New Ubin Seafood

I'm always in the mood to hear about zi char stores that have been making a splash in food circles. On one end of the spectrum is the traditional kind of zi char stalls like Por Kee, an established presence serving up orthodox zi char - think plates of perfectly-done beef hor fun and braised tofu. On the other end is the team at New Ubin Seafood, bringing fresh ideas into the mix and pushing the boundaries of what zi char can be. 

We kicked off the meal with Brinjal Delight, deep-fried, crisp brinjal slices drizzled with a sweet sauce. The undertone of lemongrass complements the sweetness of the dish, and it's an impressive way to start a meal. Much like how 唐人轩 in Guangzhou has their magnificent brinjal dish, I'm glad I've found a local equivalent here. 

The rich sauce accompanying the Hokkein Mee Special dialed up the seafood flavor of the dish up to an 11. The heaviness of the dish didn't sit overly well with me in every mouthful of noodles, but was decadent with the giant prawns. 

I enjoyed the spin on the traditional kailan, served with crunchy slivers of fried seaweed on the side. 

They know there's only one way to cook a steak - medium-rare, and our US Rib Eye Beef was perfectly seared with smoky, crisp charcoal-tinged edge and a pink, juicy interior. I snapped up most of the rarer cubes while being given the dubious eye by my mom, who reached for the well-done edges. To each their own. One beef I had with the dish (get it? Ha ha) is the heavy-handedness with the salt. This is a dish that demands to be shared; your taste bud will rebel if you try eating one by yourself.  

The complimentary Beef Fried Rice was soggy and clumpy, and drowning the rice in salt and dark soy sauce did the dish no favour. Am I a grinch for not enjoying this picturesque dish? The sticker shock is real (this dish costs $84), and the quality of the cut or the marination is not in the same league as other restaurants for the same price point. 

What we did enjoy were the crabs: the fragrant Garlic Baked Crab, and the Chili Crab. The fragrance of the garlic crab approached the table before the dish, and even the whole roasted garlic cloves are delicious when peeled and eaten. The mantou is perfectly deep-fried; hot and crisp on the outside, and perfect with the chili crab sauce. But fair warning, the chili is intensely spicy. 

New Ubin Seafood 
63 Hillview Avenue, Level 6 (Canteen), 669569