Super Umami Crab Pao Fan And “Custard” Lobster Worthy Treat For The Family

When we think about eating crabs or other zi char-style seafood, we admit Red House isn’t on our to-go list. In fact, we can’t remember the last time we dined at this 44-year-old restaurant which first started out at Upper East Coast Road and now has three outlets. We always thought it slightly touristy. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food when we tried its Scottish Seafood set menu at its newest branch in Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.

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The new Grand Copthorne branch was only allowed to open for biz around August due to Covid-19 restrictions. It’s probably the prettiest and snazziest in Red House's group of eateries: a spacious 108-seat dining hall (68 with safe-distancing measures) flooded with natural light and corridors adorned with floral Nanyang-inspired motifs.

There’s a pretty sweet deal till end November: a meal for five including fleshy Chilled Scottish Brown Crab, springy Steamed Razor Clams with Minced Garlic and our favourite two dishes from the set (see below). However, note that only the crabs and clams are actually from Scottish seas, where “the warm waters of the Gulf Stream meet the cold North Atlantic current”, providing “an ideal environment for a thriving marine habitat of over 65 species of high-quality fish, shellfish and seafood available all year round”.

Pao fan means ‘submerged rice’ in Mandarin — think rice served in broth. This version is super luxe — fine-fleshed Alaskan King Crab releases its oceanic juices into a sticky fish collagen soup from AO Broth made with garoupa fish bones, chicken and pork (MSG-free frozen soups that can be bought online here: https://aobroth.com/).

Fragrant, puffy deep-fried rice grains are thrown into the clay pot of hot soup at the table, sizzling tantalisingly as they hit the steaming liquid. The soup is sweet and exceedingly umami, infused with plump shellfish and the nutty, smoky grains. This alone is worth visiting Red House for.

Incidentally you get to bring home a 500ml packet of AO Broth (worth $14 each), which we cooked with slices of barramundi, tofu, tomatoes and mee sua at home for a very delicious, wholesome meal. FYI: AO Broth is just collaborating with Red House for this promo and is not affiliated to the seafood restaurant.

We had our doubts about this dish initially. Flash-fried lobster in a custard sauce sounds like a recipe for dry, sugary shellfish. Instead, the two fat Boston lobsters (about 800g each) were so expertly fried that it retained all its succulence while its exterior is just slightly crisp. And that sauce coating it is like crack. Yes, it’s a little bit sweet as expected, but also incredibly balanced. Like a more lemak cross between a salted egg yolk and butter sauce. All the PR rep will tell us is that there’s evaporated milk, butter and “seasoning” in it.

One of the yummier hae chors we’ve eaten, packed with sweet seafood and swathed in crackly beancurd skin.

The six-course Scottish Seafood Set is available for dine-in at $388 (U.P. $688) for up to five pax till 30 Nov 2020 at all three Red House Restaurant outlets. Visit https://www.redhouseseafood.com/ for more info.

Photos: Florence Fong