Ocean by Cat Cora at
S.E.A Aquarium Resorts World
This is the entrance that will greet you if you are going through the entrance which does not require entry into the Aquarium, and after a bumpy and fun ride on the buggy provided by Resorts World ( Ocean does not have their own dedicated buggy ) you would arrive at this beautiful entrance. Nothing outside will prepare you for the view inside though.
When you step into the restaurant, the first thing that hits you is the sense of being underwater. A huge, unobstructed view of the ocean - underwater, gives you a immense feel of how small we all really are. Beautiful rays swim across while you eat, if you are able to get the table nearest the viewing panel, which is said to be the largest in the world. The view is just awe-inspiring.
Then Reality bit.
When you step into the restaurant, the first thing that hits you is the sense of being underwater. A huge, unobstructed view of the ocean - underwater, gives you a immense feel of how small we all really are. Beautiful rays swim across while you eat, if you are able to get the table nearest the viewing panel, which is said to be the largest in the world. The view is just awe-inspiring.
Then Reality bit.
What struck me first was how bad the service is. I would have thought that a celebrity chef would train her servers and hosts, being the guests' first experience of the restaurant. They were non communicative and insisted that I pressed the button before they would talk to me. I protested that they are already at my table, so why should I press the button for service. They also had no idea where their oysters were from when I asked. Ordering was a difficult task as the servers had no idea what truffle or caviar is. When I finally managed to place my order, I was made to wait 45mins for the order to arrive. Not that I minded, but this is obviously not a place to eat at for the impatient. We distracted ourselves by cam-whoring and taking photos of the beautiful fish... And the lovely complimentary bread.
The bread was lovely, slightly crusty and yet still soft and moist inside. The dark brown bread with the outer crust reminded me of pretzel, for some strange reason, and it was tasty. I'm not sure if I was so hungry that the bread was extremely delicious or if the bread is really good. I think it is the latter though, because they make their own breads here at Ocean by Cat Cora.
The servers, once again, will come only when you press the service button, no matter how empty your plate or glass is. So we pressed for service. Mind you, we were there on a Thursday afternoon just before dinner, and there was one other table besides mine that had diners. Quite empty, yet no service - baffling.
I asked when my oysters were going to be ready. Since they are served raw, I had hoped for faster service. The server said she would check - their kitchen must be located really far apart from the restaurant because the server took 10mins to return with "5 more mins, after you finish your bread". I pointed out that the bread plate is empty except for the napkin and she said, " oh, you have to press the button for us to take the plate back to the kitchen." What a comedy of errors! Who trained their staff? Inflexible robots... I was still hoping to try the food, so I... Gritted my teeth and pressed the button.
When the food finally came, it was well worth the wait.
Seasonal Oysters with Ginger Yuzu Mignonette $18 for 3 pcs
The oysters were extremely fresh and held the taste of the sea, paired with the ginger yuzu mignonette, it was divine. The oysters were creamy and when I asked the server where they were from, the answer after 10mins, ( checked with the manager and when the manager didn't know, checked with the kitchen ) they were from Tasmania.
Sous Vide 48°C King Salmon with Sustainable Caviar & Prosecco Pear Crushed Almond, Vine Tomato Jelly & Garden Cress $26
The next dish that arrived was really good too! The King Salmon was lightly smoked and together with the caviar that bursts with a salty flavour in your mouth, it was really lovely. The almond encrusted sweet pear gave it an extra bite, preparing your palate for yet another taste of the lovely smoked salmon and caviar. This would go well with a dry champagne, but unfortunately, it was still too early for drinks, so we skipped drinks totally.
After trying the two starters, we finally managed to wrest the dinner menu from the server. Unfortunately, my iphone5 had 3% battery life so I decided not to take photos of the menu and wait for the main course, Risotto!
Sakura Shrimp Risotto with Morel Mushroom-Black Truffle Butter Ikura
My iphone5 had just 1% battery level left, so all I managed to do was snap a quick photo of the Risotto that came. All the other reviews of Ocean showed a overdone scallop, but my dish came without that. However, the crisp sakura shrimps contrasted well with the butter truffle risotto which I thought was just perfect. Not too soggy, yet with enough sauce to tantalize the palate as the truffle was really fragrant and tasty. I couldn't get enough!
In all, the food was great, the service was deplorable. I told myself to go back and try the food again after a month, and today could just be the day I am heading to Ocean again. Will do a better review with a full battery on my iphone5!
The bread was lovely, slightly crusty and yet still soft and moist inside. The dark brown bread with the outer crust reminded me of pretzel, for some strange reason, and it was tasty. I'm not sure if I was so hungry that the bread was extremely delicious or if the bread is really good. I think it is the latter though, because they make their own breads here at Ocean by Cat Cora.
The servers, once again, will come only when you press the service button, no matter how empty your plate or glass is. So we pressed for service. Mind you, we were there on a Thursday afternoon just before dinner, and there was one other table besides mine that had diners. Quite empty, yet no service - baffling.
I asked when my oysters were going to be ready. Since they are served raw, I had hoped for faster service. The server said she would check - their kitchen must be located really far apart from the restaurant because the server took 10mins to return with "5 more mins, after you finish your bread". I pointed out that the bread plate is empty except for the napkin and she said, " oh, you have to press the button for us to take the plate back to the kitchen." What a comedy of errors! Who trained their staff? Inflexible robots... I was still hoping to try the food, so I... Gritted my teeth and pressed the button.
When the food finally came, it was well worth the wait.
Seasonal Oysters with Ginger Yuzu Mignonette $18 for 3 pcs
The oysters were extremely fresh and held the taste of the sea, paired with the ginger yuzu mignonette, it was divine. The oysters were creamy and when I asked the server where they were from, the answer after 10mins, ( checked with the manager and when the manager didn't know, checked with the kitchen ) they were from Tasmania.
Sous Vide 48°C King Salmon with Sustainable Caviar & Prosecco Pear Crushed Almond, Vine Tomato Jelly & Garden Cress $26
The next dish that arrived was really good too! The King Salmon was lightly smoked and together with the caviar that bursts with a salty flavour in your mouth, it was really lovely. The almond encrusted sweet pear gave it an extra bite, preparing your palate for yet another taste of the lovely smoked salmon and caviar. This would go well with a dry champagne, but unfortunately, it was still too early for drinks, so we skipped drinks totally.
After trying the two starters, we finally managed to wrest the dinner menu from the server. Unfortunately, my iphone5 had 3% battery life so I decided not to take photos of the menu and wait for the main course, Risotto!
Sakura Shrimp Risotto with Morel Mushroom-Black Truffle Butter Ikura
My iphone5 had just 1% battery level left, so all I managed to do was snap a quick photo of the Risotto that came. All the other reviews of Ocean showed a overdone scallop, but my dish came without that. However, the crisp sakura shrimps contrasted well with the butter truffle risotto which I thought was just perfect. Not too soggy, yet with enough sauce to tantalize the palate as the truffle was really fragrant and tasty. I couldn't get enough!
In all, the food was great, the service was deplorable. I told myself to go back and try the food again after a month, and today could just be the day I am heading to Ocean again. Will do a better review with a full battery on my iphone5!