mycc: Seafood

[SG] The Manhattan FISH MARKET | King Crab a la Royale

While we have always walked past The Manhattan FISH MARKET (TMFM), I never really took special notice of their origin and how it was founded after all these years. I always found the restaurant to be one of the casual dining restaurants where families would bring their children for a hearty seafood meal.

Drawing inspiration from the Fulton Fish Market located below the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, it was known to house a diverse collection of the day's freshest catch. Here at TMFM, the focus is on serving a wide variety of American-style seafood and surprisingly, what many would not realise is the restaurant's emphasis on eating right. Using fresh ingredients such as roasted sunflower seeds for its antioxidant properties and fresh herbs such as coriander to help reduce cholesterol, you know you are in safe hands for a sumptuous meal.

Known for offering premium seafood at affordable prices, the King Crab promotion is back from now till 15 November 2015! Weighing at least 800 grams on average per portion, it is only priced at S$39.95/++, just half the market price!

King Crab

To allow the freshness of the King Crab to shine, it was simply steamed to retain the sweetness of the firm flesh. With the option to have the dish served hot or cold, we went for the latter as a starter dish! While there are three sauces to choose from, garlic herb, spicy seafood and coriander, we enjoyed it best with just a dash of lemon juice that helped to bring out the natural sweetness and freshness of the crustacean. The freshness of the King Crab can be guaranteed when you are able to extract the crab meat readily with a tug while the flesh remained firm.

Do be careful if the dish is to be shared with children as the legs of the King Crab are quite thorny. The servers thoughtfully brought us some crab scissors which come with attached crab fork which made an otherwise messy affair a fuss-free dining experience.

While the King Crab was good to share among two of us, some may wish to enjoy a feast with a two-person set with the King Crab at S$69.95/++ with fried country mushroom and calamari, 2 chowder of the day and 2 mocktails! For a larger group of four, you can have the King Crab together with coastal baked seafood, signature fish and chips, 4 soup of the day and 4 iced lemon tea at S$95/++!

Manhattan Star Platter | S$38.95/++

Some theatrical performance before service is always appreciated, well at least we would not mind! Before serving the seafood platter, it was blow-torched to perfection!

With an array of seafood ranging from grilled calamari, fried oysters, poached garlic mussels, Manhattan flaming prawns and Mediterranean baked fish atop a bed of rice, the portion was plentiful to share among two and sufficient for three. While the heat level of the baked fish might be too much for some (at least for my other half), it suited my palate perfectly as I started breaking into perspiration!

We particularly loved the calamari as it was seared to perfection by the blow torch. While it retained some chewiness to it, it was slightly elastic without tasting too rubbery. The sweet sauce that coated the prawns was also particularly addictive as it went well with the plain rice to make a filling meal.

Citrus Mint | S$5.50/++

Recommended as one of the must-tries beverages, we enjoyed the refreshing smoothie that was made with fresh mint leaves and freshly squeezed lemon juice!

Flipping through the menu, I could not help but stop at one of the pages which elaborated on the five ways that the restaurant use to cook their seafood.

#1 - Flamed: the signature cooking style that helps to bring out the caramelised sweetness of seafood!
#2 - Poached: helps to preserve the moisture and flavours of the fresh ingredients.
#3 - Grilled: seals the rich taste of seafood with grill.
#4 - Baked: bakes the seafood in foil to retain aroma and flavour for each bite.
#5 - Fried: coats the seafood with a batter, making it crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

With a casual dining ambience, it is no wonder that the restaurant is a popular spot among families and friends!

Grab some of your friends or family members and hurry down to one of the 15 outlets islandwide today for a King Crab feast today!

Overall Verdict: 7.5/10

The Manhattan FISH MARKET

6 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square

#02-183

Singapore 039594

Tel: (65) 6338 8776

Website: http://www.manhattanfishmarket.com/singapore.html

P.S.: Special thanks to Jo Ee for the invitation and The Manhattan FISH MARKET for hosting.

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, by cy

American Cuisine

[SG] Full of Crab | the messier it is, the better the dining experience!

Taking a stroll down East Coast Road, one would certainly be charmed by the abundance and diversity of food in the area. Ranging from your local delights such as chicken rice at Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice to Mexican treats at Lower East Side Taqueria, there is surely something to please one's palate.

