One year ago, this restaurant was still known as Cafebiz. It was where my family and I would often go for weekend high tea when I was a teen. Today, it has been renamed as J65 which is inspired by the Singapore international dialling code.

This vibrant all-day dining restaurant located at the lobby level of Hotel Jen Tanglin, now sports a modern South-East Asian market look and feel.

Eager to know what culinary delights J65 is offering?

Apple Crumble Tart, Matcha Azuki Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Eclair, assorted Nonya kuehs and desserts in glasses/bottles

Hazelnut Royaltine, Rose Swiss Roll, Choc Orange Mousse Cake, Cherry Almond Tart, Tiramisu, assorted flavours of ice creams with a whole wide range of toppings & sauces

A variety of salads that included Cauliflower-Broccoli-Pumpkin, Brown Rice-Cherry Tomato-Croutons, Mushroom-Couscous-Sweet Corn, Papaya Salad with Prawns & Tomatoes and Mesclun leaves

The chilled seafood section was filled with Fine de Claire oysters, Boston lobsters, Sri Lankan crabs, baby lobsters, lobster & crab claws, tiger prawns, half shell scallops and mussels

Salmon and tuna sashimi, assorted sushi (with vegetarian options) and maki rolls

Keropok, baked scallops, ngoh hiang and baked salmon

Pork knuckle, roast beef, bone-in leg of lamb and Yorkshire puddings

Briyani rice, masala potato, fish head curry and kueh pie tee station

Assam prawns, braised beancurd with mushrooms, mixed vegetables and pork in vinegar

Red snapper with black bean sauce, root vegetables with balsamico, braised beef with polenta and assorted dried fruits, nuts and crackers to go with the cheeses

Noodle station that offered 6 types of laksas, roast meats and chicken rice, coffee/tea station

There were also some tempura and braised dishes like braised eggs & tofu which I didn’t capture any shots.

Salivating yet? It’s time to dig in! 🙂

The chilled seafood spread was really fresh especially the oysters that literally tasted like the ocean. I actually preferred the lobster claws and crab claws to the bodies as they were much sweeter. The sashimi were thickly sliced and were fresh and sweet as well. Salads wise, I only went for the papaya salad as that was the most refreshing and appetising option while the rest were a little carb-heavy because they had brown rice or couscous in it.

From the carving station, I had the roast beef which was a little too well done but nonetheless, it was still tender and moist. The pork knuckle was my favourite because the skin was superbly crispy with a resounding crunch. The layer of fat beneath the skin simply melted in the mouth and the meat itself was also tasty. It was definitely one of the better pork knuckles I had. Do not miss out on the Yorkshire puddings because these were the best I had so far – all puffed up with a lovely crispy exterior and a light, airy interior. The sauerkraut paired really well with the roasts with its slight tartness but I would prefer the brown sauce to be a little bit more thick and creamy.

If you love cheese, you have to try the Baked Scallops that were quite a treat. Obviously, the cheese was overpowering in flavour but it was creamy and flavoursome so I liked it better than the chilled scallop which was a little plain.

From the hot dishes section, I highly recommend the fork tender braised beef that almost melted in the mouth. The red snapper with black bean sauce was also fresh with no fishy smell at all. The pork in vinegar and assam prawns were quite tasty too but they were just too oily.

The Cantonese roast meats were decent, not the best I had – thought the char siew stood out more than the rest. The briyani rice and masala potato were pretty good but the fish head curry was a tad too fishy for my liking.

Desserts time! The salted caramel eclair was my favourite! The pastry had a bit of chewiness in it and the custard filling was just perfectly balanced without being too sweet. The cakes in general were not too bad – just don’t expect patisserie standard. I enjoyed the rose swiss roll and hazelnut royaltine – in fact I thought everything that was chocolate flavoured was executed really well because of the intensity of the chocolate aroma that tasted really good. I liked nothing from those fanciful bottles and shot glasses cos’ most of them tasted of artificial flavourings. The nonya kueh selection was impressive and taste wise, they were quite good but just that they were all too heavy on the palates so I could only manage tiny bite sizes of them.

By the time we were going for the ice creams, there were only 3 flavours left – Saffron, Green Tea and Mango. We were quite spoilt for choice with the huge array of toppings available though – there were M&Ms, jelly beans, almond flakes, ground peanuts, compotes, chocolate balls, rainbow sprinkles, ground pistachios, green tea powder, sauces and so much more. I totally love those strawberry-shaped gummy sweets – chewy and tasty with no overly artificial flavour. Felt like a kid in candyland!

Happy Birthday to Me!

For diners celebrating their birthdays, J65 will provide a complimentary three-tier tower of 13 cupcakes (with a lighted candle on top) as well as their signature Dirty Milkshake. What a treat! And obviously we couldn’t fit the cupcakes in after a heavy meal so we had them packed to go for later consumption. The cupcakes were so chocolatey and yum!

This must be one of the best milkshakes we had. So rich, thick and creamy – simply heavenly. And the brownie cakes were just so chocolatey and fudgy. Totally worth the calories! Now that’s what we call a uber sweet ending to a good meal. 😉

Thank you J65 for making my birthday extra special this year. 🙂 I really appreciated the efforts of the team who was trying to secretly coordinate with my husband to present me with the surprises – very thoughtful and sweet gestures. Thank you Jen from the bottom of my heart.

Now that you all have read my review, you’d know why this place is worth coming to celebrate your special occasion. There were other diners who were also having their birthdays and they were equally treated the same with the cupcakes, milkshakes and a happy birthday song. Food wise, there were of course hits and misses as with any other buffet but that personal touch offered by the staff was exceptional and service was truly impeccable. I really felt like I was surrounded by family – and that was heart-warming.

Now you can book a table online via their website and receive a 15% discount off your total bill. BOOK A TABLE

Don’t forget to let them know if you’re celebrating someone’s birthday. 😉

J65 @ Hotel Jen Tanglin
1A Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249716
Tel: +65 6831 4374
Email: j65@hoteljen.com

Disclaimer: This was a hosted dinner, courtesy of Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore. All opinions expressed here are author’s own personal views.

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