Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant

For more than 30 years, Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant has a familiar site along the Singapore coastline. Though it is now dwarfed by towering skyscrapers, it used to stand out from the crowd, literally as the tallest building in that part of Singapore.

If you just arrived at the building premises, you would probably take another look, thinking you got the wrong place. The building is actually a grain silo and at first glance doesn’t look inviting to visitors. Don’t let appearances fool you once you take the elevator to the top floor, it is a different story.

The restaurant gives a panoramic view of the surroundings. Don’t let the view dazzle you do watch your step when you just entered the restaurant for it is revolving, albeit at a slow speed- hence giving the restaurant this name.

Food:

The cuisine of choice here is Beijing fare. As with almost all restaurants offering Beijing cuisine, Peking duck is on the menu. It also comes highly recommended by both the restaurant and the reviewer. If you have never eaten Peking duck before, it is duck skin, roasted to a crisp, garnished with cucumbers and wrapped with a tortilla like skin and served with an appetizing plum sauce. Even if you have tasted Peking duck before, you shouldn’t give it a miss here for it is nicely done, one of the best Peking duck in Singapore.

Another signature dish is the Shredded Scallop with Fish and Egg White. When served, the colors of orange, white with a sprinkling of green come together in an appetizing sight. The scallop flavors the egg white, giving it a delectable taste.

There is quite a lot of seafood on offer here but try the Deep Fried Soon Hock, probably the ugliest fish around with its wide gaping mouth. Appearances are deceiving though for the flesh is simply divine. The skin is crispy but the flesh is soft and succulent. Sprinkle the broth on it and you will forget about the fish’s looks.

There are set meals for those who don’t like to fiddle around the menu and fortunately, most of the set meals include their signature dishes.

If you come during lunchtime, they serve Dim Sum as well. It has a rather wide variety, most of the staples of Chinese Dim Sum can be found here. There are very few activities more gratifying than sipping Chinese tea while you enjoy Dim Sum and a fantastic view of the port.

Service:

Service here is decent but unspectacular. The service staff is responsive but pretty much leave you on your own unless you initiate contact. Perfect because you would rather spend more time gazing at the view.

Ambience:

As mentioned, a big part of the draw here is the panoramic revolving view of the Singapore waterfront. Though it is no longer the towering building it was during its inception, the view is still spectacular. The restaurant has virtually 360 of floor to ceiling glass windows so you can enjoy the view as it slowly rotates. While waiting for your food to be served, you can see the efficiency of the port as the gantry cranes quickly unload the berthed container vessels.

The décor of the restaurant itself is nothing to shout about, simple traditional Chinese décor with its carpet seemingly in the fashion of the day it was founded. Not that it matters, your eyes are unlikely to be fixated on anything other than the view and the food (and your partner).

Price:

Food is rather pricey here, if you are ordering a set meal, you can expect to spend close to $100 per person (including taxes).