Labrador Park surely is a place for surprises. Apart from it hosting Secret Tunnels and War Relics within a now lush nature reserve, there is also room nearby for a seafood dining escapade, or if its to be a place to simply chill and be a minutes walk to the shoreline overlooking Sentosa island, then Labrador Seafood is the place to visit.
With a vast unobstructed skyline, fresh air, and the cool breeze to greet gently, the restaurant is aptly located in exclusivity. Still, Labrador Seafood is a short 5 minutes drive in from Vivocity. And by exiting the restaurant towards the park, the tranquility of the seafront is hard to miss.
Just the quiet lapping of the waves, the rustling of the leaves in the trees, and maybe the occasional angler trying his luck. Its almost therapeutic. Choose to dine alfresco, and you might just get to sit under the Frangipani tree.
Dinner was started off with a serving of the restaurant’s Ponggol Mee Goreng ($10/14/18). Not too deceptively spicy, with a full punch of savoury seafood flavours. I liked the lasting aftertaste of the noodle flavour as it leaves a tasty wok smoky breath. Its also not too excessively oily. Good to share round the table amongst a party.
For something on the barbecued arena, there is an option for the BBQ Giant Squid ($4 per 100g). Good and tender, but I am not a particular fan of squid unless more flavourings is lavished onto it. Best for those who like it au nature then.
The Deep Fried Seafood Tofu Fritters ($12/18/24) looked plain and unassuming upon arrival, but being a fan of tofu, I quite liked the way this dish turned out. The tofu is well mixed with bits and pieces of ocean delights and well flavoured before coating it in a batter and deep frying it into well shaped fritters. 
For a little something off the seafood rich menu, we had the Jumbo Kajang Satay in its Chicken, Mutton and Beef variations. (Half Dozen $9 for 4.5inch, $5 for 2.5inch). The table had the Big satays and yes we borrowed a ruler and measured it, 4.5 inches of marinated and bbq meat. Its tasty with robust meaty flavours, and the peanut sauce was chunky and a decent pairing. But personally, I think the normal versions are slightly better as I’d go for the little indulgences with charred ends here and there. Just a preference.
Out of all the dishes, this is one of two dishes that I will personally have if I am back at Labrador Seafood again. I simply find it fascinating that the Large Tiger Prawns cooked in Indonesian Curry ($7.50 per 100g) could be so addictive. Nevermind the fact that the curry is rich in coconut, it just adds all the more to the flavour. Each scoop of the broth is thick and creamy, with spices hinting well of the marbled earth and chillies piquant enough to leave a lasting impression on the tongue. The red hue is also particularly attractive and it is a boost that a masked savoury essence seeps out after each serving.
The other dish which I will go for is the Salted Egg Yolk Sri Lankan Crab ($4.50 per 100g). There are several variation across Singapore in how this dish is whipped up. And Labrador Seafood chooses to go for it in the Golden Sand (Jin Sha) version. The crab shell is encrusted with gritty pieces of salted egg yolk with seasonings to make each portion a delectable lick. A nice balance in saltiness and that rich salted egg yolk flavour, this is good enough for me. Though it would perhaps sweeten the spot for me if the whole crab inside out were well coated with more bits of salted egg yolk.
The Black Pepper Sri Lankan Crabs ($4.50 per 100g) was an aromatic mix of the crushed black pepper sauce layering the crab. A tad strong in flavour probably due to the natural juices seeping out and mixing with the already seasoned black pepper, it was nice and pepperish without breaking out into a sweat.
The Fried Beef Hor Fun ($10/14/18) was just ok for me. I reckoned this was the Qing Dan version as a pinch of seasoning and salt would have done the trick in bringing stronger flavours out. Or, you could just go for this serving with saucers of green chilli in vinegar.
Pearl Clams ($6 per 100g) are cooked Hong Kong Style in this serving. Steamed with light sauce and topped with garnish, this is natural flavours at its best.
The restaurant thought we should give a go at their Spaghetti Aglio Olio ($11) as its one of the more popular dishes on the western menu. The spaghetti was cooked well with minimal bite, and flavours of sliced garlic and chilli padi infused with the seafood broth used to bring up the tastiness of this dish could be discerned.
In probably the best true traditional fashion, the seafood dinner ended off with a large fruit platter which was well carved out. Thumbs up to the chef for this!
But if drinks to chill were the choice as a cool night’s out, Labrador Seafood offers up a decent range of cocktails, mocktails and liquors to celebrate the night. The restaurant’s signature cocktail Labrador Breeze ($12) is made with vodka, lychee syrup, crushed passionfruit and mangosteen jella. A very tropical drink if might add, though sipping through the straw/stirrer would be quite difficult as the passionfruit bits are quite large. Take a sip from the glass and be sated with a frothy moustache.
Labrador Seafood offers up an interesting selection of dishes within a laidback casual environment that is more homelike than strictly restaurant styled. The alfresco dining option also gives guests the chance to really sit back under the stars and enjoy dinner as the light breeze flows in. Its locality might be a bit off the track, but for an escape to an out of Singapore experience without actually leaving the island, this could probably one place worth the visit.
A great night out with Maureen and Chuan Kai of Misstamchiak, and Leroy from The Hungry Cow. The night didn’t end there as somehow we managed to land ourselves at Colbar for sips of teh, Milo, Coke and my Double Caramel Magnum Ice Cream while enjoying the old school setting of the bar.
Thank you Labrador Seafood for hosting the dinner.
| Labrador Seafood No. 8 Port Road Singapore 117540 Tel : 6273 2779 Opens from : 11am to 12.30am daily www.labradorseafood.com Public Transport : Bus 408 from Harbourfront Interchange (Weekends and Public Holidays Only), thereafter 10 minutes walk. |