Under The Sea

A show-stopper, this dish meets our expectations in every single way. Flesh is soft and slightly sweet, and when consumed with the skin, one can taste the charred flavour. Then the chopped kailan in XO sauce and the amadai’s own scale spread on top give bursts if umaminess as well as slight bitterness, but that makes everything feel so balanced. My dining companion was very pleased with this dish as well, commenting how light and easy to eat it is. She didn’t think we could finish wiping this entire dish clean after all the great dishes! But I secretly chose this restaurant because of this amadai in the first place 😂 So satisfied!

Grilled with grapeseed oil (and nth else!) the squids are tender, crispy and fresh. Its natural sweetness shines through and this is such an addictive snack with beer/wine/sake/you-name-it. It might look like nth much but it’s still so seductively addictive that I just cant stop nibbling.

We have a weak spot for grilled brussel sprouts, and hence this order. The fried jack mackerel is tender though imo a bit dry. The brussel sprouts are nicely charred, soft enough for chewing although I have personal preference for even softer brussel sprouts. Still enjoyable nonetheless.

Off-the-menu dish that caught my attention on Marcus Leow’s instagram. Kanpachi was aged for 7 days and is later dressed in fermented gooseberry and verjus dressing, bone soy with rempah, and pandan oil. Fish is fatty and umami with a subtle tinge of sweetness, and the process of aging also helps in softening the texture. The “flower” crown is made up of super sweet & juicy tomatoes. So refreshing especially to whet the appetite.

A no-brainer choice thanks to the plenty of raves online. Was surprised to find smooth, flaky Haddock beneath the crispy batter. Nice combination of subtle sweetness and savoury crunchy batter. Squeeze some lime to cut through the greasiness of the fried batter and you’re good to go. I’m not a fan of peas, so the mushy peas didn’t appeal much to me but I did find it fresh and sweet. Worth every single buck and definitely on the top of my list for favourite fish and chips.

Bulldog has been my new-found favourite over circuit breaker and that’s why i’m so excited that it finds its way into Habibi-san kushiyaki. The iberico pork jowl comes with addictive bulldog mayo- tangy and savoury at everh bite. Found the pork jowl a bit too chewy for my liking, and my lazy grandma teeth are leaning more towards shish tawook that is essentially chicken thighs with toum (whipped garlic). Chicken thighs are super duper tender and juicy that are so unexpected considering the huge chunks they come in. Secretly wish they can mix the bulldog mayo with the chicken thighs instead, but happy with how each is right now.

So happy to have said yes to the daily special at Habibi-san because it turns out to be as good (if not better) than their other items on the menu! The coral trout is stuffed with some vegetables (spring onions and, I guess, some thinly-sliced cabbage) before being wrapped (with some more cabbage?) and grilled to perfection. The fish itself is sweet, and imo doesn’t need additional macadamia sauce on the side. It’s already so good on its own because it’s fresh.

Although this dish still cannot beat the insanely good cioppino I had in SF, this seafood stew at Vespetta is surprisingly above my expectation. Seafood was really fresh and generous (special shout out to the fresh succulent huge prawns!). Tomato base was a tad salty for my liking, but other than tad it’s so wholesome and filling. We really enjoyed this :)

Freshly grilled sardines, lightly seasoned with salt, a dash of olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Could easily do it without the puree beneath. The spotlight is definitely reserved for the freshness of the fish.

The first thing that came up to our mind was "the broth tasted like what I usually cook at home". No, that's not meant to be self-praising or criticising the chefs. I understand that the whole concept of this dish is to make you feel at home. But of course, the main highlight is the uber fresh pearl grouper (the staff informed us that they gave us an upgrade as they ran out of the usual fish, so you can ask them when ordering). The fish was nothing short of awesome. The flesh was firm and thick, with a distinct layer of fats beneath the skin. The lala was also sweet and fresh. The whole dish might not impress us as much as the pasta we had during our previous visit, but it's a fail-proof comfort dish.

The smooth sea bass pate carried smokey notes, but I personally felt the flavour could get a tad one-dimensional after your second piece of bread. The grilled sourdough, which was procured from Mother Dough Bakery, was great and buttery which is probably why the pate was only lightly seasoned. The cherry cardamom jam was a nice addition if you want to have some contrasting flavours for your tastebuds. Overall, I prefer a stronger flavour from the pate itself, perhaps because I'm so used to eating chicken liver pate that is rich in flavour.

The most impressive dish I have had here so far is these roasted prawns. Served with seaweed butter and shio kombu. The grilling fruther brings out the sweetness of the succulent prawn flesh, with additional smokey notes as we bit into it. My favourite part is of course the head where the umami "stock" is hidden. What a fantastic appetiser to start our dinner with! Highly recommend this for any fresh seafood lover.