Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) is a well known kelong seafood restaurant located in Johor Bahru. Although this restaurant is located around 30 minutes drive away from the checkpoint, it is popular among Singaporeans. At the car park which is unmarked, you are likely to see more Singapore registered cars compared to Malaysia vehicles.

Restoran Todak is unique as the whole restaurant located along the coast on kelong stilts.

The restaurant is located directly opposite Singapore's Sembawang Coast and provides a picturesque view. As you can see from the photo above, those cranes in the background are from Sembanwang shipyard.

Although the restaurant has indoor seats, most of the tables and chairs are located outside (without a roof) - alfresco style dining with the sea breeze. We arrived early for dinner as we were aware that the restaurant would be packed and some of the seafood would be sold out if we arrive late.

The live seafood are displayed with the prices indicated. For their crabs, they have different pricing depending on the prices. The cheaper ones typically get sold out before 730 pm. The you will need to wait and see if new stock comes in in the next couple of hours or order a more expensive crab.

We used the big menu (above) and ordered our food based on the recommendation of the type of cooking style for the food.

 Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry

The Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry were delicious! The prawns of different sizes were relatively big and very fresh; succulent and sweet tasting meat!

Fried Buns (Man Tou)

We ordered fried buns (man tous) which complemented perfectly with the Indonesian Curry gravy.

 Salted Egg Crab

The Salted Egg Crab was unique. I was expecting this to come with sauce and was surprised when it was a 'dry' dish. Taste wise, there was just a slight hint of salted egg flavour. Initially, we thought that the wrong order was delivered to us as this tasted more like fried garlic crab! I was not too impressed with the taste. But the saving grace was that the crab was so fresh! The meat could be easily extracted from the shell and was so tender.

Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) Gong Bao 宫保Style

The Japanese Snail (Japanese Escargot 日本螺) was cooked Gong Bao 宫保style. This dish was very well executed. The Japanese snail had a smooth texture and was springy! The Gong Bao style complement the Japanese Snail quite well. If the sauce was slightly more spicy, it would be more ideal!

Egg Omelette (Fu Rong Egg 芙蓉蛋)

Egg Omelette was fluffy and addictive - very well executed.

Butter Crayfish

Had great expectations for the Butter Crayfish. But it disappointed in terms of presentation and taste. I was expecting a more buttery flaovour that would make this addictive.

Lala

The Lala too was just 'meh' disappointing. The Lala were not meaty and plump enough. This is definitely not the best lala; is average.

Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan

The Sweet Potato Leaves with Belacan was well fried. Cooked and tasted just right. It complemented the plain rice extremely well.

Complimentary Fruits

After each meal, every table would be served with a plate of Complimentary Fruits.

Receipt

The total cost of our meal. Relatively cheap after converting to Singapore dollars considering this meal fed five persons.

This restaurant is definitely worth coming back to. I saw several tables ordering their fish and oysters. The oysters were huge! The downside is the distance from the causeway; you would probably need a vehicle. 

Restoran Todak (Orang Asli) (Malaysia, Johor Bahru)

No 1 Kampung Orang Asli, 
Telok Jawa, Masai 
81750 Johor Bahru
Tel: 07 386 3696

Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 1130pm

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Ngoc Suong Marina (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

Tôm sú chiên giòn rang muối tiêu (Deep Fried Prawns With Salt and Pepper) 205,000 VND (S$12.30)

Ngoc Suong Marina also known as Marina Saigon Seafood Cuisine is a Vietnamese seafood restaurant located along Nguyen Dinh Chieu road. It is less than 5 and 10 minutes walk away from the War Remnants Museum and Reunification Palace respectively. 

With its bright red signage, it would be hard to miss this restaurant. Ngoc Suong Marina is air-conditioned and has two levels. At the entrance, you would be able to see several tanks full of life seafood.

As my Vietnamese friends made reservations, we sat at the first level which was full (on a friday night)! I noticed on several occasions that foreigners were led up to the second level and that the first level seems to be mainly locals. I was curious and asked them. I was told that the second level had a different price and that there were more service staff there. Foreigners would normally be directed to the second level.

