Long Beach Seafood Restaurant, Singapore

When in Singapore, one MUST try their famous local dish, black pepper crab. Long Beach Seafood Restaurant is known for putting Singapore on the food map with the creation of this dish, and is also known for being the first restaurant in Singapore to serve a seafood menu.

Started in the 1940's, this restaurant has now expanded to 5 locations across the island.
One thing I just couldn't get used to in Singapore was the humidity. My skin loved it but the rest of my body did not. It was unbearable for me. When the hostess gave us a choice to either sit outside with a sea front view or indoors with air conditioning, we all chose air conditioning without hesitation.

The three of us shared a super deluxe live Scottish bamboo clam seafood menu for two. What the heck is Scottish bamboo clam you ask? You'll find out soon. This meal came with a free $10 International VIP calling card, which we found humorous.

The meal started with a plate of roasted peanuts.

Roasted Peanuts

The first dish was the steamed live Scottish bamboo clam with minced garlic. Scottish bamboo clam is also called razor clam or jacknife clam in other parts of the world. This was interesting to try...tender and chewy at the same time. The clam was topped with vermicelli and minced garlic.

Scottish Bamboo Clam

Next was the house specialty prawn. The shrimp were jumbo, and were topped with lots and lots of minced garlic. Mmmmmmm.

House Specialty Prawn

The dish we were all waiting for...their famous black pepper crab! This was AMAZING. The black pepper sauce just coated the giant crab. Unlike the crab I have had in the past, this one needed a lobster cracker. The shell was very thick and hard, and could not be bitten with your teeth. The meat was incredibly juicy and tender, and the black pepper sauce went perfectly with it.

Black Pepper Crab

After the crab came the fried rice with silver fish and bean sprouts. Can you spot the little guys? If not, look for their little black eyes.

Rice with Silver Fish

Our meal ended with dessert of the day: pineapple soup. This was a light refreshing dish. Really enjoyed it.

Pineapple Soup

Longbeach has an impressive display of live seafood ranging from King Alaskan crab, tiger sea mantis, green wrasse, and marble goby. I was fascinated by the Canadian Geoduck. I had never seen this saltwater clam live in person.

Canadian Geoduck

Long Beach Seafood Restaurant
1202 East Coast Parkway
#01-04 East Coast Seafood Centre
Singapore
Telephone: 6448 3636

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The Whalesbone Oyster House, Ottawa

My sister in-law was sweet enough to surprise CK and I with a gift certificate for The Whalesbone Oyster House, a small casual seafood restaurant on Bank Street. She bought us the gift certificate so that we could celebrate all of the important dates we missed over the course of the year such as our birthdays, and our wedding anniversary. CK and I celebrated by ordering as much food as we could eat ;-)

Whalesbone Oyster House not only has fresh seafood, but they are socially responsible about it as well. They are a member of Oceanwise Canada, an association "dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display and interpretation, education, research, and direct action".
If you're not a seafood fan, don't fret. Whalesbone Oyster House also offers a non-seafood choice on their menu.

For starters, CK and I shared a few things:

We ordered a half dozen oysters, and asked the staff to surprise us with the selection. We ended up with two Mallet oysters, two Colville Bay oysters, and two Marina Golds. They were served with fresh horseradish, and a large selection of sauces. The oysters were incredibly fresh, and my favorite was the Mallet oyster.

Oysters on the Half Shell

Our table was right across from the bar, and I enjoyed my view of Sean shucking oysters as they were being served.

Oyster Shucking

Our first starter plate was the BC wild albacore tuna: slices of tuna lightly seared, and served over top of an apple slaw with toasted pine nuts. The tuna was served with a deliciously rich duck liver mousse ravioli. I loved this dish!

BC Wild Albacore Tuna

I loved the tang in the apple slaw, and it definitely added a nice touch to the dish.

BC Wild Albacore Tuna with Apple Slaw

Our second starter was the hand picked Qualicum Beach scallops. It was served with a sweet Korma and raw Bergendale honey sauce that paired very nicely. On the side was a potato, cauliflower and goat cheese curd pavé.

Hand Picked Qualicum Beach Scallops

My main was the Lake Erie walleye served over top of a brussel sprout and walnut salad. The brussel sprout salad normally comes with double smoked bacon, but I asked for no bacon. On the side was creamed corn with pommes Anna on top.

Lake Erie Walleye

I didn't care for the creamed corn, but the pommes Anna was awesome. It was carefully layered, and perfectly crisped.

Pommes Anna and Creamed Corn

CK ordered the wild White Spring salmon served over top of bok choy, and a mushroom & leek stuffed canneloni. Sauces included an AMAZING dill sabayon and charred pepper coulis. The salmon was cooked very nicely, and the dill sabayon made the dish.

Wild White Spring Salmon

For dessert, CK and I split the chocolate selection: layered brownie, peanut, and ganache. This was served with a creamy salted caramel ice cream (I believe Pascale's ice cream), and a delicious sponge toffee.

CK and I loved our meal, and I can't wait to go back.

Takeaway oysters and smoked fish are available for pre order for your upcoming holiday parties.
Whalesbone also owns the Whalesbone Sustainable Oyster and Fish Supply, a retail warehouse where you can buy sustainable fresh fish and sandwiches. You can read about my experience at this link.

The Whalesbone Oyster House
430 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-231-8569

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