𝐓𝐋𝐃𝐑: 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐭?
Full disclosure - this was a treat from a colleague. However, I do think that weekday prices are reasonable (weekend prices are another thing altogether). Pick & choose your food wisely & don't expect hotel-standard type of food. Bonus points for being family-friendly, if you're a parent looking to take your kids/family out for a meal.

It is probably very out of the way for most people, being located in Changi Airport Terminal 2 (head down the escalator right beside Kenangan Coffee to Level 1). Was not an issue for me though, but just putting that out there.

𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
I paired my ice cream & gelato with some pastries from the adjacent counter. Didn't put a waffle on my plate; got a Croffle & Smashed Croissant instead.

I don't get the trend/hype about the latter - so tough & hard, & isn't the beauty of a croissant the fluffy airyness? Hard pass for me.

The croffles were superb - I would go back for more. ❤️

𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬
The other desserts are pretty basic & can be skipped. The Chocolate Brownie & Ondeh Ondeh were way too hard & disappointing; the rest were ordinary.

𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 & 𝐆𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨
Despite not being a dessert person, the most amazing part of this buffet is the ice cream & gelato section. They have 1 whole counter each. Impressive selection of flavours - 48 flavours of gelato & ice cream combined (that's 24 each)!

I got the Smoked Oak Tiramisu gelato & Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup ice cream.. They were creamy & decadent - I enjoyed them.

Other interesting flavours I would love to try next time: Genmaicha, Gianduja, Biscoff Cheesecake, Pistachio, Cheese Cookie gelatos; Mao Shan Wang with Sea Salt Gula Melaka, Maple Walnut, Affogato Honeycomb, Salted Butterscotch ice cream.

𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
There is a DIY kueh pie tee station - which experienced a bit of a human traffic jam, since it takes time to DIY. Quite delicious though, & on hindsight I should've taken more. I skipped the Indian cuisine selection of a few dishes; Nasi Lemak rice & Chap Chye were my choice selections.

𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
I was banking on the roast striploin beef to up the Bang for Your Buck factor. But the consistency of doneness was questionable.

The first round was way too well done.... & the next round was too rare. Hmm. I left some super rare bits behind & I honestly felt bad. (For context - I eat my steak medium rare)

𝐍𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
I like how the portions served are right-sized for a buffet - not too much. I double fisted a bowl of Laksa & Duck Carbonara Linguine back to my table. These were served piping hot & were the better dishes in the buffet spread.

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 & 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐫
Ain't nobody got time for salad 😂 It's not my habit to eat salads at buffets..

Seafood was alright IMO. My teammate enjoyed the crab - said it was much sweeter than the prawns.. But I felt the meat of the crab was too soft. Prawns had good texture, but only had flavour when lemon was squeezed over it.

Make reservations if you can at Swensens Unlimited for their 90-minute buffet... Because the walk-in queue even on weekdays for lunch is MAD.

Payment is right by the cashier as you enter - & thereafter, the staff put on a wristband for you & the clock starts ticking. When we came close to the 90-minute mark, a waiter that came by to check our receipt (exit timing is written on it) & remind us of the few minutes we had left.

I tried almost everything, but in the interests of stomach space, I did skip out on some. I'll post more about some of the ones I feel are worth mentioning (good & bad)

Last but certainly not least of what we had from their small plates section:

𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐡 ($16++)
🐄 Cabbage, Green Tomato, Mustard, Dill

The exterior batter provides a welcomed crunch, as you bite in to unveil a dense, meaty mini-patty. The slaw on top is necessary to cut through the heaviness of the meat.

Thanks Evan (@indulgentism) for the invite & Team Origin Bar for the hospitality! 💕

𝐁𝐚𝐩 𝐗𝐚𝐨 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 ($12++)
🌽 Vietnamese Style Roasted Corn, Lager, Butter, Chilli

This is also part of the Small menu. It's practically a Mexican kueh pie tee - reminiscent of the buttery goodness of elotes at Cinco de Mayo parades. This fusion experiment works!

Thanks Evan (@indulgentism) for the invite & Team Origin Bar for the hospitality! 💕

Also part of Origin Bar's "Bar Bites" menu (served from 5:30 - 11PM) are these 𝚂𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙻 plates. Great options if you're looking for bite-sized nibbles to share:

𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 & 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 ($12++)
🦐 Smoked Tiger Prawn, Paprika, Yuzu, Caviar, Coriander
An explosion of refreshing flavours in my mouth - smokey, umami, & zesty. I love the contrast of the crispy light cracker with the freshness of the prawn.

Thanks Evan (@indulgentism) for the invite & Team Origin Bar for the hospitality! 💕

Their "Bar Bites" menu is served from 5:30 - 11PM, & here another good dish from the 𝙻𝙰𝚁𝙶𝙴 section:

𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐛𝐬 ($28++)
🐷 Pork Ribs, Homemade BBQ Sauce, Lime

Thanks Evan (@indulgentism) for the invite & Team Origin Bar for the hospitality! 💕