Barnacles Restaurant

Have to start by saying that the view from the restaurant (window seat) is simply amazing. Very romantic, ideal for a first date, or marriage proposal. Either one :) 

My friend and I had the 4 or 5 course meal (including dessert). One of the packages. Received complementary bread and butter before the meal. The food portions are kind of small though. Maybe all fine dining restaurants are supposed to be like that? (After dinner, had to go drop by Macs for a snack). But I did enjoy the salmon dish as well as the soup they served.  From what I can remember the service was pretty good. Waiters are friendly and helpful. 

I would recommend people try this place out at least once :) 

reason why i said potential is that the place is really quite romantic (facing the sea + the sunset, and imagine if you have a nice champange to go with that ~.~ ) but i was there with like 10 other rowdy people.... so wrong company but definitely the right place =D

the must try food - the seafood platter - is really quite something. there were quite a few selections on the platter, and the portion is generous. the alaskan snow crab, lobster, crayfish, pearl clams, prawns. i am not usually a crab-person, but i really like the snow crab! it was chilled just nice and the legs were real sweet and juicy! Four to a platter is still a bit too much for the ladies, but i can see the guys really having the time of the day.

we tried quite a bit on the chinese menu too, the white baits, ying yang toufu, some prawn stuff. they are generally ok, but i think by then i was 70% full from the platter so couldn\'t really enjoy them.

there is also the seafood grill platter. i think i will go back to try that another time. Only concern about this restaurant is the accessibility. Kinda out of the way and not sure how Sentosa is going to become with the IR and theme park. Hope it doesn\'t get too crowded... 

Barnacles don't exactly conjure up the most attractive of images but thankfully the food (not the crustacean!) more than makes up for the unfortunate association.

As a restaurant located off the mainland, on kitschy, tacky Sentosa and linked to a hotel chain, it is little wonder this place doesn't quite have top of mind recall when one thinks about good places to eat.

And you know what? Perhaps it's better that this seaside gem remains under the radar! Because the food is simply stellar.

Dinner started off with a side of bread and dips - three different rolls, sesame coated breadstick, lavash bread, and crispy, crumbly garlic toasts accompanied by creamy avocado dip, a mildly spicy tomato-y chilli dip, balsamic/oil and butter. Extremely addictive and moreish it can be very easy to overindulge; exercise restraint for the real stars of the menu!

The starter of wok fried white bait was easily one of the best white baits I'd ever tried. Generously seasoned with chilli powder and five spice power, this asian interpretation  needed no dips aside from a lashing of fresh lemon. The white baits were larger than the average and remained crispy on the outside and well cooked on the inside throughout the entire dinner - no mean culinary feat! Be warned - yet another highly addictive, mouth poppin', finger licking dish.

Next up was the yuan yang tofu. This is essentially two cubes of homemade tofu topped with spinach leaf and deep fried. Yuan Yang because one is spicy (sweet/spicy prawn topping) and the other isn't (straw mushroom topping). Firm, smooth, and full of soya milky goodness, this is an indulgent take on the humble, plain tofu.

Yin Yang was next - crispy deep-fried baby squids and crispy mayo prawns. The baby squids were crunchy and crispy without being hard or dry while the mayo prawns had a crispy batter and were firm, bouncy and incredibly fresh inside. The mayo was a tad sweet but not cloying, although personally, I would have preferred a wasabi version. But a very well executed dish nonetheless.

Now, the next dish is probably the most memorable for me. The ubiquitous Szechuan hot and sour soup which often ranges from bad to mediocre was outstanding here. Chicken stock, big sweet scallops, chunks of crab meat, tofu, and fungus make up this flavoursome soup that was sweet, tangy and sour all at once. And don't be fooled by the seeming lack of spice at first sip - the use of whole pepper roots as opposed to peppercorns means that the spiciness kicks in later, leaving a fiery aftertaste that permeates the whole mouth. Brilliant.

The seafood fried rice that came after proved to be a good complement to the soup, with its clean, very lightly seasoned grains that were perfectly cooked with a whiff of wok hei, and topped with fried baby anchovies.

