingly for an Italian restaurant, some of the Asian food wasn’t bad. But we see little reason why we would come back.
Hotel Michael serves its daily breakfast buffet in Fratelli, its Italian restaurant. It wasn’t great by our standards. We did like its deep-fried yam cakes drizzled with sweet dark sauce and thought the frittata, chicken char siew baos, croissants, and bread and butter pudding weren’t bad. But that didn’t seem enough to justify its relatively high price which was just a few dollars shy of the far superior SGD56[2] breakfast buffet at the Capella Singapore. Alternatively, we felt the SGD33[3] breakfast buffet at the Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa was not only cheaper but better.
We review anonymously and pay for everything. All opinions expressed here are our own and all information is correct as of our last stay or visit and subject to change without notice.
The highlight of the American breakfast section was its frittata — which, on hindsight, shouldn’t have surprised us as it is an Italian dish. Not only was it still moist, it was fluffy from air bubbles distributed throughout the egg structure while also slightly and deliciously browned at the top. We were also unexpectedly wowed by the sautéed cherry tomatoes, infused with a fragrance of garlic that filled our noses as they burst beautifully in our mouths. The roasted potatoes weren’t bad either — soft but not mushy as many tend to be.
The other items, however, were a let-down. The scrambled eggs were a little under-seasoned and tasted more of dairy despite its lack of creaminess. The fried eggs were also done over hard, their yolks fully set and dry — which we didn’t enjoy, though some people might. The bacon was a little tough and wasn’t crispy while the chicken sausage tasted processed to us. Surprisingly, even its live station for eggs made to order fell short of our expectations. Our omelette was under-seasoned and its fillings of tomato, peppers, and mushrooms didn’t seem to include much cheese — if at all. Our poached eggs also reeked and tasted of vinegar, as if their appearance — wrinkled and loose whites that didn’t fully cover their yolks — wasn’t disappointing enough.
Surprisingly for an Italian restaurant, our vote for the best breakfast buffet dish at Fratelli goes to its little deep-fried yam cakes. Its crispy browned crust paired superbly with its accompanying dark sweet sauce; inside, it was hot and soft, but not mushy. The chicken char siew bao wasn’t bad either, the steamed bread fluffy and its filling well-seasoned. We also appreciated the filling of a whole shrimp that came in each dumpling, even if the dumpling skin was a little thicker than we liked.
But that’s where we felt the outperformance ended. We found the fried noodles overcooked and mushy, even if it tasted all right. The chap chye vegetable stew was not only a little under-seasoned but also a little under-cooked — it could have been softer. But that wasn’t as bland and tasteless as the congee which didn’t seem to have been made with any kind of stock and begged for a generous ladling of condiments.
The breakfast buffet also included nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) and its typical condiments of ikan bilis (dried anchovies), sambal chilli paste, roasted peanuts, and cucumber slices. While we found the rice a little mushy, we thought its coconut flavour wasn’t bad and paired well with the spicy sambal.
The bakery section wasn’t bad. While Fratelli might have been an Italian rather than a French restaurant, its plain croissants turned out crispy, flaky, buttery, and airy — just the way we like them. The bundt marble cake, alternating between chocolate and orange flavours, was also still a little moist. Another safe choice was the bread and butter pudding, its crust giving way to a soft and wobbly egg custard below. This went wonderfully with the pitchers of honey, maple syrup, vanilla sauce, and chocolate sauce available at the buffet table.
We wouldn’t waste these syrups and sauces however on the pancakes which were not only hard on the outside but also dry on the inside. We also didn’t like the dense and chewy pain de chocolat or apricot Danish pastries, both of which weren’t very buttery either.
8 Sentosa Gateway, Singapore 098269, Hotel Michael, Lobby
+65 6577 6555 / +65 6577 6688
