Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Naked Finn, Gillman Barracks

Estella's Set For Two

When I first moved to Singapore many years ago, one thing that I immediately missed from back home was simply-prepared seafood, as many of the dishes around here tended to be covered up in heavy sauces instead. So when I heard that this little "no frills grill" place had opened up (41 Malan Road, 6694-0807), I was immediately intrigued. A place serving grilled seafood that was not overpowered by sauces nor garlic? This one I had to check out.

I liked it a lot. Nearly everything that we got in our set was deliciously bursting with the natural taste of the sea, be it those fresh and firm razor clams that they started us with, or the langoustines that they finished us with. My favorite of them all was the baby squid, which carried a delightfully smoky aroma and was seasoned only with salt and olive oil rather than being all candied up like the way this stuff is usually done around here. Yum.

Now, this wasn't Finnish like the name might suggest. Indeed, it was actually still very local, as evident not only with the bee hoon and kangkong that were provided on the side, but also with the fried shallots that many of the dishes were garnished with. Still, none of this interfered with the taste of the seafood itself; instead, it complemented it just nicely, making this place uniquely local yet simple. I just wish that these guys were open during the daytime. This is such a tranquil little place that it would be a great place to ride one's bike to and pop in for a quick snack at the bar.

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