Overlooking the Dock

Been in Singapore for only 3 months, the chef in charge of the kitchen has 18 years of experience in Hong Kong. As you know, Hong Kong culinary world is a brutal arena, and to survive 18 years is like a long-term Hollywood marriage: a legend.

The focus of this outlet is contemporary Cantonese and Teochew cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. There are 8 private rooms, overlooking the yacht dock, with minimum spending of $80/person (lunch) and $100/person (dinner). In a room, the round table is so gigantic that it can sit 20 people.

APPETIZERS

Tasting Portions

For appetizers, the 5-spice beef shank ($16) was very tender, filled with collagen, but what was very impressive was the deep-fried cuttlefish ($14). Inspired by calamari, it was so much superior than its Western counterpart. When deep-fried, the batter bloated so that there was a thin layer of air between the batter and meat. When you bite into it, you deflate the batter like a balloon, giving the fried dish an unusual lightness. The taste was kickass savorily salty and the cuttlefish was done with just the right bite, not too chewy and not too soft.

But the best appetizer was indubitably the crispy roasted pork belly or better known as siew yok ($13). When we were eating, the skin was so crispy that the entire room reverberated with crackling sounds! The saltiness ensures that it opens your tastebuds to the fats, enhancing the taste. Phenomenal dish.

SOUPS

However, the double-boiled soup of the day ($7/person or $28 for small) was only so-so. Boiled with pork, a Japanese beetroot,and a variety of red bean, it tasted like peanut-pork-ribs soup. It is difficult for me to judge soups because my mother boils soups for hours and uses a high ratio of ingredients to stock, so her soups are better than any soups I’ve tasted. While this version wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as sweet or rich as my mother’s.

Instead order the poached white rice and crispy rice with crab meat ($24/small). Although this was, strictly speaking, a congee dish, there was so much crab broth drowning the rice that the rice acted only as supplement. It possessed a subtle sweetness from crabmeat that made the broth so addictive. Everyone at the table was slurping it to the last drop.

SEAFOOD

Tasting portions

The scallops can be done in a stir-fried Teochew style ($36/small) or sauteed with XO sauce a là Cantonese ($34/small). Both weren’t quite satisfactory: Teochew cuisine is known for its lightness in touch but this one was oily and the Cantonese one had a bit too much chili on it, masking the delicate taste of scallops.

The braised prawn with superior sauce served in mini casserole (seasonal price) fared much better. It came sizzling in the mini-claypot and when the claypot is uncovered in front of you, the sweet fragrance, like someone frying a dish, will assault your senses. Slightly spicy, sweet and savory, the prawn had all the makings of a great dish. There was, however, a minor conundrum:  I did wish the prawns were deshelled before they were served but I also understand that the shells contributed to the overall taste of the dish.

DESSERTS

Both red bean cream ($5/person) and crispy egg tart ($4.20/2pcs) were equally good. The red bean was light and mildly sweet, bringing out the flavor of red bean. But since I don’t like red bean in general, I preferred the egg tart, ethereal and light, crusty without being flakey.

My overall impression is that the food was of an above-average standard in a peaceful, relaxing environment. It’s a nice place to lunch if you drive. Lucky for the members of the club who don’t pay for GST and service tax, but the restaurant is open to public. It was quite crowded on a weekday afternoon when we were there. Reservations encouraged.

How to Get to ONEº15 Marina Club, Sentosa Cove

Shuttle bus: 6.30am-10.30pm from Harborfront hawker center bus-stop.

Car/Taxi: At the first and second roundabouts, take the first left turn. At the third roundabout, take the second turn.

Crystal Jade Premium

11 Cove Drive,
ONEº15 Marina Club, Sentosa Cove
Singapore 098497
T: 6305 6998

T-Sat: 11.30am-2.30pm
Sun & PH: 11am-2.30pm
T-Sun: 6-10pm
Closed on Mon

Rating: 3.286/5 stars

PS: Thanks, Peggy, Nicolette, Samantha and Daphne for hosting us.

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.