NUDE Seafood (Punggol)

NUDE Seafood is likely an establishment that one would have heard in the local F&B scene since quite a number of years ago — these folks have first started out being a bistro located in Marina Bay Financial Centre, though they had since moved out of the premises of their very first location sometime back in 2023. The brand had seen quite a journey since their beginnings; NUDE Sesfood had since then expanded their operations with yet another location at Marina One — the location at Marina One being the home to their NUDE Grill concept back then at its launch before being re-branded as yet another NUDE Seafood location in more recent times. These folks had recently found new digs within the heartlands; the opening of their new outlet in Waterway Point at Punggol is probably the brand’s very first foray into the heartlands — a notable move considering how the brand has been pretty much rooted in the Central Business District all the while. Located at Basement 1 of the mall, NUDE Seafood occupies a shop unit that is located in the non-air-conditioned space of the mall; this also allows the restaurant to come with a view of the Punggol waterfront as well. Considering how they are situated in an open space within the mall, NUDE Seafood at Waterway Point is also a pet-friendly establishment much to the likes of their location at Marina One as well; they also do retail pet treats from their TAKI Pets brand as well at their Waterway Point location. The menu at NUDE Seafood has seem to gone through an overhaul ever since their move out of their Marina Bay Financial Centre location; the food menu is now being split to sections dedicated to Starters, Seafood Mains, Meat Mains, Signature Sharing Dishes, Vegetarian Mains, Sides, Staples, Desserts and “For The Young Ones” (i.e. kids menu). The beverages menu is further subdivided into sections such as Wines, Beers, Juices, Water, canned drinks, and Tea & Mocktails. Espresso-based specialty coffee is limited to Long Black, Iced Black and Iced White — all of which being brewed by beans roasted by PPP Coffee.

NUDE Seafood has always been one those places that seems to have their own innovative and contemporary approach to the food items that they serve up; while there are some more conventional dishes such as that of the Fish & Chips and Chicken Schnitzel which are dishes that can be described as more predictable, one item that had caught our attention rather early on was their Baby Squid & Belgian Waffle. Listed on the menu as a Starter, the Baby Squid & Belgian Waffles also being described on the menu to come with elements such as Ssamjang, Napa and Salted Lemon Maple; these were aside from the deep-fried baby squid and the Belgian Waffle which are being mentioned in the namesake of the dish. An item that sees a little a bit of innovation coming out from them, the deep-fried baby squid does remind us somewhat of the usual fried squid fritters one can get from Old Chang Kee that sat above half of a Belgian Waffle — beautifully plated and likely sized in this manner considering how the item is classed as a Starter. Sounding rather odd on paper, the entire dish was actually rather easy to eat with a flavour profile that was barely intimidating; the deep-fried baby squid here comes with a crisp batter and was easy to chew; nothing particularly rubbery nor did it feel greasy from all of that frying – the Napa Cabbage was done in a way almost akin to that of sauerkraut where it carried a soft crunch that proved to be a refreshing note that cuts through the fried nature of the baby squid and the carb-iness from the Belgian waffles. If anything, the Belgian Waffles didn’t really feel particularly impressive; whilst it still serves as a vehicle to the baby squid atop in a way similar to the bread that comes with bruschetta, the texture of the waffle was slightly on the dry, clumpy and dense side — a little far from our expectations of a crisp exterior and plush interior that would have made the dish even better.

The Ssamjang was done in a form close to an aioli here, which bore a creamy but also lightly spicy note almost similar to Sriracha mayonnaise; provided a sweet-salty combination of flavours when had with the salted lemon maple syrup that bound all of the elements together. Other dishes that we have had included the Nic’s Halibut, Honey Aioli which was is part of the Seafood Mains section of the menu — the Halibut here comes all soft with a natural sweetness to the fish that is close to that of cod. There is also Pan con Tomate — essentially a Spanish Tomato Bread though NUDE Seafood had went with having the tomato purée sit under the slab of fish and the toasted bread being placed on the side; the intention was likely for patrons to pair the fish and the tomato puree with the bread. The Honey Aioli was drenched above the halibut and flame-torched for that smoky yet lightly sweet Aburi-ed touch. The Fish and Chips though predictable came in quite a substantial portion size; three slabs of fish atop fries with the accompanying salad served in a bowl dedicated for its own — the Fish and Chips here does come with a thin golden brown breaded batter with sufficiently moist and flaky fish within; the fried fish fillet and the steak-cut fries being pretty free from grease with the fries coming in thick cuts that were crisp and well-filled with potato. Both goes well with the housemade tartar sauce that came along with the dish; creamy with a bright note that wasn’t too distinctively tangy, while the Caesar salad on the side was a good respite from all of the fried stuff going on.

In all honesty, the current iteration of the menu at NUDE Seafood does feel a little different from our previous experience at NUDE Seafood when they were still at Marina Bay Financial Centre; we recalled a stronger element of Asian flavours with westernised cooking methods that were a little more thoughtful and well-designed — the current iteration of its menu finds itself lacking on the finesse that they once had with most of the dishes that we had coming with some elements that didn’t go so well with one another. We also felt that the fare that they serve up might possibly work well for their Marina One outlet or as an establishment located within town, but probably likely less so for a dining establishment that is situated in the heartlands — the upscale vibes and the contemporary / progressive fare that the menu features is something that those in the heartlands find slightly difficult to relate to, making themselves look as an intimidating setup to walk into. Prices of the items listed on the Seafood Mains at NUDE Seafood’s Waterway Point location range between $19.90 to $29.90, while the dishes in the Meat Mains section of the menu are between $23.80 to $32.80; a rather high price point for a restaurant located in a mall situated within a neighbourhood away from town. That being said, NUDE Seafood is likely worth a try for the curious for those whom have more adventurous tastebuds, though we are also hoping for them to bring back the finesse that they have had in the past during their time at Marina Bay Financial Centre.