Thus far, the menu had been predominantly chinese but Barnacles proved its competence in western dishes with the braised beef cheeks on top of truffle mash. As a non-meat eater, I had to pass on the beef and turn to the truffle mash instead. My only complaint was that the mash came sitting in the gravy which masked most of the truffle flavour - it would be better to ask for the mash on the side as the beef cheek is heavily sauced and having a plain truffle mash would help balance the flavours better.

The piece de resistance of Barnacles has to be their seafood platter on ice. This is a huge (serves 4) mountain of Boston lobster, crab, oyster, prawns, clams, periwinkles and bullots served with several sauces/dips and brown bread and butter. Sweet, fresh, cold - this is any seafood lover's dream.

The decadent dinner rounded off with a profiterole with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce. Nothing spectacular, this was an acceptable, if forgettable, sweet ending.

Food aside, Barnacles also scores high on location with its sea/beach front vantage that has seen many a wedding proposal.

With food that good and a rare, tranquil beach spot, it's reason enough to schlep it over to Sentosa over and over again.

Someone once lamented to me how difficult it was to find a nice resto that is by the sea. That person, a romantic at heart, was describing how beautiful it will be if one could enjoy wining and dining with a panoramic seaview together with the sunset at dusk.

Barnacles at Sentosa is just this place. I think it fits the bill: the cool seabreeze, the panoramic seaview from the restaurant and the beautiful sunset (weather permitting, that is). The interior is fully glassed, allowing diners within to behold the changing colours of mother nature's creation. At the alfresco, one will be treated to the breathes of seabreezes and the closeness to the sea. If you are like me, one will also appreciate the bar tables outside that are catered to smokers to enjoy a puff while sipping wines.

The menu of this resto covers both Western and Oriental cooking. This is because the kitchen is helmed by 2 main chefs who are responsible for each aspect of the menu. And may I say each of them does a fantastic job.

I was pretty encaptured by the offering of Whitebaits. The type of whitebaits served here are really well-fed. Every piece is a mouthful. The savoury and spiciness of the wonderful combination of salt and chilli powder essentially makes this a great finger food, addictive to say nonethess. The Yuan Yang Tofu is a chef specialty. The tofu is freshly made from soy bean daily . The addition of scallops with delectable seafood gravy and mushroom oyster sauce give another dimension to a usually boring dish. I did not really love this but the Sichuan Hot and Sour Soup may be a favorite of others. A great deal of ingredients can be found in this bowl: scallops, prawns, tofu, black fungus etc. This dish may appeal to the ladies but personally I find this a little to spicy and sour for my delicate tongue.

On the western side of the house, I loved the Braised Beef Cheek. This was served in a red wine reduction and beef jus, served together with carrots, baby onions, mushrooms and truffle mash. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate the offering of truffle mash here. The cheeks were fantastic, very tender and soft with the eveness spread of fats. This dish is quite a big portion but if you like truffles or beef cheeks as much as me, you would not want to share it. The Seafood Platter on Ice was a sight to behold. Atop a bed of crushed ice, there were frutti de mare of the very best: Boston lobster, alaskan crab, oysters, scallops, bullots, periwinkles and clams. This gigantic plate was sweet, succulent and fresh. Lastly, the dessert of Chocolate Profiteroles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream provided a nice ending to a wonderful dinner.

This is a place to recommend to that friend of mine, to be charmed, to be romantised or blown away by the food.

We did not realize a place like Barnacles existed - a rare true oceanfront venue which was actually done up tastefully with green lawns surrounding the restaurant and a lovely sunset for those coming early at 630pm.

Dont let the initial sign by the carpark set the tone - the sign looks like it is from 1985! Walk the little pathway into the restaurant area and you feel like you are at the seaside restaurant at an island resort.

The food is much more personalized than something you would expect from a hotel-owned restaurant (even if it is the Shangri-La). The chefs take pride in their work and it shows. The menu is eclectic with western and eastern which is something i usually worry about at restaurants. But in Barnacles case, there is a head chinese chef and a head western chef and each takes care of his/her own dishes.

The beef cheek was excellent - extremely tender and juicy - one of the best i have had in Singapore. At S$20 per dish, this was a steal. In fact i dont know how they make money at this pricing. We enjoyed the whitebait as well as they were plump and lightly sprinkled with a very addictive spice.

