Lifestyle: Spoilt for choice

Blue Jasmine offers a Thai buffet spread while FiSK Seafoodbar tempts with a smorgasbord of seafood delights.

FiSK’s Open-face Smørrebrod sandwich

Under the sea
Its name says it all. However, FiSK Seafoodbar & Market, whose parent company is Snorre Food, goes one step further than just serving delicious morsels of seafood; it supports the Blue Revolution.

Increasingly, diners are getting savvy about the way they eat — not only over flavour but also about where the ingredients come from. Blue Revolution is a practice that aims to avoid any eco--socio consequences and ensure sustainability through well-managed coldwater aquaculture that ensures traceability and source.

And with that assurance, members of the media were ready to get their hands dirty (this writer thinks the best way to enjoy seafood is to eat it with your fingers) and savour the dishes created by general manager and executive chef Markus Dybwad. Norwegian-born -Dybwad earned his chops at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Bagatelle in Norway and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in the UK, as well as top restaurants in Singapore such as Iggy’s and Equinox Restaurant.

Smoked salmon, salmon tatare, -scallop, langoustine and more were brought to our table for tasting. Each dish was so well plated that numerous Instagrams were posted that afternoon. We enjoyed the Open-face Smørrebrod sandwich ($4 to $10 a piece; add $6 for smoked mackerel or $7 a piece for Greenland prawns), which is a platter of delicate slices of buttered rye bread topped with house-smoked mackerel — not salty at all — and paired with just the right amount of sour cream and trout roe.

Who can resist salmon skin ($3 a piece)? This moreish treat has a topping of smoked mayonnaise and trout roe with a generous sprinkling of dill. I wish they would bottle this and sell it as a go-to snack for days when you plan to stay on the couch and binge on Netflix.

The Raw-Hand Dived Scallop ($26.50) is treated with the utmost respect with only a light touch of juniper, fennel, calamansi, wakame powder and mircocress (a type of herb). With scallop this fresh, there is really no need to do much and the chef knows it too.

There were more dishes on the menu to try, but we were just too full. And that was one of the reasons why this writer went back for a private lunch with friends. We chose the set menu ($29 for two courses) and selected the Sea Bream Curry and Apple Crumble. The allure of FiSK Seafoodbar’s menu is such that you just cannot stop at one or two dishes; we added mussels ($3 per 100g), hamachi ($9.50 per 50g) and prawns ($6 per 100g).

Be warned that you will not walk out of this 4,000 sq ft restaurant without making a purchase or two. Adjoining the restaurant is a retail area where you can stock up on your favourite seafood. If you are clueless on how to cook the mussels, the guys behind the counter are more than happy to provide you with cooking tips. Other items you can purchase are condiments, ready takeaways and some Nordic delights.

FiSK Seafoodbar & Market
30 Stevens Road #01-01
Website: fisk.com.sg
Reservations: [email protected]
Tel: 6732 0711
Opening hours:
Seafood bar: Monday: 11.30am to 7pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 11.30am to 4.30pm, 6pm to 10pm
Sunday: 11.30am to 7pm
Market:
Monday to Sunday: 10am to 7pm

Blue Jasmine is Singapore’s first halal Thai restaurant

Halal Thai buffet delights
How does one stop at a few -dishes in a Thai restaurant? You do not, and you end up ordering most of the à la carte items on the menu. Blue Jasmine, the first halal Thai restaurant in Singapore, offers an alternative buffet that has an array of dishes ranging from Steamed Sea Bass in Thai Sauce to Wing Salad, which is not easily available elsewhere.

The first thing you will notice is the minimalist decor that allows the live stations to take centrestage — you can watch Thai Duck Noodle Soup prepared right before your eyes.

Begin your Thai culinary journey by understanding what Blue Jasmine is all about. The dishes served here are inspired by the cuisines of the southern and northeastern parts of Thailand. Dishes are characterised by native cooking styles and ingredients that are traditionally very spicy or very sour, giving the dishes a burst of flavours on the palate. In addition, all-time favourites from Thailand’s bustling street food culture, which combine “hot, sour, salty and sweet”, deliver robust flavours with herbs and fragrant spices imported from Thailand.

That is exactly what we tasted with every dish we savoured and as the name of the restaurant suggests, the dishes are built around blue jasmine or butterfly pea flower rice. This natural food colouring imparts a delicate pale blue tinge and fragrance to the rice.

Needless to say, we filled our plates with all the interesting dishes we could find such as the Thai Fish Cake — a savoury mix of chilli, curry and coriander. The Cashew Nut Chicken is not as spicy as it is in other Thai establishments. The chicken is tender as it sits on a bed of vegetables cooked in sesame oil and topped with a sprinkling of crunchy cashew nuts.

Whether you are after a hot Thai Beef Noodle Soup or Durian or Mango Sticky Rice dessert, a trip to the live station gives you an idea of how talented the chefs are. We watched them deftly slice and dice the mangoes, place them on the sticky rice and dollop a generous helping of thick coconut milk over everything in what seemed like seconds.

The brains behind the dishes for the buffet spread are chef Bright Kan San and his team comprising Duangjaisantisuk Nipaporn and Donnapa Phongraksa.

Blue Jasmine
10 Farrer Park Station Road,
Level 5, Park Hotel Farrer Park
Operating hours: Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (Thursday to Saturday)
Price: $42++ per adult. 50% off for children six to 12 years old. Complimentary for children five years old and below.
For reservations or enquiries:
Call +65 6824 8851 or
email [email protected]