Hàu sống (Fresh Oysters) 31,000 VND (S$1.85) per piece

The first dish that was served was the Hàu sống (Fresh Oysters) 31,000 VND (S$1.85) per piece. The natural colour of these oysters were brown in colour as they were grown locally in Vietnam. The oysters were quite fresh, plump and juicy. Interesting, but if you are used to those air flown from Australia / Canada / USA, you might not be use to this.

Gỏi cá Ngọc Sương (Ngoc Suong Fish Salad) 142,000 VND (S$8.50)

Next, we had the Gỏi cá Ngọc Sương (Ngoc Suong Fish Salad) 142,000 VND (S$8.50) which we were told was a popular item in the restaurant. It was served with rice paper, fresh vegetables and herbs, slices of unripe banana, star fruit and a mixture of fish sauce with peanuts.

Gỏi cá Ngọc Sương (Ngoc Suong Fish Salad) 142,000 VND (S$8.50)

Slices of ginger, chilli and ground peanuts were sprinkled on top of the fish.

Gỏi cá Ngọc Sương (Ngoc Suong Fish Salad) 142,000 VND (S$8.50)

The fish salad, fresh vegetables and herbs, slices of unripe banana and star fruit would need to be added onto the rice paper. After that roll it up and the dip it into the sauce.

Chả giò hải sản (Seafood Fried Spring Roll) 43,000 VND (S$2.60) per piece

This Chả giò hải sản (Seafood Fried Spring Roll) 43,000 VND (S$2.60) per piece was delicious! The seafood was wrapped with beancurd and rice paper before being deep fried. Despite it being deep fried, the rolls were not oily at all! The exterior was dry and crispy while the interior was full of sauce and chunks of lobster and crab meat. Superb!.

Tôm sú chiên giòn rang muối tiêu (Deep Fried Prawns With Salt and Pepper) 205,000 VND (S$12.30)

Next, we ordered the Tôm sú chiên giòn rang muối tiêu (Deep Fried Prawns With Salt and Pepper) 205,000 VND (S$12.30). Vietnamese restaurant seems to like to cook their prawns with salt and pepper.

The outer shells of the prawns were deep fried till they were so crispy that some of us ate the whole thing without bothering to deshell the prawns so as to enjoy the combination of the salt and pepper. These prawns were so fresh. The shells could easily be deshell and its meat were firm and sweet. Shiok!

Cua rang me (Crab with Tamarind Sauce) 55,000 VND (S$3.30) per 100 gram

As my friend had stayed in Singapore for many years, she knew what we could find in Singapore. Hence, she decided to order something different; the Cua rang me (Crab with Tamarind Sauce) 55,000 VND (S$3.30) per 100 gram. The Crab with Tamarind Sauce, one of the restaurant signature dish was unique. It had a combination of sweet and tangy flavour. Again, the seafood here was very fresh! The crab meat could be easily deshell and were meaty. Very appeitisng and delicious! In fact, fingers licking good!

Miến xào cua (Glass Noodles Sauteed with Crab Meat) 147,000 VND (S$8.80)

As we were still hungry, we ordered another dish; Miến xào cua (Glass Noodles Sauteed with Crab Meat) 147,000 VND (S$8.80). This was another of their signature dish. The glass noodles had absorbed the seafood flavour and the addition of lettuce and onions gave a crunchy dimension to this dish.

Ngoc Suong Marina reminds me of Jumbo, Long Beach and No Signboard Seafood in Singapore. The dishes here were quite well executed and enjoyable. If you like seafood cooked in Vietnamese style, this would be a place to go to. However, do take note that this is a upmarket restaurant and that prices would be more expensive than those on the streets. Coming from Singapore, I thought that for the quality and taste of the food, the price was justifiable / value for money.

Do note, that the charges at second level are more expensive. And that if you want to sit at the first level, it would not be easy to catch the attention of any service staff. 

Ngọc Sương Sài Gòn (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh)

172 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, 

Phường 6, Quận 3, Tp.

Hồ Chí Minh

Tel: +84 (08) 3930 2379

Website

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T&K Seafood at Chinatown (Thailand, Bangkok)

A trip to Bangkok is not complete without a stopover at Chinatown (also known as Yaowarat) for a meal. The best time to visit Chinatown is at night; between evening to midnight. This is the period where the area comes alive with many eateries setting up shop along the side of the road, and tourist and locals start flocking into the area to savour the delicious delicacies such as bird nest, sharkfins and seafood.

