Long Beach @ Dempsey

Long Beach @ Dempsey Restaurant Review:

Singapore’s iconic seafood restaurant has an outpost right smack in town at the former Civil Service Club at Tanglin Village near Orchard Road. It stands out prominently at this upscale dining destination as the rare unpretentious restaurant. Start with the Australian lobster done sashimi-style, served right from the tank with freshly grated wasabi. The lobster’s head and tail may then be fried or served in miso soup. Or go for the enormous, velvety Canadian live oysters, served rare with lemon and Tabasco sauce. Those are only a prelude as a meal at Long Beach is incomplete without crabs. Done with either chili or black pepper, the piquant crabs are delightfully fresh, but do inform the staff if you want the standard Singapore spice level adjusted. Next, tuck into Scottish bamboo clam steamed with minced garlic, with seafood fried “mee goreng” (fried noodles). Long Beach has a reasonable selection of new- and old-world wines, Chinese rice wine and Japanese saké. Experimental eaters may wish to round out this feast with some local desserts like the double-boiled snow glands soup with rock sugar while traditionalists can hit the ice cream shop nearby. Service is brisk and friendly though on busy days you may need to work harder to get the staff’s attention.