Sha Tin Kitchen

The much-lauded Sha Tin Kitchen is helmed by Hong Kong chef, Tonny Chan, who impresses with his signature Cantonese dishes (Sha Tin has since changed chefs as of July ‘09). Don’t let this air-conditioned restaurant’s nondescript appearance fool you, for what it lacks of in ambience, it more than makes up for with deliciously authentic Cantonese fare.

Prior to our visit with the family, Mum and I prowled their website for signature dishes, and our lunch menu was decided even before we set foot in Sha Tin. We decided to try their famous 臥虎藏龙(Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon), otherwise known as lobster & egg white mousse with scallop, Braised Abalone, Braised Crab with Ramen, and Double-boiled Shark Cartilage with Fish Maw Soup.

The Double-boiled Shark Cartilage with Fish Maw Soup ($38) [***.] was the first to arrive, and my hands shook a little as I eyed the shark cartilage suspiciously. One must understand that when it comes to sharks, I’ve not ventured beyond sharks’ fin. The clear broth was rather plain to me, but perhaps this unique soup is an acquired taste. Slightly crunchy and roughly-textured, the shark cartilage took a bit of chewing.

Next on the list is the much-anticipated 臥虎藏龙 (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) ($6/serving) [****.], pictured here in a crisp golden basket teeming with lobster meat and egg white mousse, and garnished with dried scallop and curry leaf. This is something you’ve absolutely got to try.

For abalone-lovers out there, Sha Tin serves 2 types of braised abalone – two-headed/six-headed. We ordered 2 portions of their Two-headed Braised Abalone [****], each costs $48. Their attentive staff promptly cut each portion into quarters for everyone to share. Each morsel of braised abalone was very delish and slid down the throat with ease.

Next up is the Braised Mixed Seafood Claypot ($18) [**.] which surprisingly failed to impress. Though chockful of ingredients, it lacked sapidity and even seemed slightly over-braised for ingredients like the sea cucumber and mushrooms. I’d suggest you skip this dish and make room for other recommendations on their menu.

Thankfully, Sha Tin’s signature Braised Crab with Ramen ($60 | serves 6) [****] fared much better, with ramen in a gravy steeped with the briny flavour of crab roe. The ramen is pictured here in its individual serving, but prior to this the dish is served in a pot with big red crab shells and pincers adorning a pile of ramen. I really liked the taste of braised crab (a Cantonese favourite it seems) which was also a staple for the now-defunct Canton Wok over at Joo Chiat. Chef Kang of Canton Wok used to serve his signature crab dish steamed with glutinous rice. However, his competitor Chef Tonny Chan’s version is typically Cantonese with lots of gravy which really is an egg-based soup all on its own.

Last but certainly not least, is Sha Tin’s Hashima with Red Dice ($6) [*****] which I dare say is the best hashima (a luxurious traditional Chinese dessert made with snow fungus & rock sugar amongst others) I’ve ever had. Their version is made with sweet red dice, rock sugar, snow fungus, and dates…and every mouthful practically melts in your mouth. More importantly, it wasn’t saccharine sweet so one can tell that sugar syrup and artificial flavourings weren’t used. All in all, it was a refreshing end to a scrumptious Cantonese meal.

/ prices stated are subject to 10% svc charge. No GST

The I-wanna-know[s]:
Taste – 8.5/10
Price – $$-$$$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Address:
8/10 Lorong 3 Geylang
Singapore 388861

Tel: +65 6747 2483 / 6744 7087

Website: http://www.sbestfood.com/shatinkitchen.htm

Opening hours:
Open daily from | 11.30am – 2.30pm & 6pm – 11pm

Dress code: Casual

Nearest MRT: Kallang

Buses: 26, 31, 13…

Crab Shack

Don’t be fooled by this place by day just because it resembles your typial kopitiam. By night, the tables will line the corridor and they’ll look exactly like what you see here:
That quirky wooden table plaque has a different fast fact about crabs carved at the bottom. It reminded me of Snapple bottle caps…and rest assured, your table will also be stocked with all the crab-shelling tools you’ll need for your meal!

Crab Shack has a very enticing menu in store for crab aficionados. The ONLY non-crab dish happens to be a Chef’s Recommendation, and that would be their 1/2 dozen Gratinated Oysters ($8.90) – topped with mayonnaise & breadcrumbs then baked. However how was I to be tempted by that when I could order the Crab Au Gratin ($3.20) [****.] and the 6-pc Crab Croquettes ($2.95) [***.] amongst MANY MANY other mouth-watering steals?! The Crab Au Gratin was an interesting appetiser that consisted of flower crabmeat with creamy mayo, waterchestnut & cheese grilled to perfection. The grilled cheese formed a thin slightly crisp crust, juxtaposing the deliciously creamy centre within. Check it out in the picture below: Next up, their Crab Spaghetti ($7.50)! [***] This dish didn’t give me a good first impression. But we all know that first impressions hardly matter these days…and it turned out better than I expected taste-wise. What I didn’t particularly like about the spaghetti sauce was that it was a tad too sweet, but great nonetheless because I’m a fan of sundried tomatoes. There were rather generous portions of crabmeat in the spaghetti too. If you have the chance, do give their 2-pc Softshell Crab ($5.80) [****] a try: it’s topped with chicken floss, a rather interesting combination I must say. For those who love their rice, tease your tastebuds with the Crab Baked Rice ($6.50) [***.].

