Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant is pleased to welcome a line-up of its beloved dishes in its 1956 Menu (yes, this restaurant has been around for 65 years!) alongside its grand menu. Starting out as a pushcart along the old Upper East Coast Road to its current location at Fullerton Bay since 2014, traditional recipes have been fine-tuned and yet it continues to uphold its objective to provide affordable seafood to its customers.
The first appetiser we had was the Singapore Rojak ($12) and is a dish that is sure to get conversations going with tis creative presentation in a banana leaf “cone”. The sauce consists of shrimp paste, tamarind paste and sugar, mixed in a big bowl with ginger flower, shaved pineapple, cucumber, turnip and mango, along with beansprouts, tau pok (tofu puffs) and dough fritters. It is then finished off with crushed peanuts and addition of century egg. We also had the Fried Kangkong with Cuttlefish ($18), which was served chilled. Tender blanched cuttlefish and fresh Kang Kong are mixed with sweet sauce, chilli and spicy dried shrimps before finishing off with deep-fried shallots and nuts. A good dish to have on a sunny day!
The next dish that we had was my favourite – the King Prawn Soup ($14). It is a pocket-friendly variant of the restaurant’s award-winning Cobo Lobo that features luxurious live lobster with vermicelli in a milky and tangy superior chicken stock. The broth is made with evaporated milk, dried orange peel, Chinese cured meat (Jin Hua ham), chilli oil and lime juice and features a succulent tiger prawn – served in individual portions.
Next up on the 1956 menu is the Deep Fried “Golden Phoenix” with Spicy Sauce ($48 for approximately 800g). A twist on the classic sweet and sour fish, freshwater “golden phoenix” is deep-fried and topped with a moreish house-made sauce consisting of fragrant lemongrass, red chilli padi, tamarind paste, sour plum, lime, fish sauce, tomato ketchup, garlic, shallots and sugar and served with a side of papadum.
What we thought was good value was the Oyster Sauce Chicken ($24), also on the 1956 menu. A whole organic Anxin chicken is served in a giant steaming basket. The chicken is first brushed in dark soy sauce and deep-fried till golden brown then stuffed with stir-fried chives, garlic and lard. Oyster sauce, sesame oil and hua diao wine are mixed and drizzled over before wrapping the chicken in aluminium foil and steaming for 50 minutes. We thought the chicken could be slightly more tender but otherwise it is flavourful and is served in a generous portion.
We cannot make a visit to Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant without having their trademark crabs. They are known for their signature chilli crab but this time we had the Crab Ala Singapura. Crabs are charcoal-grilled at 400 degrees Celsius with melted mozzarella, aged parmesan cheese, creamy French butter, salt and pepper, a rather unusual but interesting way of enjoying the juicy crustacean.
Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant is also introducing their all new Pao Fan (poached rice) series that is exclusively available for lunch between 12 and 2.30pm. There are six different options available (from $16.80). We had the Yuan-Yang Seabass Crackling Rice Soup ($16.80), which features fish cooked two ways, crispy rice puffs and you tiao.
To complete the meal, we had the tri-colour orh-nee ($4.80) consisting of yam paste, creamy pumpkin and sweet potato paste with gingko nut. Durian lovers can try the Fried Durian ($8), which is made with Mao Shan Wang – served crisp on the outside, with creamy and rich durian paste on the inside.
In sum, we think that Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant is a place to go for nostalgic food and well-executed local food. It is also good value for money with their generous portions served. Its prime location by the marina bay is also a plus point as you can take a stroll around the bay after your meal.
Budget per person: $35 – $60
