THE BOILER
#01-06 Novelty Bizcentre, 18 Howard Road, tel: 6635-1285. Open Tue to Thur, 11.30am-2.30pm and 5-10.30pm; Fri, 11.30am-2/30pm and 5-11pm; Sat and eve of PH, 5-11pm; Sun, 5-10.30pm.
Started by a group of banker friends, this spacious and airy joint serves up fresh seafood boils, Louisiana style. Exuding a modern minimalist vibe, the high ceilings and windows let in plenty of natural light – great for snapping Instagram shots.
MUST-TRIES:
– Dig into the Duo Bag ($52), a fresh and hearty combo of succulent prawns, mussels, clams, chorizo and corn on the cob, doused with The Works – a Cajun-style house sauce made from five types of spices. Choose from three levels of spiciness.
– The tantalising aroma of the Boston Lobster ($55 each), served with Garlic Butter Sauce, reeled us in completely. The meat – sweet and done just right – didn’t disappoint either.
– The Fish and Chips ($12.90) is one of the best we’ve had. The fish was juicy and perfectly cooked, complemented perfectly by a light, slightly peppery butter.
– The signature Beerita ($11.90) is a take on the Margarita, with Corona beer instead of tequila lending a kick. Breezy and refreshing, it leaves you with just a light buzz.
THE CATCH SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & BAR
27 Cosford Road, tel: 6546-2155. Open Tue to Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm and 6-10.30pm.
While not exactly located in the most accessible of places, this restaurant in Changi is worth the trip. Just use a reliable GPS and turn onto Cosford Road upon seeing a sign for Johore Battery, a historic site where a replica of a large British naval gun used during World War Two is on display. The sprawling grounds also house an alfresco bar – the perfect spot for an after-dinner tipple.
MUST-TRIES:
– We highly recommend the Crispy Brinjal with Salted Egg Yolk ($6). Evenly coated with salted egg yolk sauce, then fried, this appetiser will thrill even non-brinjal lovers.
– If you have room for another starter, try the Deep Fried Cuttlefish with Pepper and Salt ($8). The simple salt and pepper seasoning added a ton of flavour, even though the tentacles were a tad chewy.
– Made using a thin mee pok from Hong Kong, the Braised Noodle with Seafood and XO Sauce ($14, small) was a savoury delight. with the homemade dried chilli paste offering a distinct hei bi (dried shrimp) flavour.
– We daresay this is the freshest steamed fish we’ve tasted. The Soon Hock Steamed in “Teochew Style” (seasonal price) was firm and didn’t have a hint of fishiness. Enjoy each bite with the light but flavourful broth.
– The Chilli Crab (seasonal price) struck the right balance of spicy and sweet, leaving a mild but delightful tingle on the tongue.
COVE99 LIVE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
72 Peck Seah Street, tel: 6224-0991. Open Mon to Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm and 5.30-10.30pm.
Cove99 is a cosy restaurant specialising in modern Chinese cuisine. Housed in a heritage shophouse that’s decked out in oriental lamps and wooden partitions, it is charming without being kitschy. It’s worth making a booking here for Grandma’s birthday celebration, as the restaurant’s award-winning executive chef Pang Seng Hai does special plating upon request.
MUST-TRIES:
– The Fresh Seafood and Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms in Whole Tomato in Ginseng Broth ($16.80) is as delicious as it is elegant. Slice into the tomato and bits of fresh prawns, scallops and mushrooms spill forth. Scoop them up with the ginseng broth for a yummy mouthful.
– The crab meat was sweet but the highlight of the De-shelled Golden Sauce Crab Wrapped in Homemade Egg White Dumpling Skin ($18.80) was its rich and flavorful pumpkin and carrot sauce.
– The Salted Egg Boston Lobster (seasonal price) was a real treat, with a generous coating of salted egg sauce that didn’t overwhelm.
– Part of the fun of eating chilli crabs is sucking the meat right out of the shell, not that we’re complaining about having them de-shelled. The De-shelled Chilli Crab with Deep Fried Buns (seasonal price) comes with fresh chunks of crab meat, sans shell, in a sweet and spicy gravy.
TAO SEAFOOD ASIA
#02-10 Asia Square Tower 2, tel: 6844-9969. Open Mon to Sun, 11.30am-2.30pm and 6-10pm.
Resembling a typical Chinese restaurant, Tao Seafood Asia offers good old-fashioned Thai-Teochew cuisine that’s comforting and homely. A family-run business, head chef Lee Tong Kuon, the former executive chef and co-owner of Thai Village Restaurant, helms the kitchen while his son manages the restaurant.
MUST-TRIES:
– The lightly crusted Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg Sauce ($10) is highly addictive and makes for a good appetiser.
– The Pot Roasted Sea Prawns with Glass Noodles ($32) features juicy prawns on a bed of glass noodles that boasts a strong wok hei and garlicky flavour. It’s so good we can easily polish one off on its own.
– A departure from your usual chilli or black pepper crabs, the White Pepper Crabs (seasonal price) is a standout dish. The sweet crab meat is well cooked and fragrant with the aroma of freshly ground white pepper.
– Thick and flavoursome, the Tao Seafood Asia Signature Soup – Premium Fish Maw and Crab Meat ($68 per person) comprises slabs of firm, fresh New Zealand premium fish maw, chunks of Chinese mushrooms and crab meat.
This article was originally published in Simply Her May 2015.