Humpback - Awesome Seafood Feast

I decide to revisit Humpback after an excellent experience here few years ago. This place is also special in a way since this is where I started to realize Outram Park and Tanjong Pagar is a foodie’s paradise. After that, it is an awesome journey of food adventures at this favourite area of mine.

There is a menu and interior revamp since I had dined at this restaurant and I’m actually really excited about the change since there are more choices of dishes now. Oh, and the Happy Hour Oysters promo is still around. 🎉 Just like last time, I’m still impressed with the food here. And I love how the ingredients are sourced from around the globe and this place’s creative rendition of the familiar ingredients into something unique and delicious. The fusion elements are also nicely done, where Asian influences are infused into European cuisine.

White-washed walls, aquamarine plush chairs, hanging globes of lamp with soft white lights, posh bar counter and hints of quaintness, this place is modern, stylish, hip and surprisingly cosy. And the awesome service here makes it feel even cosy. Thanks to Arnell and team for the wonderful experience.

By the way, this place is one of the more family restaurants in the vicinity. It is great for dates too.

Hokkaido Sea Scallops here have the nuanced briny sweetness I always love, and this taste gets even better when paired with the strawberries to accentuate that sweetness. Yes, simple yet magical. XO sauce, which is of Chinese origin, adds light splashes of spiciness and umami to the dish, making it exciting.

$4 fresh, sweet oysters with varying degree of intensity and creaminess are impossible to resist! They are must-try again. In fact, one can come here often simply for the oysters.

Hailed from Sabah, Malaysia are Tiger prawns with citrus butter and lime caviar. The firm, creamy, briny sweet prawns, perked up with the excitement from the tang of the citrus butter and lime caviar, are such joys to savour. I love this dish so much too.

Hidden beneath the tozazu jelly and pomelo sacs is a generous amount of chopped Red Prawn tartare from Patagonian Sea at Argentina. This is such a refreshing dish that awakes and teases the palates. I also love the iota of crunch in the jelly that juxtaposes so well with the springy raw prawn.

King Crab Donabe has the char of traditional Chinese claypot rice, starchy goodness of the Japanese rice, which is infused with the sweet briny flavours of king crab. There is so much plump juicy king crab legs (completely deshelled, yes!) added. The chickpeas also add a nice, crunchy texture. I love this Chinese meets Japanese dish. It is meant for sharing, but I managed to finish it all by myself because it is so good.

Toasted Castella Cake with creme fraiche ice cream and soy caramel wins my thumbs up with the element of saltiness added for dimension in taste. The ice-cream does well to introduce coldness and  moisture to the castella cake for that lovely richness.

Thoughts: Lovely Restaurant with Unique, Delicious Fusion Cuisine

18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road

Nearest MRT: Outram Park

Kura Oyster and Highball Bar - Awesome Japanese Small Plates

After I had an absolutely memorable and awesome Kaiseki at Ikkoten, I, naturally, put her sister restaurant, Kura Oyster and Highball, into my wishlist. While the dining experience here is very different in terms of food, presentation and mood, I enjoy myself a lot here too because the Japanese Tapas here are delicious and unique. Think Deep Fried Cheese, Snow Crab Gratin, Smoked Duck, Lobster Bun, Wagyu Beef Tartare, Stingray Fin. In fact, the food here is probably one of the best among modern casual bar restaurants.

The vibe of the restaurant is modern, industrial, cool and stylish with all the high chairs at the open kitchen counter and high tables. Really feel like one of the hip and cool when dining here.

Service is good and friendly. They also take the effort to let me know I can order more Japanese Tapas if I want instead of ordering too much at the start. Nice thoughts there.

What’s a trip to an oyster bar without trying the oysters there? Provided one likes oysters, of course. So I got Ponzu Jelly Oysters. And oyster of the day is Murotsu oyster, whose taste is creamy, briny, with lace of iodine. The refreshing light taste of ponzu jelly cuts through the richness and slight bite of the fresh oysters for an interesting and pleasing overall taste.

The cherry tomatoes are so juicy and sweet! The vinegar they are soaked adds a tinge of kick to the sweetness. I love this as an appetiser to start with.

Miso Smoked Duck with leek is oh-so-good. The tender meat with smoky gamey flavours, highlighted by the savoury earthiness of miso, is such a joy to savour. I love this so much.

Another highlight is Kanitama Mentaiko Gratin. The real crab shell is packed with silky, briny sweet snow crab meat. The mentaiko adds moisture and creaminess to the crab meat for extra richness. The macaroni hidden within finishes with a nice satisfying feel. A must-try here.

Camembert Cheese Furai is definitely something special. It is awesome in terms of texture. Stretchy warm gooey cheese juxtaposes perfectly with crispy deep fried breadcrumbs. In fact, the nutty flavour of the cheese is even more pronounced when in its melted form 👍🏻

Sweet Potato Fries is a must try here. The fat fingers of carbo goodness is fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It has that earthy mild sweetness, juxtaposing perfectly with the light spices of curry powder. My suggestion is to eat it while it is fresh out on the table to enjoy the texture.

Pork Belly Yakiniku is delicious, being silky and flavourful.