Located just next door to Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice and opposite Holy Family Church, Full of Crab (FOC) is an American styled restaurant that promises to bring the original Cajun influence to Singapore. The name of the eatery spells the emphasis of crab as a key dish at FOC and this is no wonder with its offering of Sri Lankan crab, King and Snow Crabs! Taking great pride in their food, special care is taken to ensure that all crabs are killed only upon order. The Sri Lankan crabs are imported into Singapore on a daily basis just to serve the needs for the day. For those particular with their crabs, you would agree that if the crabs were left for a couple of days, the meat would be mashy when cooked and tastes dull. In order to ensure freshness and quality of the crabs, FOC strictly serves live crabs, not even the dying ones which tend to release a stench.

Captain's Choice Combo | S$98/+ or Market Price

Recommended as one of the popular combos on the menu, the Captain's Choice is fit to feed up to two pax. It comprises a 2-pound (or roughly equivalent to 1kg) Sri Lankan Crab and about a pound (around 500gm) worth of shrimps. With an add-on choice of either the corn or baby potatoes, the bag full of goodies guarantees to fill your stomachs.

There is also a board in the middle of the restaurant that has the updated market prices for the various types of seafood. We however understood from the owner that the prices are quite consistent, in fact, he had lowered it to make it more appealing to the price conscious!

After choosing your catch, there are three flavours to choose from - the classic Cajun, Garlic Butter or house special of Fully Loaded. We were recommended the Fully Loaded, which is essentially a blend of Cajun and Garlic Butter. Thereafter, diners get to choose the spice level of the sauce and after having the heads-up from the friendly lady who took our orders, we settled for the medium level, which promises to make us break into a perspiration.

In terms of flavours, it won us over completely with the bold spicy flavours well enhanced by the garlic butter after-taste. We particularly enjoyed the coarseness of the sauce from the garlic and special blend of spices which went well with the firm texture of the Sri Lankan crabs. The naturally sweet flesh of the crabs and the prawns certainly defined the freshness of seafood and how it should be.

There are also a couple of other add-ons such as broccoli, button mushrooms which you can pair with your combo at a small charge of no more than S$4. What we highly recommend is the warm baguette that would absorb the sauces readily so that you can enjoy the gorgeous flavours in the sauce.

Fish and chips | S$13.90/+

Unlike the typical British style of fish and chips which uses a wet batter for a crispy texture, this version is slightly different as it was done the shake 'n bake way. Presumably a healthier option compared to the conventional version that we are more used to, the dory fillets were seasoned before being cooked. As a result, the flavours were well-infused into the tender white fish which were well complemented with the homemade tartar sauce. Do expect a slight variation in terms of texture as it comes in the form of bread crumbs rather than a crispy batter.

For the more adventurous, you can have a choice of tartar, mayo, ranch, veggie and tsunami dip. If in doubt, do check with the friendly crew on the floor to ask for recommendations on what go best with your food.

At the price, we thought it was surely value-for-money as the box packed a generous amount of the skinny fries sprinkled with Cajun spice. A clear winner for me among the other teasers on the menu.

And of course, the light bites that was served upon us being seated. These cuttlefish sticks were carefully air-fried to keep it crisp for a lovely crunch. For those in the mood, do have a pint of beer to go along and FOC has a happy hour promotion from 4 - 7pm, a 1-for-1 on their Heineken draught! If you fancy, you can even get a box of it at just S$10.

Ciderfall | S$17/+

If you think that beer is not quite the drink for the ladies, fret not as this lovely cider would surely pacify them. A blend of ice lemon tea, apple cider elderflower and sugar syrup, the concoction was plenty to share among two to three. With a mildly sweet after taste, it would be a perfect remedy to help you recover from the spicy bag of crabs!

Upon stepping into the restaurant, we were immediately charmed by the rustic interior which obviously saw much efforts by the owners to recreate an ambience and experience similar to how it is in the states. Expect some familiar hit music that tops the chart to go on in the background while you tuck in to your sumptuous meal!

Surely some interesting graffiti left by some of the customers who had visited FOC and with the number of different nation flags scattered across the walls and pillars, you would imagine quite a diverse crowd of foreigners who had similarly gotten their hands dirty!

While there are a few other similar restaurants out there that has such a concept of hands-on dining with no utensils and seafood in a bag, our meal at FOC definitely stood out as one of the more outstanding ones we had of late with the quality of ingredients. Making no compromises to standard of food served, the prices are also wallet-friendly (no GST is charged, just 10% service charge), making it a suitable venue for families and close friends only. Well, unless you do not mind exposing the ugly side of you eating with messy fingers and the possibility of crab shells hitting your date, then please proceed.

FOC has thoughtfully taken care of this by providing all guests with a disposable apron and if you are worried about staining your hands (though personally I feel that this would take the fun out of eating), there are also disposable gloves) On a plus side, for the 90 minutes or so of dining, you would hardly be texting or checking on your phone since I would expect that both your hands are messy and dirty then.