T&K Seafood (highlighted in red)

The most highly raved about eatery at Chinatown is T&K Seafood, a roadside eatery renowned for the cheap and good seafood. T&K Seafood is located at along the main road (Yaowarat Road) that cuts across the chinatown. There are two such eateries located opposite each other. One of the ways to differentiate them is through the colour of the polo tee the staff are wearing. Staff at T&K Seafood wear green polo tee while their competitor wear red polo tee.

Tip: There are several zebra crossings located along the main road. If you are going to cross the road, it is advisable to use these zebra crossings. Kudos to the Thai Authorities, I remember several years back, there were no such zebra crossings. 

We arrived just after 6pm (on a weekday); their opening time as we did not want to queue. As it was raining before that, the staff were still setting up chairs and tables when we arrived. And surprisingly, it was already three quarter full.

The setup included placing placing fans above the makeshift shelter to ensure that it was well ventilated.

ps: They have an air-condition restaurant just beside this makeshift setup. We choose alfresco dining (outdoors - next to the road side).

Menu Cover

The menu was well categorized, in English and prices were stated clearly.

The biggest mistake we made were ordering these bottled drinks. Way too sweet, tasted like syrup drinks.

Condiments 

Steamed White snapper in Spicy Garlic Lime Juice Soup

The Steamed White snapper in Spicy Garlic Lime Juice Soup (Baht 300, S$12.50) is a Thai-style steamed fish. This was a tasty dish rich with different flavours such as spicy, sweet yet sour. The fish was fresh and cooked just right such that its meat was so soft. A must order! 

Tom Yum Soup

Tom Yum Soup

The Tom Yum Soup - seafood lemongrass soup with milk (150 Baht, S$6.25) did not disappoint. It had the right balance in taste with none of them overwhelming the other. Although it was spicy, it was addictive - you would be digging for more after each mouthful. The ingredients in it include squid, prawns, fish slices and button mushrooms. 

Stir Fried Water Cress 

Stir Fried Water Cress (80 Baht, S$3.33) was average with nothing much to shout about. We had to order some greens to make this a more balanced meal. 

Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle

Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle

Fried Stuff Crab with Crab Meat and Glass Noodle (50 Baht, S$2.08 per piece) consisted of a mixture of crab meat, chicken meat and vermicelli. It was unique but in terms of taste was average. I felt that the flavours of the ingredients were not brought out. Not really a must order, but worth a try if you have not eaten such an item before.

Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder

Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder

Stir Fried Squid with Yellow Curry Powder (150 Baht, S$6.25) is another Thai-style curry dish. They have a similar variation with crab. However, as we had ordered too many crab dishes, we decided to order squid instead. 

This was superbly executed - utterly delicious. The squids were cooked in curry pasta mixed with egg. The key to this dish was not the squid, instead it was the curry pasta with the egg. It was rich in flavour (due to the blend of curry powder), fragrant and not overly spicy. The sauce was irresistible and complement perfectly with rice. This was so good that it stole the show from the squid which to its credit was fresh and cooked to perfection (not overcooked). I am sure this dish would taste great with crabs or any other ingredients as long as the sauce is executed correctly. A must order!

Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot

Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot

Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot (350 Baht, S$14.58) was out of the world! Easily one of the better ones I have eaten. The glass noodle (vermicelli) was moist and incredibly flavourful with a slight spicy kick due to the peppercorns. The essence of all the juices (including the sweetness from the crab) in this dish was all captured in the glass noodle. It was so good that it stole the limelight from the crab. Yummy! Another must order!

The Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot reminded me of The Cheers Beer commercial which my Marketing lecturer showed us (watch from 1.05 onwards) when I was still studying. The execution, exaggeration, expression, humor and a simple tagline made this one of the most highly rated and popular beer commercials of all times. And just like the feelings shown on the video, this was what I felt after eating the Steamed Meat Crab with Glass Noodle in Claypot! So.. to every little good things in life... CHEERS! 

As we were leaving, we noticed a large crowd standing outside waiting for their turn to be seated. The crowd had literally spilled out to the road. It is advisable to come early.

What a sumptuous meal! Cheap and good! Well worth the trip down to Chinatown. If only we can get such food at such prices back home in Singapore.

