[CLOSED] The Seafood International Market & Restaurant

Dropping a must-try before @rockabelity and I head off to Batam for his birthday spa! His mum suggested #TheSeafoodInternationalMarket at East Coast and it was crazy good. The Thai-Chinese cuisine totally blew me away (maybe it's because my expectations were damn low). The star dish: chilli crab. Ask for it to be served with garlic bread - yes you heard me, GARLIC BREAD. Buttered slices of baguette topped with crispy garlic bits. Then after you finish the meaty chunks of fresh crab (seriously meaty) you can dump spoonfuls of the generous amount of chili crab sauce onto your bread and just slop it all up. Here's the kicker = the sauce had peanuts in it. I bet it was the Thai influence that called for it. It made the chilli crab sauce ten times better and totally set the dish apart. The sauce isn't spicy at all, sweet and rich with a delicate tingle of spiciness is all. The crunchy bits of peanuts really make it special. Also, this is crab enough for four people and it came up to.... $47. YES. SO AFFORDABLE. Go. GO. They also have a buffet lunch for $28.90++ per person.

My parents took me here to try the a la carte lunch buffet. It wasn't crowded at all when we visited on a Monday; only about 75% full. I was feeling a little under the weather so didn't have a massive appetite but even then, I enjoyed the meal.
As usual, there is a section in the a la carte buffet lunch menu that lists the dishes which are limited to one serving per customer. Naturally, we had to have everything in there. Most were good. Here are the ones from that section, as well as other dishes that I liked (pictured clockwise from top left and ending in the centre):
• Braised mini abalone with oyster sauce - nice and tender; not rubbery at all.
• Deep-fried seabass with homemade lemon sauce - the very crisp fish went perfectly with the sour sauce and yup, every part of the seabass was edible.
• Crisp-fried crystal prawn with salted egg yolk - anything cooked with salted egg is usually yummy and this didn't disappoint.
• Stir-fried white stone clams with garlic and white wine - thumbs up for the light yet flavourful broth with fresh, good quality clams.
• Stir-fried garoupa fish in honey garlic sauce - loved the sauce and the fact that the fish is boneless, plus you can order multiples of this.
• Golden broth with sea cucumber and fish maw soup - sweet and satisfying.
• Oven cheese baked lobster - wow... a fresh whole lobster for each diner.
• Marinated soft boil egg with "foie duck paste" topping - I found the description intriguing and the taste pretty interesting.
• Wok fried seafood udon in laksa flavouring - I didn't expect to enjoy this surprisingly spicy dish as much as I did.

Do remember to allocate some tummy space for the dessert buffet spread. The "Thai red ruby" and "Organic green tea soy beancurd" shooters were especially fabulous. Rather oddly, they also had a pot of century egg, chicken and abalone clams porridge displayed next to the desserts. So don't miss out on that if you are into porridge.

As Singapore's first live seafood and dining concept restaurant, the fun starts when you and your family get to shop for anything you'd like to have at Seafood International's seafood and vegetable marketplace, with the seafood brought in from all over the world. After you're done choosing, tell the staff how you would like it prepared. If you're not sure, they will gladly recommend the best cooking method. With 3 unique settings - Family Hall, Casual Alfresco Garden, and VIP Rooms - choose the right ambience to suit the occasion.

Live The Good Life® with your Standard Chartered Card: 10% off à la carte menu & set menu. Valid till 31 December 2014.

Seafood International has introduced a 30-Course Set Dinner featuring 30 fabulous celebratory dishes with free flow wines, beers, desserts and more to mark the occasion. Here's Deep Fried Marble Goby with Spring Onion Soya Sauce. Read more: http://www.misstamchiak.com/the-seafood-international-celebrates-30th-anniversary-with-30-course-dinner/

Cereal prawns. Typically eaten with the crispy fragrant cereal infused shells, but I rather deshell.

Normal pacific oysters, but really fresh. Supposed to be paired with green chili marmalade, but the chili lacked flavour and was just all spice.