Big Fish Seafood Grill Restaurant

It was during one of the celebrating months for my gf that we finally decided to give Big Fish a try after numerous recommendations. My gf loved fish and so, this has been in our minds for quite some time. Honestly, we're just trying to see if there's another place as worthwhile as the Manhatten Fish market in terms of food offerings since this is pretty much of the same theme. So it was that we stepped in and had our first encounter.

Complimentary Bread - The complimentary bread was served warm and soft which is a plus but otherwise, nothing significant. Not too sure if it is made in house either since its rather bland and simple.

The interior is rather spacious with around 4-6 wall sofa seats and a seating capacity of about 40-50 when full. The thing is, when we arrived, there was nary a soul and when we left, there was still only one other customer apart from us. This was around 645 - 8 pm. If i were the owner, i'd find that rather worrying actually. Service was decent with recommendations, explainations and was generally pleasantenough to commend. They could improve on waiting time though, since we were the only people there, the waiting time of 15 minutes before our soup was served seemed rather obsessive.

Mushroom Soup ($8.95) - The mushroom soup reminded me of the rendition i had in Eden cafe under Clement. The taste and texture is packed with mushroom bits and had some cream in it as well. The overal feeling is that its creamy and starchy to good effect. The serving size was not exactly big however and at the price, this left me a little disappointed.

Seafood Chowder ($8.95) - The seafood chowder was packed with ingredients as well and had lots of squid, a few pieces of shrimp, scallop and carrots within. The end result is a pleasing soup that opens up the appetite for the meal to come. Again, the serving size is too small when comparing the price.

Seafood Platter ($51.95) - Not knowing what to order, we opted for a safe choice to try a huge amount of stuff at a "perceived" reasonable price. The platter for 2 isn't exactly full of stuff but it does have more then enough for the 2 of us to finish. Fries, fish skewers, mussels, crayfish, scallops and rice round up the platter offering. The mussels and scallops were of a decent size and there was 2 each which meant no fighting for the food. They were also reasonably fresh, as is the crayfish and the grilled fish skewers. The skewers were nicely done, not too dry despite the grilling, while the rice and fries ensured you will be full from the set. I did think $50 for this is still too steep a price to pay though.

Creme Brulee ($8.95) - Well, after a meal of overly expensive items, the dessert finally looked up to the task of living up to the price. The creme brulee came looking like a winner and in fact, it was the best item i had that night. The fruit and decor is a wonderful touch and it helps that the fruits were all sweet and complimented the dessert well. The sugar layer was a little too thick and sweet but nothing too big. The bottom layer, i suspect, is made from vanilla extract since i didn't see any vanilla residue in the texture but i'm not complaining.

Chocolate Souffle ($9.95) - I ordered this thinking it was a molten chocolate cake but i was wrong. A souffle is more akin to cakes with a springy and fluffy texture. In fact, Souffle means to "blow up" and is made of a combination of egg whites and various ingredients. Their rendition should be considered decent as the top was lightly hard while the lower portion is fluffy and a little wet with chocolate. If i'm not wrong, its supposed to come with some sauce but there wasn't any. Decent but not my kind of dessert.

Finally, this experimental meal came up to a whooping $97.65 for 2 people on a simple weekday night.

Well, to say the food is bad would be unfair but i couldn't help feeling a heavy pinch in my heart for the amount i spent on this meal. For what i had, i think a price tag of about $60 or 70 plus taxes might have made me felt better. For improvement, serving the food faster and more economical pricing would bring me back but not before then.

Frankly, I'm surprised that no one has thus far done a review on Big Fish.

The missus & I popped in during one of our regular forays to Siglap, & have never regretted doing so. If asked to describe Big Fish in as few words as possible, I'd say, 'Think of it as a classier, tastier, slightly more upmarket Fish & Co.'.

I've never been fond of eating food that comes with atas garnishing & condiments, I mean, if the dish tastes great by itself, wherein lies the necessity for such pretty embellishments?

Big Fish converted me into a believer... & at a pretty affordable price too.

The joint's a tad small, so it may be wise to make a reservation beforehand, especially during peak periods. If your group happens to be overly large, the partitions can be easily removed to join several tables together. Parking's fairly limited, but there's a sizeable public carpark nearby for those who don't mind walking a bit.

Their Seafood Chowder's a sure winner, especially considering how fresh the shellfish are. The Lobster Bisque is a safe bet as well, though it is only offered as a Soup of the Day, so do call ahead to avoid any disappointment.

If you're hankering for some greenery, order the Warm Mushroom Salad; their choice of condiments really brings out the best of this little beaut.

For 'Big Fish' Signature Dishes, be sure to try out their Fish & Chips (fresher than fresh, & not too oily to boot), Spaghetti with Lobster Ragout (Slipper Lobster, really, & tends to be quite gelat, so it's a good idea to share), & Grilled Hot Seafood Platter (somewhat similar to Fish & Co.’s Seafood Platter, but with the addition of Scallops & Morton Bay Bugs, & the rice is lot less oily).

I wouldn't recommend the Spicy Seafood Cioppino though, simply because the portion's waaay too modest for me. But if you're a small eater, then by all means go ahead.

& for those of you highly susceptible to having fish bones stuck in your throat, beware the Whole Rainbow Trout.

Their staff are pretty friendly & helpful, 'cept for one huge Malay fella who could perhaps practice smiling a bit more (not say what lah, but a quick flash of a grin once in a while would've been nice). Be aware that they can be overly zealous at times; I once had my half-finished Seafood Chowder cleared when I accompanied my daughter to the restroom but for a moment.

Their recommendations can usually be trusted, though I was sorely disappointed with the Grilled Swordfish Collar; it came out very dry, which totally killed the taste. To give them the benefit of a doubt, it might have been a one-off thing. I'll give it another shot when I've overcome the trauma.

Ultimately, if you’re out for a night of fine - yet affordable - dining, you may very well give Big Fish a try.