COCA Singapore recently launched a Fragrant Laksa soup base as a part of Coca’s hotpot buffet. Its laksa rempah is made daily along with a fresh blend of lemongrass, dried chillies, galanga and dried shrimps.
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| COCA @ Kallang Leisure Park |
For this tasting, we get to try the Regular Buffet Dinner menu, which has more than 70 items to choose from. We tried two soup bases, The Fragrant Laksa and Hua Diao Phoenix Pot. We had tried the Hua Diao Phoenix soup base for home delivery before and we like it. The difference is when you eat at the restaurant, the service staff flambe the chicken with hua diao wine, before putting it in the broth for boiling. The result is a smoky aroma of the wine, without the alcohol.
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| Hua Diao Chicken Flambe |
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| Hua Diao Phoenix Pot with The Flambe Chicken |
The fragrant laksa soup base is aromatic and filled with rempah flavour, topped with a generous spread of chopped laksa leaves. While the aroma is fragrant and strong, it does not have a rich coconut milk flavour like the laksa dish that we usually eat. This is good as you don’t want to be overwhelmed by the coconut milk when eating your steamboat.
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| Fragrant Laksa Soup Base (Right) |
According to the service staff, it is best to pair the laksa broth with seafood. Therefore, we ordered the prawns, clams, oysters and crab to cook in the laksa broth. The prawns are fresh and already deshell, leaving only the head and tail intact. We enjoy the crunchiness of the prawns without the need to get out hands dirty.
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| Prawns & Thinly Sliced Lamb |
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| Prawn Cooked in Laksa Soup Base |
The oysters are a must-order here. Each one of them is around the size of your thumb, fresh, plump and juicy. When you cooked it in the laksa broth, it also removes any trace of the fishiness in the oysters. After we cooked the prawns, clams and crab in the laksa broth, it adds additional sweetness to the laksa broth.
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| Oysters |
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| Seafood Loaded Laksa Broth |
We tried three different sliced meat: beef, pork and lamb. The beef and pork are tender and succulent. For the lamb, if you can’t stand the gamy meat, you might want to give this a miss.
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| Thinly Sliced Pork & Thinly Sliced Beef |
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| Thinly Sliced Beef |
COCA is also known for their speciality fish glue and paste. We tried their fish glue, shrimp paste and fish paste. The shrimp paste is a must order as it was bouncy and packed with shrimp flavour. The fish glue tastes like fishcake, however, it is missing the bounciness. The fish paste turns out to have a similar taste as their fishballs, thus nothing to miss if you do not order it.
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| Fish Glue |
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| Shrimp Paste |
The fishball with roe is thick and bouncy, however, the roe is easily hardened, sticks together and missing the popping sound from the fish roe. I highly recommend that you order shrimp wanton and stuffed beancurd. They are awesome and delicious.
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| Clockwise: Crab, Stuffed Beancurd Skin, Thinly Sliced Lamb, Fishballs with Roe & Shrimp Wanton |
To ensure a balanced diet, you need to order vegetables. We like the Tang O and beancurd skin and mushrooms. The Chinese cabbage is good when you add this to the hua diao soup base as it adds sweetness to the broth.
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| Green Noodle & Vegetables |
For carbs, don’t miss out on COCA signature Green Noodle and Thai mama noodle. The green noodle is already cooked, so you just need to blanch them with the broth. The crunchy texture of the noodle can easily be eaten in a dry or soup version, for LD, she loves it with Coca’s signature sukiyaki sauce. While the Thai mama noodle is just made for the laksa soup base.
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| Clams, Thai Mama Noodle, Luncheon Meat & Fish Ravioli |
There are a lot of sauces and toppings to choose from. I find the sesame paste is good, while LD likes their Original COCA Sauce and Thai Seafood Sauce.
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| Clockwise: Cuttlefish, Tau Pok, Green Noodle, Quail Eggs, Fishball Noodle, Sliced Potato, Stuffed Beancurd Skin, Pork Liver |
You can top up $8 per pax for Buffet Plus, which allows you the selection of Premium Soup Bases, Free flow selected beverages (fresh lime juice, ice lemon tea, lemongrass pandan and water chestnut) and one time serving of their dessert. The East Meet West, a scoop of coconut ice cream, topped with gula melaka and sago. It was delicious that I wanted to order more than one.
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| Drinks - Lime Juice, Water Chestnut & Lemongrass Pandan |
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| The East Meet West |
The décor of the place is modern and steamboat focus. The tables are closed to each other, so to abide by the safe distancing rules, their seating arrangement will look weird.
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| Part of the Dining Area |
Overall, COCA latest Fragrant Laksa Hotpot is going to be a hit with the diners. I like the fragrant and aromatic flavours, with a manageable spicy level. The regular buffet dinner provides an extensive buffet spread, while the additional top-up for free flow of drinks and a dessert is worth the money. Cheers!!
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| Regular Buffet Dinner Menu Image Credit: COCA Singapore |
Price and Timing
Regular Buffet Lunch Pricing
Weekdays (Mon to Thu)
Adult: $36++, Child: $22++, Student: $28++
Senior Citizen: $28++ (only valid from mon to Thu except eve of PH and PH)
Fri/Weekend/Eve of PH/ PH
Adult $40++, Child $24++
(Above prices include choice of 1 soup Double Treasure or Tom Yum). Top up $6++ for Laksa Hotpot broth (香浓叻沙）
Regular Buffet Dinner
Mon to Thu
Adult: $49++, Child: $28++,
Senior Citizen: $42++ (only valid from mon to Thu except eve of PH and PH)
Fri/ Weekend/ Eve of PH/ PH
Adult: $53++, Child: $30++
Premium Seafood Buffet (100 minutes All-You-Can-Eat Hotpot)
All Day
Adult: $82++, Child: $35++
(includes a glass of welcome wine and free flow selected beverages, 2 soups including 1 premium broth (Laksa), complimentary appetiser of the day, one-time customisable Mala Xiang Guo, array of unlimited seasonal seafood options, free-flow selected desserts.
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| Buffet Plus Menu |
Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and COCA Singapore for hosting us.
Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 7 /10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $51 - $80
COCA @ Leisure Park Kallang
5 Stadium Walk
#02-01 Leisure Park Kallang
Singapore 397693
T: +65 6241 3833
IG: @Cocasingapore
OH:
Mon – Fri: 11.15 – 15.00 (LO 14.30), 18.00 – 22.30 (LO 21.45)
Sat & Sun: 11.15 – 22.30 (Lunch LO 15.45, Dinner LO 21.45)
Please visit their website for other locations.