T&K Seafood at Chinatown (Thailand, Bangkok)

49-51 Soi Phadung Dao, Yaowarat Road

Chinatown, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

Tel: +66 2 223 4519

Opening Hours: Daily 6pm to 2am

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Manhattan Star Platter at The Manhattan Fish Market (Northpoint)

Most of us would have heard of The Manhattan Fish Market before. But for those who don't, here's a short introduction. Manhattan Fish Market is a leading seafood casual dining restaurant with presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. In Singapore, Manhattan Fish Market has 14 restaurants outlets with 2 more outlets opening by the end of September.

We visited The Manhattan Fish Market at Northpoint Shopping Centre (opposite Yishun MRT station) for lunch.

There's plenty of seats in The Manhattan Fish Market as they occupy two units in the shopping mall.

The modern, classy environment which gives a big hint that its a seafoodish restaurant.

The menu cover.

Left to right: Tropical Breeze Mocktail, Cala Cala Mocktail

We ordered two mocktails; the Cala Cala and Tropical Breeze. The Cala Cala Mocktail, a combination of calamansi, lemonade and spirit was refreshing. It was accompanied by a citrusy fizzy sensation which was in a way - appetizing. The Tropical Breeze Mocktail, a Hawaiian fruit mocktail had a sweet fizzy sensation.

Soup of the Day - Cream of Mushroom Soup

The Soup of the Day was Cream of Mushroom Soup. There was plenty of fragrant mushrooms bits in it.

Manhattan Star Platter

The main reason why we came to The Manhattan Fish Market.

Well.. The Manhattan Fish Market had just launch its new creation; The Manhattan Star Platter $39.95.

Manhattan Star Platter $39.95

The Manhattan Star Platter consisted of 5 different seafood cooked in 5 different ways. The Garlic Herb Mussels were poached, the Oysters fried, the Calamari grilled, the Prawns were flamed and the Fish was baked! Besides these, there was vegetable and rice.

Manhattan Star Platter $39.95

The Garlic Mussels cooked in their signature Garlic Herb sauce was delectable. We were scrapping off whatever sauce there was and slurping it. The Grilled Calamari was surprisingly well executed (I have always gone for fried Calamari and thought that I will not fancy this). It was cooked perfectly, was soft and well seasoned. It was neither rubbery or hard.  It was grilled till some parts of the exterior had a slight crisp texture with a hint of charred taste which made it just so irresistible. Well done! The Fried Oysters was average while the Garlic Herb Rice underneath the seafood was a tad too hard and dry.

The vegetables consisted of carrots and broccoli. These were most probably boiled - healthy! We thought that it would be hard (not fully cooked..). But it turned out to be a pleasant surprised as it was soft, just the way we preferred.

Manhattan Flaming Prawns

The signature Manhattan Flaming Prawns would need no introduction if you have been to Manhattan Fish Market before. Its bound to attract your attention even if you did not ordered this, as long as someone in the restaurant orders this.

The Manhattan Flaming Prawns was flamed right in front of us. The thick, tasty melted cheese on the prawns complemented the prawns well. Unlike other restaurants or eateries, eating the (prawns) Manhattan Flaming Prawns was a breeze. It was just so easy and there was no need to use hands to peel the shells off (which can be a messy affair). This was because, the prawns were partially deshell (the little details that matters, taken to pamper and enhance customers' experience). I must add that the prawns were fresh and came off the shells easily.

Mediterranean Baked Fish

The Mediterranean Baked Fish; dory fillet baked in a blend of spices, herbs and coriander in a foil was superb. The fish was fresh and well coated with immense flavours from the blend of spices and herbs, resulting in a tantalizing aroma and flavor. The both of us love this.

To sum up, the Manhattan Star Platter was awesome. As you have read, we liked several items in the platter. Do note that this is available till 31 October 2013 only. I wonder if the management will make this a permanent dish on the menu in the future. I can foresee myself coming back and ordering this. Service-wise, the staff were prompt and attentive. In addition, the staff were also knowledgeable; able to describe the taste of the food and were able to recommend the drinks to go along.

Manhattan Star Platter at The Manhattan Fish Market (Northpoint)
#02-06/07 Northpoint Shopping Centre
Yishun Avenue 2
Singapore 769098
Tel: 6257 5507
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Website

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