I’m sure many of us have been to a regular buffet but what about a live seafood BBQ buffet? Here at New Thai Tanic, diners are treated to a huge variety of fresh seafood items that they can choose from — some of which you can even try catching from a tank.
As soon as you step into the establishment, you’ll find that there is a huge island counter in the middle with a wide variety of seafood that has been spread out atop the bed of crushed ice. This is really as fresh as it gets.
Choose among everything from lobsters, prawns and crabs to shellfish, squid and different cuts of fish depending on what is on season.
We picked up pretty much anything we could lay our hands on, including the mussels, sea snails and flower crabs. This really is the perfect opportunity to stuff your face with as much seafood as your heart desires so why pass it up?
Once you’re done picking out the seafood from the centre of the restaurant, head over to the live seafood section near the windows to try your hand at bringing in some of your own catches from the clear glass tanks.
After you’ve caught either the mud crabs or the live prawns, place them in a box filled with crushed ice to knock them out and as sadistic as it sounds, cook them before they come back to life.
Instead of using an electric stove, the restaurant makes use of actual charcoal, which helps to ensure that the seafood items will give off a deliciously smokey charred taste once it has been grilled.
If the natural sweetness from the seafood isn’t enough in terms of flavour, do be sure to grab some dipping sauces such as chilli padi, cilantro lime and even nacho cheese to enhance the taste of each item even further.
While the huge river prawns were absolutely delicious, do be wary when you try to pick the live ones up with the tongs because they can get aggressive and might start jumping out of the water. But hey, I’d say it’s worth giving it a shot.
What meal is complete without some sweet treats? Make your way over to the dessert station to indulge yourself in some cakes, muffins and fruit tarts after you’re done with all the seafood.
Right beside the counter is also a soft drink dispenser with choices such as Coca-Cola, Fanta grape and ice lemon tea to quench your thirst.
If you need something more to satisfy your sweet tooth, create your very own Belgium waffle with the batter provided. Just follow the simple instructions laid out and you’ll be able to make it within minutes.
Of course, you can top it off with as many scoops of ice cream as you like. The crispy waffle certainly went well with the classic chocolate and vanilla flavours but you can opt for other combinations such as mango, sweet corn and mint.
Don’t forget to add toppings, including sprinkles and sweets; we wanted to keep it simple so we just drizzled a bit of honey over as final touch.
With at least 50 varieties of fresh live seafood available, dining at New Thai Tanic would certainly make for an unforgettable buffet experience. The drinks and desserts are free flow too! Unlike most buffet establishments, there is also no time limit so you can really stay for as long as you like.
While they have had long waits for tables previously, you’d be glad to know that the restaurant has upgraded their space with two times the capacity to house even more customers.
But even then, I’d highly suggest you make reservations before heading over because it can get really packed during dinner time!
Expected Damage: $59.90++ per pax
