About TAO Seafood Asia
“We need to do our part (to protect the sea’s ecosystem), no matter how small as every little bit helps,” – Chef Lee
While I love marine life and am sad for fish and other creatures caught from the sea, my stomach just can’t resist them. Thankfully the new head chef of TAO Seafood Asia, Chef Lee Tong Kuon, has made a staunch commitment to be environmentally-responsible.
Chef Lee’s commitment ensures that he only procures seafood from like-minded vendors and best-practice fish farmers around the region. You can be sure that what you eat here will not threaten the ocean’s ecosystem.
The Story Behind TAO
TAO Seafood Asia was inspired from a legendary food-loving Chinese mythical creature known as “饕餮” (tāo tiè) in Mandarin. TAO’s Chinese name “饕聚” (tāo jù) means the gathering of gourmets, which symbolizes their aspirations to make the restaurant a place where foodies can meet their gastronomical needs.
The 67 year-old Chef Lee, former executive chef and co-owner of the Thai Village Holdings Ltd, is revolutionising Thai-Teochew Cuisine with sustainable Seafood at TAO. He works hand-in-hand with his son, Adrian Lee, who created and manages the restaurant.
Appetizers
Lemongrass with Rock Sugar
We were welcomed with a glass of Lemongrass with Rock Sugar ($5) and you can immediately tell where its influence came from. Lemongrass is a popular drink in Thailand because of its health benefits.
The drink is available either warm and cold, and had a slight tangy flavour to it. I thought it tasted strange at first but it grew on me as the night went on.
Chilled Jellyfish Salad
Next came appetizers, starting with the Chilled Jellyfish Salad ($10). This dish is unlike the jellyfish salad you may have had with sushi – TAO uses natural crunchy jellyfish heads with a special mix of vinegar, sesame and chili. I personally prefer the more chewy and jelly like texture instead of a crunchy version.
Crispy Fish Skin With Salted Egg Sauce
The Crispy Fish Skin With Salted Egg Sauce ($10) made an entrance with aromatic smell of fried fish. The crispy eel skin is refired with Tao’s special salted egg sauce, which gives it a slight tinge of spiciness. I really like the idea of how the salted egg sauce complemented the fish skin. I can snack on this all day!
Premium Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup
Before the main course, we were served with the TAO signature soup- Premium Fish Maw and Crabmeat ($68). The soup had a thick and gooey texture that must have came from the hours of brewed chicken. It was paired with premium New Zealand Fish Maw that is rich in collagen, so this is a dish you won’t want to miss for youthful and elastic skin.
I like the soup by itself but try adding TAO’s specialty green chili for an extra kick!
Main Course
Stir Fried Fish Maw with Prawns
Stir Fried Fish Maw with Prawns ($44) is new on the menu, created by Chef Lee. The fish maw are cut into bite-size pieces and best eaten immediately when served, any delay will compromise the texture and taste. We deliberately left a few on our plates to try it later and it was indeed less tasty because the fish maw became a little tougher.
Chef Lee uses a minimal amount of oil during the frying process as the collagen rich fish maw contains a natural coat of fish-oil.
Pot Roasted Cod
Chef Lee slow roasts the Pot Roasted Cod ($38) in a metal pot filled with TAO Seafood Asia’s unique essence sauce and generous dose of garlic and coriander roots to produce a fragrant herbal aroma.
Pot Roasted Crab with Glass Noodles
Out of the 4 main courses, my favourites would be the Pot Roasted Crab with Glass Noodles ($45) and White Pepper Crab. I absolutely love noodles and glass noodle is one of my favourite kind. The crab and glass noodles are being cooked in the sauce and soup base for many hours till it absorbs every last bit of flavor.
So when you have the noodles, it is almost like you are drinking the soup as well. This dish is a Thai Teochew fusion that needs to be served immediately within the metal pot to retain its aroma and “wok-hei”.
White Pepper Crab
The White Pepper Crab ($6 per 100g) is a new creation, which usees daily delivered quality Sri Lankan crabs, together with pure ground white pepper and other spices to elevate this dish into a TAO-must-have. It does not have the very peppery taste as compared the Black Pepper Crab, but there is still a tangy aftertaste that pleasantly lingers on.
Dessert
Guilin Herbal Jelly
I had the Guilin Herbal Jelly ($6) and it’s a good choice for a refreshing end to the main course. It was not as sweet as I expected because you get to add the amount of honey you wanted. The herbs were not very strong, thus it will be just right for those who do not like the scent of Chinese herbs.
Sea Coconut with Longans
In comparison to the Herbal Jelly, the Sea Coconut with Longans ($6) is more for someone with a sweet tooth. Moreover, the Logan fruit contains rich amount of Vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, and essential in anti-oxidants. Your nutrients are met with this one dessert.
Verdict
TAO Seafood Asia is located in the heart of the CBD in Asia Square Tower 2, right beside Shenton House. The food is decent for the price and the owner, Adrian, takes a hands on approach to the restaurant. The watchful eyes of Chef Lee and Adrian ensure that TAO Seafood Asia gives its customers the best experience they can have.
I will not hesitate to bring my family to dine here and rave to them about the White Pepper Crab and glass noodles. Drop on by if you love seafood and you might be a convert too!
Getting There
Address: 12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 2, #02-10 Singapore 018961
For more information about TAO Seafood Asia, click here.
This post was brought to you by TAO Seafood Asia.
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