Food Review: Red House Seafood Restaurant At Grand Copthorne Waterfront | Hidden Gem With Affordable And Delicious Scottish Seafood Selections And Dim Sum Lunch Buffet

Posted on October 6, 2020 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place I call it a hidden gem by virtue of its newest location. Not an unfamiliar name, Red House Seafood Restaurant has been a long established seafood restaurant that first started in Katong at the historic red bungalow. Their latest outlet opened at Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel in late 2019, being their third branch in addition to their existing outlets at Prinsep Street and Clarke Quay. The decor is not one you will typically expect from a seafood restaurant in Singapore, with murals of the various sea creatures as you walk through the red frames and arches of the entrance hallway.

Should you visit Red House in the day, you will be greeted warmly by the ample natural light with trees lining the main dining hall. The space is perhaps amongst one of the best contemporary Chinese restaurant interiors.

For business meals or bigger groups, there are also a couple of private rooms.

The Food Even though Red House is an old name in the seafood scene in Singapore, the restaurant seems quite game to innovate as evident from my two recent visits – once for their Scottish Seafood dinner set and my second visit for their daily Dim Sum Ala Carte Lunch Buffet. The focus of this review is on the 6-course Scottish Seafood Set (S$388++, usually up to S$688++), which is valid for dine-in for up to five persons until 31 October 2020. For what is going to be served, I find it a good value if you are a seafood lover.

The meal started with the Chilled Scottish Brown Crab (Seasonal Price). The crab is steamed first, before it is served cold with a vinegar dip. You know a crab is fresh when it tastes good just on its own without any condiments or sauce. I like the sweetness of the crab meat here, though dipping it in the vinegar sauce just complements it so well.

I love my Ngoh Hiang, and this Traditional Teochew Crab Meat Prawn Roll (S$18 for Small, S$36 for Large) is delicious. The portion of each roll is huge, and generously stuffed with ingredients lending it a very satisfying flavour.

The third dish I had was the Steamed Scottish Razor Clams with Minced Garlic (Seasonal Price). The razor clams are hand caught by divers in Scotland, and I enjoy the mix of raw and fried garlic on the clams.

Next up is one of Red House’s signature dish, the Creamy Custard Lobster (Seasonal Price). It was my first time trying this dish but definitely not going to be the last. The thought of creamy custard sounds ‘jelat’ or cloying for me, but this version is an exception. The deep-fried lobster here is drenched with chef’s special custard sauce (mainly butter and evaporated milk) and I polished all the sauce off, so good.

The last savoury dish on the Scottish Seafood Set Menu is the Alaskan King Crab Meat Pao Fan (Seasonal Price). This dish is cooked from a fish collagen broth from Ao Broth, which is another concept, and the broth is a mix of garoupa fish bones, chicken and pork.

I really enjoy the broth, along with the crispy bits of the rice. Without a doubt, the Alaskan King Crab is a delight as well. All diners also get to bring home a complimentary 500ml pack of Áo Broth for this menu.

For dessert, I had the rather interesting Chilli Chocolate with Ice Cream. It is interesting in the sense that I could taste the spiciness quite easily, a flavour profile which will awaken your senses instantly.

If you are looking for a lunch spot though, head here for their daily Dim Sum Ala Carte Lunch Buffet (S$28.80 for adult & S$11.80 for child during weekdays, S$33.80 for adult & S$13.80 on weekends and public holidays). The buffet comes with one time orders of seafood dishes such as the Fresh Clams with Ginger and Onion, Salted Egg Calamari, Pumpkin Crayfish and the to-die-for Pork Jowl with Lan Gan Ma Sauce.

I can’t help but compare it with another of my recent dim sum buffet experience at Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant, which pales in comparison compared to the buffet quality at Red House.

For the unlimited orders, you can expect the usual Dim Sum selections, though do make sure you order the deep-fried Crispy Custard Bun, which will remind you of the deep-fried mantou with the flowy salted egg custard within! I am craving for another serving of this dish while I am typing.

Rants Location matters, and the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel has always given me a sleepy vibe unfortunately. Business looks slow for now at this new branch, a hidden gem awaiting to be discovered hopefully.

Will I Return Again? It has been awhile since my last visit to Red House Seafood, and am surprised by the standard of the food here – both the dinner set and the lunch dim sum I had were satisfying. This is one Chinese seafood restaurant worth the journey here.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own. Though I re-visited again on my own for its Dim Sum Ala Carte Lunch Buffet.

Make your reservation instantly at Red House Seafood Restaurant here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5