Manhattan Fish Market

I brought my family to the Manhattan Fish Market outlet at The Central because my sisters wanted some fish and chips, and having eaten at Fish & Co. only recently I suggested that we give Manhattan a try.


For those who frequent Plaza Singapura, you would agree with me that there's almost always a long queue waiting outside Manhattan, so the thought of such a wait can put some people off. I suggest you try the outlet at The Central at Clarke Quay then, which is bigger and has the option for al fresco dining as well. You have "booth" seats inside meanwhile, with cushions and comfortable seats.

Garlic Bread: 6.8/10
My sisters liked the bread, though I found it a bit uneven, soft at some sides, crisp at other ends. The garlic spread was a bit too strong on some parts too.

Flaming Platter for One: 8.1/10


Here's a little show for my dinner! Manhattan really gives the real meaning to flame-grilling by using a burner, but the prawns turned out really nice! They seem a tad charred, but it's really the butter and it doesn't taste burnt too.


Naturally, with identical menus (in fact, Manhattan was opened by a former operations manager of Fish & Co., and there was even a court case that ensued) you find yourself comparing between the two restaurants. Well, at least my Flaming Platter was something that Fish & Co. doesn't have, and this one from Manhattan was pretty good. The prawns, as I've mentioned, were delicious, while the grilled fish was very fresh. The fries are the same here, but the rice suits those who prefer it more buttery.

Fish and Chips: 7.5/10


Both of my sisters ordered a pacific dory fish and chips each. They found it alright, didn't see much difference to Fish & Co's. The fish tasted good, nicely fried on the outside. It's cheaper here though, at $9.90 compared to around $10-$11.90.

Seafood Platter for Two: 6.3/10


If you follow my link to Fish & Co. above, you can see that I had a similar Seafood Platter for Two. My parents had this dish at Manhattan, though they couldn't finish it by themselves and I had my fork in a few times. I think the presentation of the platter at Fish & Co. is better, and it's more generous with its prawns and oysters. Of course, I realised the platter at Manhattan is $3 cheaper, but this translates to 4-5 prawns as compared to Fish & Co.'s 10.


And then, I was thinking where's the mussels? Well, the mussels here come without the shells, but are instead deep fried, which I didn't like very much (personal preference). The deep fried calamari didn't taste as nice as Fish & Co.'s as well.

Service
Very good and polite.

Price
$2.90 for the garlic bread
$17.90 for the flaming platter for one
$9.90 for fish and chips
$34.90 for seafood platter for two

* Prices subject to the usual 7% GST and 10% service charge.

Place
Clarke Quay, The Central #02-79/90
Also: Plaza Singapura #06-70