The seafood platter was of stunning in presentation and loaded with Boston lobsters, crab, cherrystones, and those medium and small snails. Everything was fresh, and as importantly, chilled nicely. The oysters they served were extremely fresh and only needed a dash of lemon. Sublime.

A chocolate profiterole dessert made up for all that food with a sweet finish with an elegant chocolate sauce. This combined with the really lovely setting made for a really relaxed dinner. The couple tables outside facing the sea are really well positioned, but you have to tolerate no air conditioning, so needless to say most of those outside were westerners.

Great meal with a wonderful ambience at a great location.

Disclaimer: Like wonderdoggy, I visited Barnacles at HGW/the restaurant's invitation.

Now then. The ambience at Barnacles is lovely. In most restaurants, one has to choose between a nice view and tropical temperatures in the outdoor section, and a so-so view and cool airconditioning in the indoor section. At Barnacles, the view from indoors is lovely, and you won't feel like you're missing out.

The restaurant has recently made some tweaks to its menu, but on the whole, the standout dishes are, unsurprisingly, the seafood.

The whitebait was much nicer than the version formerly served at the eponymous (and now closed) Whitebait and Kale, probably because the chef at Barnacles adds chilli powder, dried prawns and other savoury spices to the batter. Addictive.

Another standout was the cold seafood platter, which was more like a seafood tower and arrived chockfull of succulent and fresh seafood. This would be an excellent starter to share with a group of very hungry friends.

In all, I think Barnacles strives to rise above its hotel-restaurant staus, and does so admirably, with little touches like serving Echire French butter and tofu made on the premises. Oh- but enjoy the free parking at Rasa Sentosa while it lasts.

Disclaimer : came here last night on invite by restaurant via Hungrygowhere reviews. So it was a complimentary meal to try out a new menu.

Ambience :

The place is tucked away on an edge of Sentosa and nestled within a garden path that leads to the restaurant. The restaurant faces the sea and in the evening is quite enchanting and romantic. Blue is the predominant team and interior furnishing is more like a nicely decked out cafe along the USA coast.

Service :

Service was generally good and we got to meet their Chefs who were clearly very enthusiastic about the new menu.

Pricing :

I have to say the prices of the new menu are very reasonable and make Barnacles a very value for money place based on the quality of food they are serving. Of special note is the Beef Cheeks which are going for just $20 each. That is already a full main course portion. 

What we ate. Will start with the best dishes first! :

1) Braised Beef Cheek.

As mentioned above, this is seriously a high quality dish. The cheeks were braised to melt in your mouth softness and the red wine reduction sauce was an excellent complement and brought out the beefy flavours even more. Chef Joanne said she used 2 glasses of red wine per dish. I think she is onto something good here. More over, at just $20, it is very cheap. I remember eating something similar at Equinox that cost a few times more with smaller portions.

2) Seafood Platter on Ice

What can I say, the last time i ate something so decadent was back when my cholestrol was still low. I must say Barnacles version is more generous than Mezza9. We had Alaskan Snow Crabs,Lobsters, large clams, some sea snails stuff, prawns and oysters from Britanny. All were very fresh and cooked to perfection then chilled before serving.  For $199, I think quite a good deal as it can feed 4 quite well.

3) wok fried white bait.

This was very well executed with a slight chilli base and the chef used pretty enormous pieces of white bait. Very addictive! We could not stop.

4) Yuan Yang Tofu

The tofu was soft and well fried with a good wok smell. But it is similar to what we can get in other Chinese Restaurants, so ok.

5) Yin Yang Squid and mayo prawn

This dish again was decently executed though it tasted just like any other good seafood place.

6) Sichuan Hot & Sour Soup

This was i think the least well made dish of the night. Portions were good and it was served piping hot. But the sour taste was a little overpowering and the overall flavour not so ideal.

7) Fried Rice Seafood.

This was normal fried rice. I would not say so spectucular.

All in all a pleasant evening with HGW friends and made some new friends too. Will definitely go back to Barnacles to makan but I think would eat from the Western menu more.