The seafood feast for the eyes

Having last set foot in The Manhattan FISH MARKET for a birthday celebration with my friends a couple of years ago, the restaurant holds fond memories for me. Their flaming seafood platters, and particularly their grilled dory, are things I remember after all these years. 

Since its humble origins in Malaysia, The Manhattan FISH MARKET has since transcended national barriers with 60 restaurants all over Asia, and was recently voted a Top Brand in Influential Brands’ 2015 survey under the Western Restaurants category. Fish ‘n Chips may be their most well-known dish but we took this opportunity to check out the other dishes on their menu. 

After taking an afternoon to stuff our tummies, here are the 10 best items you should try at The Manhattan FISH MARKET that aren’t fish and chips!

1. Manhattan Flaming Seafood Platter

Witness your food being flamed right before your eyes, knowing that you’ll soon get to devour all that freshly melted goodness. For the longest time I’ve always thought that bits of cheese were being flamed, but it turns out what’s actually being flamed is a special sweet and savoury flaming sauce that caramelises the seafood and accentuates its sweetness. 

The whole platter is evenly divided to feature a variety of piping hot seafood – a choice of fish fillets, calamari, oysters, fries, and of course the Manhattan Flaming Prawns. My favorite was the calamari, with its flavorful batter fried to a nice crisp.  

Rating: 8/10

2. Fishermen’s Platter

When I first saw this, I was in awe by the sheer amount of food on a single platter. Apart from the Manhattan Flaming Prawns, the huge crispy Barramundi coated with a layer of Spicy Seafood dip was another highlight on this generous platter. The meat was soft and the dip gave it a nice tangy flavour with just enough spice. 

The crispy whitebait on the side was like an atas ikan bilis, and added a nice crunch in contrast to the soft texture of the the seafood. 

Rating: 7/10

3. Grilled Flaming Lobster Platter

Having lobster is a luxury for me, so watching an entire lobster being flamed got me bubbling with excitement. The meat of the lobster was fresh and juicy and I savoured every bite. 

Served with bite-sized fish fingers, fried calamari, Garlic Herb mussels and fries on a bed of Garlic Herb rice, this was a feast for the eyes and my stomach. 

Rating: 7/10 

4. Grilled Gala

If a whole platter of fried food is too overwhelming for you, try the Grilled Gala. The most noteworthy item on the dish was the Grilled Dory, seasoned lavishly with herbs and spices with a texture that melts in your mouth. Garlic Herb mussels also made an appearance in this dish and I liked how the natural sweetness of the mussels balanced out the creamy Garlic Herb sauce.

This platter comes with a side of grilled tiger prawns drizzled with the sweet, curry-like Volcano Sauce. The bowl of Garlic Herb mussels drenched in sauce also make a good dip for the slices of baguette. 

Rating: 6/10

5. Curry Hill Seafood

Drenched in a rich curry sauce, the Curry Hill Seafood comes with poached mussels and your choice of slipper lobster or tiger prawns. It also comes with a side of baguette and battered vegetable sticks, which serves as a fun alternative to using a spoon to savour the curry.

I really liked the curry sauce, with its infusion and aroma of spices that marinated the various seafoods well. However, the battered veggie sticks left a lingering bitter aftertaste, which was a little hard to swallow. 

Rating: 6/10

6. Mediterranean Baked Fish

After a parade of overflowing seafood platters, it was nice to slow things down to a lighter main course, the Mediterranean Baked Fish. The dory fillet was baked in a sauce that overpowered the natural flavours of the fish and made it too salty for my liking. I had to pair the fish with a scoop of rice to balance out the intense marinade of the baked fish. 

Rating: 5/10

7. Salmon ‘N Mash

The name of this dish is a direct representation of what you’ll get – a piece of baked salmon draped over a generous scoop of mashed potato, topped with black pepper sauce, which was a refreshing change from the usual brown gravy. 

Salmon is my first choice when it comes to fish and I was disappointed that the meat wasn’t as juicy as I would have liked it to be. However, pairing the salmon with a scoop of the mash potato and black pepper sauce did help to salvage the dish a little. 

Rating: 6/10

8. Fishy Chicky Bang Bang

This dish sounds like something straight out of an episode of Epic Meal Time. After having this chicken fillet stacked with a dory fillet, filled with cheddar cheese and fried in a layer of crispy batter, prepare to hit the gym and redeem yourself once you’re done with this sinful meal. 

The dish also comes with a sunny side up laid on a fried spaghetti “nest”, staying true to the whole bird and fish hybrid theme. This dish sounds great in theory, but I’d take a raincheck for this because my cholesterol level would never forgive me. 

Rating: 6/10

9. Oyster Roulette

I don’t think many people can say they’ve played a game of Oyster Roulette, but I’m proud to say I’m one of the lucky few. Like a game of roulette, this one involves one unsuspecting soul who will down an oyster shooter with an extra shot of spiciness. Who knew that my first time playing a game of Russian Roulette would involve poached oysters soaked in a spicy sauce? 

Unfortunately out of the 4 shooters, I got the short end of the stick and the spiciness came in like a wrecking ball, sending me scrambling for my cup of ice cold water. So suay but still, all in good fun and at least we got a good laugh out of my misfortune! 

Rating: 7/10

10. Manhattan Mud Pie 

We sank our teeth into this delicious block of sticky-sweet chocolate ice cream on a bed of crushed oreos, drizzled with chocolate syrup. 

By the end of this meal, I felt like I had just completed one of those extreme eating competitions and I was so close to raising my hands triumphantly in the air, imagining dramatic music playing in the background. Hands down, my favourite dish was the Manhattan Flaming Seafood Platter as it had all the elements of a very satisfactory meal. The sweet flavours of the flamed prawns and the crispy calamari gave a good variety and didn’t leave me feeling gelat at all. 

Rating: 6/10

About The Manhattan FISH MARKET

Inspired by the American-style of serving up meals in hearty and generous portions, The Manhattan FISH MARKET aims to deliver seafood as authentic as dining in the Big Apple. After our trip to the Marina Square branch, there’s no doubt that it’s a cozy place to practice the art of sharing, and catch up with your friends over a nice seafood meal.

Next time you see The Manhattan FISH MARKET, go for a bit of variety and order one of these 10 items – because life is about more than just Fish ‘n Chips!

If you want to try out these 10 dishes for yourself, find the nearest The Manhattan FISH MARKET here. 

About Influential Brands

Influential Brands is a consumer insight driven awards programme which provides a platform for brands to celebrate their achievement; for consumers, businesses and stakeholders to recognise the brands’ efforts in arriving where they are today. The study conducted by Influential Brands is purely consumer driven and the Top Brands are selected by consumers through their perception and preference, demonstrating the level of impact and influence of the brands in each consumer’s life.

Influential Brands seeks to identify consumer preferences, their behaviours, values and to understand how the ever-changing environment affects consumer experience in the purchase journey. The programme is tailored to enrich the brands’ relationship with their consumers through ongoing meaningful conversations and engagement. 

For more information, like and follow Influential Brands on Facebook for more updates!

This post was brought to you by The Manhattan FISH MARKET.