Majestic Bay Seafood

Magestic restaurant is the long time helm of Chef Yong. Having cut his teeth in Pan Pacific Hotel, he ventured out on his own, establishing the standards by which many are measured. Jing in Fullerton Hotel, Majestic at the Majestic Hotel and now fulfilling his dream to own and run a seafood restaurant...the Majestic Bay at Gardens by the Bay.

Located right in the new-ish Gardens by the Bay, a bank of tanks with divers fishes and live seafood greets the visitor as one enters. The decor is elegant, but still remainding quite casual.

We began with 4 selections of dim sum

First pic: steamed, shanghai dumpling, pork...aka Xiao Loong Pau

The tim sum is made by a specialist chef...I find the xlp skin to be a bit tougher than I would have preferred, but the filling and the soup within was quite nice.

Next up seared, chili crab meat bun

The pastry was quite fine...the filling being chilli crab meat was rather tasty. Nice dish.

The classical Baked BBQ pork bun, with a slight twist

Quite regular, methinks. But the next dish, spicy, minced pork dumpling was quite interesting.

The sauce is a vinegar-ish, sour, salty concoction with a deep savoury base, probably from the stock. The dumplings were quite interesting...very similar to the those found in Northern China. Quite nice balance between the rich pork filling and the tartness of the sauce.

We had the soup of the day which was - Old Cucumber with Pork Ribs Soup

This was a favourite of ours when Chef Yong was at the helm of Pan Pacific's chinese restaurant...the name escapes me for now...the soup was clear, refreshing and tasty. But what surprised me was the pork ribs used in the soup was still very nice, tender, tasty rather than being reduced to muscle fibres, the pork ribs retain the full flavour and was very nice.

Next steamed, live leopard garoupa, Light soya sauce

This fish was superb. The steaming of the fish, done 80% so that the bits of meat by the bone is still pink, but the rest of the meat is gloriously done. The fish was a live leopard graoupa...very nice, silky smooth flesh, almost creamy and luxurious on the palate.

The next dish was also rather special...with an innocuous name like wok-fried, radish cake, XO chili sauce belies its excellence

The radish cake was nicely done...the flour based cake part was savoury and rather nice consistency. But the highlight was the house made XO sauce...superb. With bits of dried shrimp, dried scallops in a rich spicy base. Superb.

Then an invention by Chef Yong...Live crabs, Bay’s signature “Kopi” sauce

A very large Sri Lankan meat crab, cooked in a special kopi sauce...invented by Chef Yong...comprising of 3 different kinds of coffee beans. The sauce is a bit like the coffee pork rib sauce we encounter rather often these days. But then the crab with sauce is doused in chinese rice wine and set ablaze...quite a spectacle.

But for me, the taste was less than the beauty of the dish and the spectacle of the serving. The sauce is rather sweet to the extent of being coy, and perhaps overpowering. The essence and flavour of the crab was lost in the complexity of the sauce. I can see how some people may be enamoured by this dish, but for me, it does not do the trick.

We next had a rice dish which was very popular...their baked rice, assorted seafood, chef’s recipe sauce

The tasting party agreed with nods of approval on this dish....as did I. Much like paella that the Spanish is famous for...this was quite a nice dish for me. The rice was covered with the sauce which was rich, tasty. The seafood fresh and verynice.

And finally the sweet’s temptation

Comprising (from back to front) the Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Yam Paste Stuffing, Shredded Coconut; Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Fresh Cream Stuffing; Steamed Custard Bun, Salted Egg Yolk; Bay’s Chinese Pancake, Red Bean Paste

Overall, a nice high end cze char style seafood eatery. Cooking was excellent, and the quality and freshness of the ingredients outstanding. Congrats to Chef Yong for achieving his seafood restaurant dream

This is an invited media tasting, thanks to Janice of FoodNews and Chef Yong for the invitation and entertaining evening.

Majestic Bay Seafood Restaurant
Flower Dome, Gardens By The Bay.
18 Marina Gardens Drive #01-10