At this point, I was flipping through the part of the menu where it all started to resemble a MacDonald’s Value Meal selection, only better. Choose from an option of a 2-pc ($5.95), 3-pc ($7.95) or 8-pc ($21.95) value meal – complete with a selection of sides such as crinkle-cut fries, corn on a cob & baked beans. The 8-pc set comes with a choice of 2 sides + croquettes to boot. The picture below features their 3-pc set.
The crabs are indeed very sweet & fresh, steamed and drizzled with a hint of lemon to bring out the taste of the meat. Their self-made tangy-sweet chilli sauce will complement your value meal rather well in my opinion. Kudos to the owner Mr Elger Kua, 26, who catches the flower crabs for your dinner from a kelong off Pasir Ris Park, near Pulau Ubin every other day.

Go ahead, visit this place at least once. It’s got my thumbs up.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 6/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Tel: +65 9451 9040

Address:
Crab Shack in the City – 12 Prince Edward Road, Bestway Building

Opening hours:
Dinner only: 5 pm – 12 midnight daily

Dress code: casual
Buses: 162, 167, 410, 163…

Hooked! (moved to Upp Thomson)

Last Monday I had dinner at Hooked! at The Rail Mall in Upper Bukit Timah Rd. For those of you who don’t have a clue about what this place looks like, don’t worry…look below. I’ve been wanting to visit this place for quite some time..glad I finally got the chance.

Please remember that Hooked! is in the next building tht looks similar to this one..walk in the direction of the bus stop you see in the picture above. I took this whilst standing on the overhead bridge.

What you see here is their entrance and the interior of the place..nice cheery feel. Puts you in the mood for fish I felt haha. That day we had the intention of trying out Rocky’s Pizza next door..but decided against it because we liked the way Hooked! looked. Rocky’s paled in comparison with a very dull appearance..but I do intend to visit them sometime in the near future. Heard their pizza is great.

While I poured through their brightly-coloured menu peppered with interesting facts about fish, their Panfried Linguine with Mackerel Otah ($9.50) [****] screamed “Pick Me!” So how could I resist right? The dish was served with my favourite tri-coloured peppers, mushrooms and a wonderful homemade mackerel otah. The linguine was done aglio olio, with just the right amount of olive oil. I ordered a Value Top-up ($3.60) with this. It includes a soft drink and soup-of-the-day. I must say that otah coupled with aglio olio linguine tasted really good..those who can’t take chilli & spice might find this dish a tad spicy.

My boyfriend had a Value Top-up as well together with the Panfried Fish Fillet ($7.90) [***.] which was a Tilapia fillet dressed with butter, peppercorn & basil leaves and linguine & steamed veg on the side. Be forewarned, the fillet had a fair bit of bones. The skin was nicely panfried, but a lil too oily for my liking..I had to pat dry the oil before trying it. Just so you know, you can opt to add herbed potatoes ($0.80) as a side. It was a generous portion which complemented our main course well. It was a pity that we didn’t order their appetiser specialty Otah Toast ($4.80). We were too stuffed…the meal was value-for-money. Hooked! also has daily promotions (2.30-5.30pm), so check out their board while you’re there. If my memory serves correct…it’s 1-for-1 Fish & Chips on Thursday. For Fridays it’s 1-for-1 pasta!

//Prices are subjected to GST, no svc charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 7/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 5/10
Ambience – 8/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6765 5336
Address: 390 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, The Rail Mall

Opening hours: 12pm-10pm daily except Tuesday.

Getting there: Buses 171, 170, 67, 75

The Naked Fish Shoppe

For those of you who are fish lovers, I would recommend The Naked Fish Shoppe at the Grassroots Club next to Yio Chu Kang MRT station for their wide selection of fish – Halibut, Shark, Barramundi, Ocean Perch, Cat Fish, Flounder and Trout. Aside from these they also have your staple Snapper, Norwegian Salmon & Dory which are more common. All of the above are affordably priced from $9.90 to $18.00. Club members are given 10% off their total bill & PAssion card members get a complimentary Scallops Mornay with any order of a main course priced at $9.90 or more.

Do visit the place on Fridays for lunch because their Set Lunches are value-for-money: Soup-of-the-day, Main course, Set Dessert, Coffee/Tea. I know this all sounds like your standard set lunch, but don’t underestimate what they’ve got to offer. I’ve tried their Shark Fillet with Sambal & Seasonal Vegetables ($12.50++) [****], and I must say, I was impressed. Before my meal arrived, I was already getting increasingly concerned about how it’d turn out to be. After all, sharks aint the friendliest marine life around & their meat has always been tough to cook AND eat. It’s funny how that does not seem to be the case for sharks when it comes to us.

The shark fillet was surprisingly tender and the edges of the fillet was crisp from a light egg batter. The fillet wasn’t drowned in the batter, which was a good thing I felt, because shark meat tastes better when it’s not over done. Their seasonal vegetables consisted of leafy greens, carrots and thinly-sliced potatoes in a light sauce that complemented the fish. The sambal wasn’t the belachan-type with dried prawn paste and chilli padi, but the taste was good enough and it wasn’t too sweet. Some sambal pastes tend to be sugar-loaded, to the extent where it’s way too sweet for chilli and the intended spiciness is overpowered by it. This wasn’t the case, not to worry.

Another main course that a friend ordered was their Australian Whole Flounder [***.], pan-fried with butter sauce & a slice of lemon.
A word of warning though:
Don’t try it if you’re lazy to remove the bones. This one has many bones, but you know how it is with fish – the more bones it has, the sweeter its flesh. Initially it looked a tad too charred, but after the first morsel, my friend proclaimed it safe for consumption. Remember, looks can be deceiving..especially when it comes to food.

//They also have student set lunches priced from $6.80++

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Food – 6.5/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 6/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)

Tel: (65) 6457 8223

Address:
The Grassroots’ Club, (next to Yio Chu Kang MRT Station)
190 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, #01-02
Singapore 568046

Website:
http://www.thenakedfishshoppe.com.sg

Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily
Dress code: casual

Disclaimer: Image of food taken from The Naked Fish Shoppe’s website