Food Review: Indulge in gastromical delights at Shui Gastrolounge

1/21/2016

Friday nights are nights meant for chilling. My husband and I had always wanted to stay away from home, away from the household chores and chill by the river to people watch. I was very delighted when I received an invitation to a private food tasting at Shui Gastrolounge. I made a quick decision to turn this into a Friday dinner date night.



About Shuǐ

Shuǐ, inspired by the Chinese character “水”(shuǐ), is a hip and new multi-concept gastrolounge located by the river. They are inspired to be one of the best lounge bars located in Clark Quay. A delectable, mouth-watering Pan Asian menu that reflects their traditional and interpreted dishes, that reflects their modern yet traditional cooking techniques awaits you as you step onto their premise.

Not many food establishments have thought of improvising the local dishes, so the team decided to come out with new and improvised traditional dishes and turn this into their winning advantage. Be delighted because proper meals are served in this gastrolounge.



One can choose to dine and drink in 3 different settings. Only at Shuǐ, you can pick your drinks from a curated mix of wines and spirits at their retail shelves.



Prices are reflected directly on the bottles, no questions needed, just grab your favorite bottle and head to the cashier, because what you see is what you get.



Shuǐ features a main bar with an open concept kitchen and cozy lighting boasting an industrial-chic vibe. Enter Shuǐ and dine in an intimate setting with their live acoustic band.

You can choose to dine or drink at their alfresco area and enjoy scenic views of the river. Great for people watching, seeing the boats cruise by or hear “screams” from adrenaline thrill seekers at the GMax which is located opposite.

Shuǐ’s lounge also offers relaxing sofas and a swing chair seating, making it a social go-to for people to mingle and chill out.



Shuǐ, is founded by Mr Lawrence Khoong, who did not have any experience in the food industry.

He was fortunate to have some spare cash lying around from his books business, together with some really wonderful friends and partners they started Shuǐ Gastrolounge. It was surely an honor meeting him and hearing his aspirations with this new found love of his and sharing about the gastrolounge.



Meet the food consultant cum chef Mr Jeremy Poh, behind the array of beautifully presented and fabulous tasting dishes. I manage to catch him for a quick photo before he goes off. Love his big smile, friendly disposition and no airs personality.



Without further adieu, let's dig in!



Sake Beef Cubes with Spicy Sauce - $12

I am never a beef lover and I scream at the thought of having to put semi-cooked beef into my mouth. However, all of the above proved untrue when I savored my first piece one of these melting beef. Similar to a grade of wagyu beef, these fresh and tender cubes felt soft and melted in my mouth. It does not have the typical beef smell and did not feel over-cooked nor grainy at all. Kudos to the kitchen for perfecting the cut and cooking techniques.



Shuǐ Signature Drumlets - $10

My immediate reaction when i took a bite into the drumlets was that they tasted like prawn paste chicken. It does taste akin to our local delight, an all time Singaporean favorite at the local Zi Char store as well. Shuǐ Gastrolounge was thoughtful to have lined the serviette under the drumlets to absorb some of the overflowing oils. We loved that the drumlets were fragrant, crispy, a little saltish but not overly salty.



Smoked Duck Slices - $13

Smoked Duck has proved to be such a challenge for getting the right taste and texture as it can often result in having too much fats around the meat. Sometimes it can get too tough and chewy. Shuǐ Gastrolounge's version is just right. Sliced paper thin, with a small layer of fats wrapping the meat topped with sesame and a side salad, I could finish this dish all by myself without feeling sinful and only satisfaction out of it.



Truffle Fries tossed with seaweed and roasted sesame - $9

There is a recent craze with Truffle Fries but I can't describe to you how exactly this should taste, as I've never eaten Truffles on its own. The fries were crispy and I love the extra touch of seaweed and sesame to give it some extra flavor. The presentation was very creative as it was served in a dim sum steaming basket. I love how it was served.



Seafood Laksa Pasta - $18

If you are looking for something more filling, you can try the Seafood Laksa Pasta recommended by the chef. Boy, how did he knew I loved Laksa? This is such a clever twist from the conventional local Laksa served with thick Bee Hoon. I never knew that Laksa sauce thickened could go so well with a bowl of western spaghetti. Together with the fresh prawns and mussels, they were nothing short of a perfect marriage of ingredients.



Sambal Tumis Prawn Bowl - $10

I was told that the Sambal Tumis Prawn Bowl is an all time favorite of Mr Lawrence. It was no wonder, because I would highly recommended this dish for all spicy food lovers. We love the "kick to our taste buds" that that the sambal chili gave us in this local delight. The sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes at the side gives a good heat relief if you decide that it was too much for you. The sambal sauce somehow reminded me of the crab sauce we ate in the local chili crab.



Cranberry, Orange Juices - $5 per glass

Grab a glass of juice if you are a non alcoholic drinker likes us to bring down the heat.

Overall, I had a very pleasant experience dinning at Shuǐ Gastrolounge. The waiter and waitresses were friendly and ready to help, they were knowledgeable to recommend dishes from the menu and able to describe briefly about the dish. They were also quick in serving the dishes.

All the dishes recommended tasted brilliant with taste catered to the local culture. The location was fantastic as it was a short walk away from the Clarke Quay MRT station and the ambient both indoors and outdoors was full of life.

I would highly recommend this place to you as your next partying, dinning or dating place. They are barely a month into business so be nice and support them okay?

Follow them on Shui Gastrolounge Facebook , check out their website at shui.com.sg.
Do also check out their Shui Gastrolounge instagram account.

Thank you Gastrolounge for the private food tasting invitation.

Shuǐ Gastrolounge

Clarke Quay Central #01-15, .
Eu Tong Seng Street (059817)
They are located along the Singapore River, facing G-Max, 5 minutes away from Clarke Quay MRT.


Disclaimer: I was invited to a private food tasting for 2 persons, however this does not affect the quality of my review. This review is truthful, honest and based on personal views. No monetary rewards were received for this review.


Be Confident, Be Yourself.


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