FOC has a promise that reads "Everyone who walks through our doors, walks out as a friend". We certainly hit it off with some of the young service crew on the floor who seem to be full of energy and also the owner of the restaurant. An experience that was unforgettable indeed but more importantly, the meal at FOC made our calories count.

Overall verdict: 8.5/10

Full of Crab

195 East Coast Road

Singapore 428900

Tel: (65) 6348 8195

Website: www.fullofcrab.com

P.S: Special thanks to Eldric for the invitation and FOC for hosting us!

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, by cy

Casual Chinese Dining

[SG] Cove99 Live Seafood Restaurant | Usher in the Lunar New Year with auspicious seafood feast!

If you are looking for a place to host your auspicious reunion dinner with your family or simply a celebrating lunch with your colleagues, this restaurant surely will not let you down. Conveniently located right beside the Tanjong Pagar MRT station, this three-month old live seafood restaurant serves contemporary Cantonese cuisine by award-winning Chef Pang Seng Hai with 22 years of cooking experience. Upholding a philosophy in harmonizing textures and flavours using the freshest ingredients shows in his dishes, I was really looking forward to try his innovative creations that is curated with seafood elements for his Lunar New Year menus.

Demonstrating the contemporary Cantonese cuisine in conjunction with a modern Chinese decorated interior.With two private partitioned areas, the 120-seat restaurant offers guests exclusivity for special functions.

Spotted lots of live clams, geoducks, alaska king crabs and boston lobsters swimming around in the temperature-controlled tanks that are specifically for them!

Cove99 Premium Treasure Pot Pencai | Small S$199++ | Large S$388++

Pencai (Poon Choi in Cantonese), a traditional dish originating from Hong Kong village '香港围村', a dish that I almost have every CNY when I was in Hong Kong. The proper way to consume it is to eat layer by layer from top, usually dried and rare ingredients are placed on the upper part, for appearance purpose as well as while other ingredients at the bottom of the basin can absorb the sauce well.

This splendour of sumptuous goodness comprises 11 ingredients including abalone, sea cucumber, scallop, prawn, dried oyster, pork trotter, giant mushroom '花菇', black moss (fat choy in Cantonese which sound similar to '发财' meaning struck in rich) and homemade dace fishball, braised in a collagen-rich superior golden broth. I couldn't say no to this salivating dish with most of the ingredients soaking up the savoury, fragrant sauce which was a healthier twist from the oyster sauce that is normally used. Imparting pleasure in every bite, what I loved most were the well-marinated homemade dace fishball, crunchy giant mushroom and the full of flavour bean curd that was hidden underneath, however the only drawback was that the abalone was slightly overcooked which made it hard to chew.

Premium Treasure Pot Pencai is available for takeaway together with this brocade thermal carrier.

Cove 99 also offers three CNY set menus including Prosperity Set Menu [Seven course menu for 6 persons] starting from S$399++, visit their website for more details.

And here are some of the highlights on their CNY menus!

Yusheng with Geoduck, Salmon Sashimi, Baby Abalone, Truffle and Gold Flakes | S$199.90++

The yusheng above is the largest they can offer to accommodate 10 persons, other options with smaller portions include Small Yusheng with Salmon Sashimi for S$39.90++ and Large for S$69.90++, as well as Yusheng with Geoduck and Salmon Sashimi for S$109.90++. Luxurious ingredients and colourful thinly sliced vegetables were artistically plated, splendid enough to wow everyone at the table. The yusheng embodied a good balance of sweet flavours and crunchy texture, I liked that crunchy geoduck sashimi and fragrant bitter black truffle were contained to differentiate itself from the normal yusheng. While the price is on the higher end, it was certainly value for money given the quality and quantity of the exorbitant ingredients used!

Scallop and Dried Oyster Golden Bag

Broccoli was centred and surrounded by 10 golden tofu skin bags stuffed with dried oyster, topped with diced scallops and black moss. The exquisite handwork of these little bags should be well appreciated, bite it with just a mouthful, the rich flavour obtained from the gravy would burst with happiness.

Braised Boston Lobster with Truffle

Deliberately assembled and plated as a whole lobster, the succulent flesh was braised with truffle. While fragrant, I was expecting a stronger punch of truffle flavour. The fresh lobster was however cooked to perfection which carried a natural sweetness and a subtle crunch. To accommodate the business lunch crowd, peeling service is available so you keep your hands (and clothes) clean!

There was another dish that was worth a shout-out - Wok Tossed Golden Seafood Fried Rice! While this sounds like an easy dish, the technique of frying a good fried rice with enough wok hei is never an easy task to conquer. This plate of fried rice immediately won my stomach over with its fragrance, crispy texture and bountiful ingredients with each mouthful!

