Estuary Restaurant & Bar

You can’t miss their Sarawak Charred Claypot Rice ($32). Marrying the sweet crustacean flavour with the smokey kiss of the wok, the rice dish was real umami. Putting aside the humble portion size, the crispy Bario rice captured all the beautiful flavours. Served with sauce, shredded crab meat, asparagus, charred rice puffs and popping ikura roe, it is a must-try. Love that it is more of a saucy claypot rice too.

As for the greens, the Brussels sprouts ($20) were charred and paired with their house-made scallop & shrimp XO sauce. Moreish, the saltish sauce had a fragrant shrimp flavour and a pleasantly mild lingering heat. However, I personally would prefer more well-charred crunchy sprouts to really add a stronger hit of smokiness.

Moving to the savouries, the 7-day aged Japanese Hamachi ($36) was lovely. Firm with a very slight flakiness, the fish resembled a meatier protein. The amberjack was well-seasoned and went superbly with the savoury Koji cream. The skin was done perfectly as well, wonderfully thin and crispy.

A boozy midweek with Estuary’s Weekly Special dessert. Spiked with dark rum, the indulgent classic was a little much for me but I am sure those who enjoy a more pronounced, deep liquor taste (and always complain that there is no alcohol kick) would love this. Layered with gooey mascarpone, sprinkled with fun crunchy chocolate pearls and finished with a dusting of rich cocoa, the sponge fingers were nicely soaked and had a well-balanced coffee aroma. Just a sweet (but not cloying), creamy, and decadent number.

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) We were stuffed to the gills at @estuary.sg, but the beckoning of the Banana Parfait ($18++) was irresistible. Mashed bananas, whipped cream and cocoa power are layered upon one another and covered by the top layer of cookie crumbs. Two little pipettes of whiskey are sticking out alluringly, daring you to inject its alcoholic ambrosia into this sweet treat.⠀
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Banana and chocolate go together like bacon and cheeseburgers, and the sweetness of the chunky banana mash meshed excellently with the cocoa powder. The whipped cream had been beaten until it takes on a texture akin to mousse, and the parfait feels a bit like a cake at times. Inject the whiskey into the dessert for a boozy, oaky and slightly bitter counterbalance to the sweetness of the banana & whipped cream, and you have a so-fish-ticated dessert that’s guaranteed to delight.⠀
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For the last time (for now), thank you for having us @estuary.sg, and thanks to @scalemicroinfluencers for inviting us!

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) You’d expect fish & chips to be a staple at any seafood restaurant, but here at @estuary.sg it’s on the special menu, served only during weekend lunch & public holidays. Why is this ubiquitous British staple special here at Estuary? Well, just like all the other fish, Estuary’s Aged Fish & Chips is dry aged for extra flamboyance. They do three varieties of Aged Fish & Chips, and I had the red snapper for twenty eight dollars before tax & service charge.⠀
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Due to snapper being an inherently oily fish, it is a prime candidate for dry aging. It was still moist and retained some flakiness, but just like with the hamachi, the flesh had firmed up some and started to resemble the texture of chicken. However, the mild salinity of the fish was concentrated and made more intense by the dry aging process, and the result was a stunningly savoury fish. The batter encasing the fish fillet was equally enchanting, living up to its billing as a ‘super light crispy batter’. Each remarkably crispy bite was packed full of flavour, and the fish fillet was so flawless it vanished in short order.⠀
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The terrific tartar sauce deserves equal praise. This tartar sauce was jam packed with capers and herbs, and this sensational condiment was the perfect companion for the redolent red snapper. If they mixed in more lemon juice & zest, and added some dill, this tremendous tartar sauce would immediately be the undisputed condiment champion of the world. As for the chips, they aren’t proper chips and are just fries, but they are still absolutely addictive with their crunchy, well salted exteriors. ⠀
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Thank you for having us @estuary.sg , and thanks for organising this tasting @scalemicroinfluencers!⠀