Photo courtesy of meine schöne Freundin, Sissi ❤️

This is one very well-prepared Garlic Rice. Each fluffy, moist yet slightly firm grain is lightly imbued with the essence of garlic and has that lovely starchy quality. I end up scraping the plate to try to finish every grain of it lol

Love the Matcha Mochi too due to the clean and refreshing taste and slightly chewy texture.

I actually Japanese Highball over Jim Beam since it is milder in taste.

Dining here is quite an adventure due to the unique Japanese tapas. I also like the portions so I can try many different dishes at one sitting. A place I definitely recommend to chill out and enjoy some good unique food.

Thoughts: Love Japanese Tapas here!

84 Telok Ayer Street #01-01

Nearest MRT: Telok Ayer or Raffles Place

Angie’s Oyster Bar and Grill - The Feast is your Oyster

Okay, I get to know about Angie's Oyster Bar and Grill for the wrong reasons. You know, the latest news. And curious me of course have to take a look at the menu to see what this restaurant is all about. The "Oyster" in the name does play a part to entice me to do so. So the result of that curiosity is the post below.

The oysters, from France, Ireland and Australia, are so fresh and juicy. When paired with lemon and vinaigrette for the extra zest, they become refreshing bursts of myriad of flavours. I highly recommend to try all oysters on the menu because all have different taste profiles, taking one on a taste adventure. French Fine de Claire is light and refreshing, while Archill Irish is slightly more intense in taste plus the extra creaminess. Australian Tasmanian is briny and full of umami. French Tsarskaya, which is the grand finale of the tasting sequence, is the best of them all. Very meaty and full of the flavours of the ocean, its core release a burst of refreshing pure sweetness when biting into it. It is unbelievable.

Langoustine Nero Pasta is served in very generous portion. The four huge Argentinian red langoustine is packed with the sweetness of prawns, accentuated by the smokey flavour. The flesh is firm and good to bite. I suggest to add the lemon juice to them for a refreshing splash of zest to create a balance in flavours with the smokey flavour. And this is partly because there is too much char on the prawns, rendering them a bit too bitter. The spaghetti fully coated with squid ink is very flavourful too and has that iota of briny taste.

Truffle Mac and Cheese Petite is sized just right for tasting. I like the woody aroma of truffle that is a perfect match with the mushrooms and creamy cheese sauce. Though I do find it tending towards the side of saltiness. Will be great if they cut down on the amount of salt added.

The restaurant is very spacious and really exudes that idyllic vibe. It is like on board a yacht to get together to enjoy what the ocean has to offer. Service is great too. Very friendly, polite and they immediately respond when I look for help, it is like they are always on a lookout, even from the corner of their eyes. Definitely a plus point.

By the way, in case one is curious: there are actually lots of families with kids dining there. So I guess this is a kids' friendly place, in the case where the kids are accustomed to dining outside.

I totally love the oysters here. And Nero Pasta is good too. Definitely one of places that come to mind when I have craving for oysters.

Thoughts: Good time to go crazy on the oysters

313 Outram Road

Tan Boon Liat Building #02-01

Nearest MRT: Outram

Humpback - Seafood Gastronomy

I have to admit it, the lure of $3 fresh oysters during happy hours is too much to resist. So here I am savouring super fresh, succulent, umami-ridden oysters amidst the hippest crowd. I always thought that only French oysters were worth a special trip down, but the USA oysters proves me wrong. They are so unbelievably good and fresh, having a varied taste profiles depending on the species. Just trust the restaurant’s recommendation and order all types, and the oysters will be served arranged in increasing intensity in taste. The first type will be very light and mellow, great for teasing the palates and for first-timers. They are all good in their own ways, with the last selection being the crown of umami goodness. Just for the oysters, this place is a must-visit.

Tiger Prawns is oh-so-good that I proclaim on the spot that this is the best prawn dish I ever had. The very subtle hints of spiciness adds the dimension and excitement to the wholesome taste of plump tiger prawns. And the smoky flavour of grilled prawn elevates this dish to another unbelievable level.

I love Spicy Rigatoni too. It’s a good carb supplement to all the awesome seafood I have here. The tomatoes here are so sweet and juicy. The creaminess of stracciatella cheese goes so well with the slight spicy flavour of the sauce that the rigatoni is drenched in.

Blue Crab Slider looks very good and the blue crab filling is very good. But the thick bun is not doing justice to it. It is too thick, occupying most of the taste profile and texture of this dish. The blue crab feels more like a condiment rather than the main star of the dish.

As I had said, I love the buildings along the area of Bukit Pasoh, Keong Saik Road, Neil Road and such, so this restaurant is no exception since it rests within the heart of this heritage site. Despite a quiet Saturday, this place, with its quaint exterior and cool upmarket interior, manages to attract quite a crowd. Yes, this place is that popular. And amid the crowd, the busy service staffs still handle the customer requests like champs, maintaining their friendly deposition throughout.

I’m falling in love with this place and I can’t wait to come back. In fact, I’m dreaming of going back there already.

Thoughts: My first choice for seafood!

Nearest car park: URA parking along Bukit Pasoh road or The Pinnacle at Duxton’s carpark

Nearest MRT: Outram Park or Chinatown

20 Bukit Pasoh Road

Contact No: 9772 9896