Double Boiled Hashima with Red Dates

An innocent looking dessert but one which would make you fall in love upon the first sip. A candle was placed below to keep the dessert warm but the gratifying factor lies in the dessert not being overly sweet with its coconut milk base. I would however prefer more hashima '雪蛤' in it and there were no red dates in my bowl of sweet soup.

Yuzu Soda

It's best to use this refreshing drink to rinse off the heavy after-taste resulted from the flavourful dishes.

Many would fall in love with this restaurant as it provides business-friendly features such as wall sockets for diner’s plug-in needs, free wifi and a smartphone charging station. Family-friendly features such as sturdy high-chairs, diaper changing table and wheelchair accessible restroom are also available. With its exceptional customer service, it certainly won't be my last time visiting this welcoming restaurant, perhaps to try the other signature dishes next!

Note: Orders and reservations for the CNY feasting are available from now till 5 March 2015.

Currently, they have promotions with OCBC credit cards:

1. CNY Set Menu

Complimentary Wok-fried Kurobuta Pork Cube in Sliced Garlic (valued at $38++) with any order of Abundance Set Menu
Complimentary Stir-fried Beef Cube in Terriyaki Sauce Topped with Dried Bonito Flakes (valued at $44++) with any order of Opulence Set Menu

2. Yusheng

10% off Yusheng (Not valid for small Yusheng with Salmon Sashimi)

3. Pencai

Complimentary Yusheng with Salmon Sashimi with every Pencai purchased

Overall Verdict: 8.0 /10

Cove99

72 Peck Seah St

Tanjong Pagar

Singapore

+65 6224 0991

http://www.cove99.com/

P.S. Photos were taken with D750, with thanks to Nikon Singapore!

P.P.S. Special thanks to Evelyn for the invite and Cove99 for having us!

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, by tmcy

Alcohol

[SG] Oceans of Seafood | introduces its brand new Chinese New Year Seafood Yusheng in the Year of the Goat!

After the Christmas and new year season, another exciting festival is just around the corner again! We always have difficulties choosing the best buys for CNY goodies since there are so many options in Singapore. Here's a unique yusheng choice for diners who are already bored of the traditional kind, Oceans of Seafood at PasarBella introduces its brand new Chinese New Year Seafood Yusheng in the Year of the Goat!

By now, most of the people should have heard of Oceans of Seafood, a purveyor of the freshest seafood in town. Bringing in their produces twice weekly, they offer a wide range of seafood including fresh fishes, Boston lobsters, crabs, oysters and many more.

Vibrancy of Life Yusheng | S$128++ (Dine in) / S$128+ (Takeaway)

What is so special about this yusheng is that it features fresh sashimi flown in from Tsukiji Fish Market! Expect premium ingredients such as rock lobster, salmon sashimi and Amberjack sashimi, complementing with vegetables imported from Japan - red radish, white radish, Kyoto carrot, cucumber, fungus and seaweed. The yusheng would also be tossed with eight unique offerings such as braised smelt fish, turnip pickles, tobiko and more. We liked drizzling the creamy homemade sesame sauce to bring this lively yusheng together with a Chinese-Japanese fusion touch. The yusheng set would come with a bottle of Sake for a happy CNY toasting!

You can now pre-order the set from 21 January 2015 and it will be available from 31 January 2015 to 5 March 2015.

Apart from introducing its CNY yusheng, Oceans of Seafood also launches its Lunch and All-day Specials to seafood lovers.

For Lunch Specials, a total of seven pasta offerings infused with seafood available from S$12.80++:

Reminding us of Chinese soup noodle, this clam pasta served with spicy broth proved a little too much for the diners at the table. While the chef struck a bold approach to synthesize the western and asian elements, the flavours did not quite appeal to our palate. Some tweaks might be needed for the dish!

A much better serving, the pasta was topped with smoked salmon and creamy sauce. The accompanying cherry tomatoes came across really acidic with a sourish tang, which to a certain extent upset the overall balance to the dish.

A fan of mentaiko, I certainly welcome any forms of combination with it. While the sauce might look insufficient to give a good blend to the pasta when tossed, the strong saline flavours surely made an impact to our palate. The creamy and slightly grainy texture to the sauce however added a different dimension to the simple-looking dish.

All-day Specials

Perfect-two Seafood Platter | $66++ (suitable for 2 pax)
4 pieces of Pacific Oysters, Fish Catch of The Day, 6 pieces of Prawns, Manila Clams and Seasonal Vegetables

Famous for their fresh epic oysters, it was so juicy and still carried a hint of seawater, certainly four were just not enough!

