Good news, folks. If you read the review last month and were salty (ha) that you were too late to make reservations, the aquarium-turned-restaurant will be extending its seating until the end of the year. The best part—they've teased a festive edition, complete with a winter look themed into the food (preview in gallery above), dive performances, and décor. Knowing how the team does it, you can bet it will be a fully immersive experience. If you haven't already read the review, what are you doing here it sits conveniently below for your viewing pleasure.
You're forgiven if you're thinking of Ocean Restaurant, which is located adjacent to the vicinity. It's evidently similar in many ways—views of the world's largest aquarium home to 100000 marine animals, sustainably sourced seafood, that pricey Resorts World Sentosa entry—but there's a reason why the four-course dinner is already fully booked until end October. And that's after opening an additional seating each night next month.
The Space
Revamping S.E.A Aquarium's Open Ocean Habitat together with the team responsible for all RWS events (Halloween Horror Nights and more), the dinner, which runs Fridays to Tuesdays, is set up as a full tourist attraction experience. Given the travel restrictions at the moment, that's far from a bad thing.
The tables of five housed in glimmering dining pods and canopied regular seaters may seem a little gimmicky, but help with staging the space for the evening. It's admittedly charming to look at, only a pity that the pod structure obstructs the expansive ceiling-to-floor view of the aquarium. Or perhaps it underlines a subliminal message about the entrapment of sea creatures within the snares of human interference…
The Menu
The light but flavourful modern Asian cuisine of 100% sustainably sourced seafood and local produce isn't just ocean-themed, Chef Marvas Huang reveals that the menu was conceptualised in reverse engineering after consulting RWS' in-house Sustainability Committee.
An exemplar of that being Shining Seas, hands down. When else have you seen your food glow (without any dire consequences)? "We wanted to educate diners by doing something impactful," Chef Huang says, explaining how the luminous effect of the Shiitake Essence—created by vitamin B2, a common dietary supplement—was to resound as a warning sign of the high nitrogen levels in the sea. It didn't hurt that the Kühlbarra Seabass was the most tender version of the fish ever tasted.
From SGD118, the six-hands dinner is not short on theatrics, with a distinct voiceover explaining each dish when served, and sightings of the diving team feeding the marine animals while you dine. Visitors will also get to bring home nifty and meaningful parting gifts.
How we feel about it in a gif
S.E.A Aquarium is located at 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island 098269. To join the waitlist, visit the Aqua Gastronomy website.
