Emporium Shokuhin, Senmi Sushi

It is always an adventure to try some place new especially in tiny dot Singapore. And this is definitely one of the latest big thing in the Singapore scene. Making the headlines as the largest Japanese supermarket with Japanese Restaurants and a Japanese Supermarket to boot, it was surely a place I would have to check in and check out. Such a concept is indeed a great one, however, I felt on the whole there was nothing special, other than a place to buy fresh seafood, eat Japanese food, and buy Japanese groceries. I believe a better job can be done to the display and layout, as what has been done for PasarBella at Turf Club to make it a more exciting Japanese experience. A great idea though.

For lunch we decided on Senmi Sushi as my lunch kaki was talking about this huge bowl of Charashi Don that was unique in this Japanese restaurant. We settled for the regular bowl Charashi Don, and added a side of sashimi salad and salmon sushi rolls. I would say the Charashi Don continues to be a winner, and going for the large bowl would certainly on my next to try list.

As for the fresh seafood market, it was quite nice to see all the fresh seafood on display, with very attentive and helpful staff that explained each seafood for us. It almost felt like I was going to the aquarium, just that these could be bought and eaten.

Emporium Shokuhin, Senmi Sushi
Marina Square
Unit 01-18
Singapore 039594
Nearest MRT: Esplanade

Dancing Crab

Do crabs dance? I must say that Dancing Crab has a cute and adorable name for a restaurant. This is the second time I am venturing out to try a restaurant that is non-Chinese based. Most of my crab repertoire has been chilli, black pepper, or salted egg Sri Lankan crabs in the usual Chinese seafood restaurants like Jumbo, House of Seafood, Crab Party.

With this new concept of Louisiana-style way of eating crabs that have hit the shore of Singapore - eating crabs on the table with your hands minus the cutlery is definitely a fun and messy experience. The meal doesn't come cheap, though, with an average of $30 per head.

Located at Orchard Central, Dancing Crab is easily accessible with the MRT, and away from the crowds milling around shopping. We had the Combo Bag of 1 Sri Lankan Crab, with Prawns and Clams cooked in garlic sauce. Carbs included were Corn on Cob and Potato. The garlic butter sauce was superb, and made me want to scoop out the sauce with some bread and devour it to the fullest. I for one do not like garlic, but cooked this way, it is irresistible. This Combo Bag alone was actually enough for the 3 of us, but under the recommendation of the server, we added on a side of fries and a lobster roll (which came with fries again). So in the end, we were left with too much food. The lemonade was a delicious thirst quencher, and the different flavored concoctions made the drink a whole lot more fun.

Dancing Crab
Orchard Central
Unit 07-14/15
Singapore 238896
Tel:6509 1878
Nearest MRT: Somerset

Crab In A Bag

I have heard about Crab In A Bag for a while, but it was only on a recent Friday night that I decided to give this restaurant a shot. Located at Big Splash, it is just about the most inconvenient place to get to if you take public transport. The only way to defray your cost of travel is if you take cab from Mountbatten MRT area.

Personally I have enjoyed one of our national dish, Chili Crab, special chili sauce cooked with Sri Lankan crab. So dining at Crab in A Bag was a little of an adventure, as it would be an American way of preparation, instead of the usual Chinese style that I have come to enjoy. Crab In A Bag does not serve only crabs but also a host of other seafood like fish, calamari, prawns etc, with an interesting array of sides. You could order their combination set of seafood that comes at a cost of $399 (that caused my eyes to bulge as I could actually fly to Bangkok with that same price!), or do it alar carte. So we naturally ordered alar carte as there were only 3 of us. Basically you choose the sauce, the seafood, and the sides, and they will cook it up and prepare it in a bag to be served. There is no cutlery, and you have to do the finger licking good. So it's either a date place to show how unglam you could get, or maybe it is just best to go with someone you are comfortable with. We tried 3 difference sauces - Louisiana Garlic Butter, the Mum's Special, and the Ultimate Curry, and preferred the Louisiana Garlic Butter best. Prawns were our favorite seafood dish being juicy and fresh. The Sri Lankan crab which we had with Ultimate Curry was a poor replica of our famed Chili Crab. A lovely side that we enjoyed was the Crinkled Cauliflower that seems quite healthy as a side, thought I have a feeling it was fried with butter. The kids loved the Fish Fillets and asked for seconds.

What is great about Crab In A Bag is the service, with the staff being so cheery, even helping us to put on our bibs (which we didn't know how to use!). The decor is done up in white and blue nautical themed style which I am particularly fond of. Crab In A Bag is all about casual dining, and eating with your fingers, in fact, it is eating off the table as there is no utensils and plating.

Crab In A Bag
Big Splash
Block D Unit 01-25
902 East Coast Parkway
Singapore 449874