Platypus (Chinatown)

I've heard great things about Platypus's lobster rolls, so I was one happy clam when I spotted Platypus's sign dangling at a storefront in Chinatown. I dragged my sister from work to Platypus for teatime around 4 plus, but they were unfortunately not open for business until 6pm. We soothed our disappointment with some creamy coconut ice cream from Qoolco just down the street. And waited. And waited. We came back to Platypus at 6pm right on the dot. The waitress looked unimpressed. 
Because we had dinner at home waiting for us, we split one Modern Original Lobster Roll Set ($23.90), the set which had an additional side of truffle chips and a salad. 

First things first. The lobster roll was rich and creamy, with surprisingly large chunks of lobster. The ordinary bread roll was toasted on one side, until that side was crisp. It was satisfying, with excellent quality.

But in hindsight, we shouldn't have started with the roll. Their 'chips' wasn't fries, but were potato chips that were tossed with truffle oil. The first bite was decent, but as we continued the amount of oiliness on each chip was overwhelming. The potato chips cheapened the feel of the entire meal, because it felt like we were eating finger food at a hotel reception.


The waitress looks like she'll rather be anywhere but working. A glass of water would have been good to wash down the oiliness. Water is available inside the restaurant, as we found out at the end of the meal when we went to pay, but the waitress didn't bother to give us any. 

The Verdict
One of those meals when the food is decent, but you leave with a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction. $20.90 for a lobster roll sounds like a surprisingly decent price, but add $3 more for truffle potato chips, and a $4 service charge for their cold, non-existence service, it's a pretty unpleasant dining experience. I'm not sure which is more distasteful: the too-good-for-you service, or the oily potato chips masquerading as fries. We paid $28.20 and walked away with a bad aftertaste. 

Address
3 Pickering Street, #01-31 Nankin Row, 048660