The seafood platter was served with three sauces - garlic butter, sambal chilli and miso butter (hot favourite at the table). We believe that if the seafood is fresh enough, accompanying sauces are not always necessary in order for the freshness of the seafood to shine. While the seafood platter was fresh, we would have preferred the fish better if the grill left it a touch more crisp.

Seafood Hotpot | $38++ (suitable for 2-3 pax)
Prawns, Fish Slices, Mussels, Alaskan King Crab Legs, Vegetables

It was a pity that there was just one crab leg and and did not help that the mussel I took was unopened. The prawns were in our humble opinion overcooked as it lost its elasticity, leaving the flesh dull and mushy. It however contributed to the natural sweetness of the broth which made us refill our bowls for second servings!

With hits and misses on the food, we were told that they are in the midst of finalising the lunch pasta menu, so do give them some time to tweak their recipes. Meanwhile, let's enjoy their exquisite Vibrancy of Life Yusheng in this joyful Chinese New Year! Since this is our first CNY post for the year, I wish our readers a prosperous Year of the Goat, 恭喜发财，身体健康，万事胜意!

Overall Verdict: 7.0/10

Oceans of Seafood

PasarBella @ The Grandstand Bukit Timah Singapore

200 Turf Club Road #02-06 (#02-K2 to #02-K11)

Tel: +65 64661005

http://www.oceansofseafood.com.sg/

P.S. Photos were taken with D750, with thanks to Nikon Singapore!

P.P.S. Special thanks to Jaslyn for the invite and Oceans of Seafood for having us!

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, by tmcy

Buffets

[SG] Momiji Japanese Restaurant | Japanese buffet with Christmas specials

Hidden in a corner of Revenue House, office-goers at Novena area would probably be familiar with Momiji for their affordable Japanese buffet spread. Typically bustling with office crowd, it was a pretty cosy and quiet area in the evening.

Joining in the festive celebration, the buffet spread now includes the Oyster Festival featuring Osaki Kamijima oysters done in 8 ways as well as Christmas specials available from 19 December onwards. These will be available till 1 January 2015.

Oysters are done with different dressings, in Goma (sesame sauce), Ponzu (citrus-based), Japanese Apple Dressing, Panko Fried, Lobster Mayo Yaki, Miso Teppan, Shabu Shabu and Hot Plate style. I preferred the Japanese Apple dressing, for a lighter taste that didn't overpower the freshness of the oysters.

Do note that the oysters are located everywhere so you'll have to keep your eyes peeled! Also, if you're visiting for lunch, only 5 kinds of oysters will be available.

With a classic touch of Christmas, ham and turkey are must-haves for the festive season. An interesting addition is the Turkey Ham Tempura with Nacho Cheese that is a worthy try.

Some other personal favourites are the salmon potato mash, free-flow crab legs, and a waffle machine where you can make your own waffles with the batter provided and a timer for you to know when your waffles are done. I liked that you can determine how crisp you like it, and of course, how can anyone resist Haagen Dazs ice-cream that comes with the dessert station.

A quiet ambience in the evening perfect for cosy gatherings, and if you'd like some privacy, there are also rooms available. Service was also prompt in clearing your used plates, though everything else is pretty much self-service.

Lunch
Monday - Friday: S$26.80++ / S$22.80++ for senior citizens/ S$14.80++ for kids
Saturday and eve of Public Holidays: $31.80++ / S$27.80++ for senior citizens/ S$15.80++ for kids
Sunday and Public Holidays: $39.80++ / S$33.80++ for senior citizens/ S$19.80 for kids

Dinner
Monday - Thursday: $39.80++ / S$33.80++ for senior citizens/ S$19.80 for kids
Friday - Sunday, eve of and on Public Holidays: $41.80++ / S$34.80++ for senior citizens/ S$21.80 for kids

*senior citizens are classified as 60yo and above, while kids are below 12yo and below 1.4m tall

Overall Verdict: 6.5/10

Momiji Japanese Restaurant

55 Newton Road #02-02

Revenue House

Singapore 307987

Tel: 62532469

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, by swee

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mycc

[SG] The Manhattan FISH MARKET | King Crab a la Royale

[SG] Full of Crab | the messier it is, the better the dining experience!

[SG] Cove99 Live Seafood Restaurant | Usher in the Lunar New Year with auspicious seafood feast!

[SG] Oceans of Seafood | introduces its brand new Chinese New Year Seafood Yusheng in the Year of the Goat!

[SG] Momiji Japanese Restaurant | Japanese buffet with Christmas specials

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