Red House Seafood (Grand Copthorne): Huge Braised Alaskan King Crab & Other Seafood Delights In River Valley

Good seafood is hard to come by and fantastic seafood is even rarer to find. Red House Seafood at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel definitely comes out on top as one of the best places to feast on the treasures of the sea.

Established in 1976, Red House Seafood is one of the oldest seafood restaurants and now boasts three outlets across Singapore. A stalwart in the local food scene, Red House Seafood sure knows their seafood.

As a bona fide seafood fanatic, I couldn’t wait to try all that Red House Seafood had to offer.

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Red House Seafood sure knows how to make an entrance. A dramatic arched entrance greets you as you enter their Grand Copthorne outlet, followed by a splendid long hallway decked out in that trademark cherry red.

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Plus, the hallway is not just a hallway. If you don’t want anyone to see you elbow deep in crab sauce, there are seven elegant private rooms along the hallway for you to finish every morsel of crab, sans the judgement of other diners.

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The interior of Red House Seafood is bright, airy and tastefully modern. With high ceilings, large windows that flood the room with gorgeous natural light and furnished with contemporary rattan chairs, Red House Seafood has certainly embraced modernity and I’m all for it.

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The table slowly began filling up with hefty plates of crab, lobster and baskets of dim sum—it was a feast, alright.

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As any good foodie knows, when presented with a smorgasbord of food, it is important to pace yourselves. I started with the Truffle Wild Mushroom Dumpling (S$6++) which was fried in truffle oil and filled with a medley of mushrooms.

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Red House Seafood did not skimp on their mushrooms, and this dark-green crystalline dumpling was chock-full of king oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and brown shimeiji mushroom. A meaty bite with the earthiness and umami that mushrooms are known for, this was a rather filling dumpling.

The icing on the cake for this one has to be the aromatic and tantalising smell of truffle oil. Truffle oil can be an overused ingredient but for this basket of dumplings, it enhanced and accentuated those mushrooms.

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Another special dim sum item has to be these glistening Chilli Crab Bao (S$10++). Served in a trio, these fluffy charcoal orbs are stuffed with chilli crab meat and deep-fried for that shine.

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With a slight crust on top and a warm spicy chilli crab centre, these pillowy bite-sized baos are perfect if you want the best parts of chilli crab sans the mess.

That being said, I would have liked a little more of that chilli crab sauce for an even more satisfying mouthful.

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One cannot do without the quintessential Siew Mai (S$6++) and it gets even better. Red House Seafood offers daily 20% off Dim Sum dishes from 12pm to 2pm. With these hand-crafted goodies at a good price, it’s yum cha time!

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Now, I was all ready to dive into all Red House Seafood has to offer. I began with the pièce de résistance of the table: the Braised Alaskan King Crab Bee Hoon.

This Alaskan King came sitting on a throne draped with two different kinds of noodles, with its bright red shell looking absolutely regal.

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It’s also important to note that Red House Seafood works closely with global seafood suppliers to ensure that their catch is sustainably sourced and fresh. A conscious decision on Red House Seafood’s part, and one that has my support.

These Alaskan King Crabs from Norway are known for their sweet and refined texture, so they would pair well with the wok-fried bee hoon. Not to mention, these Alaskan King Crabs are now on offer at S$98++/kg, which is a real steal if you ask me.

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I went for those chunky crab legs first, conveniently cracked for finicky eaters like myself. The gleaming white flesh separated from the shell pretty easily and as promised was sweet, succulent and fresh.

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This is no ordinary bee hoon. Red House Seafood has cleverly used both Korean glass noodles and regular bee hoon in the dish. Seeing as the Korean glass noodles are chewier and bouncier than our regular bee hoon, it resulted in better texture and mouthfeel. Not forgetting that elusive wok hei and savoury sauce, you’ll be slurping every last noodle strand.

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Another crab dish that is a must-order has to be Red House Chilli Crab. As one of our national dishes, we all have rather high expectations for this dish.

Red House Seafood uses Sri Lankan Mud Crab (S$98++ for 1kg) for their chilli crab that promises meaty claws, along with sweet and firm flesh.

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True to form, these claws were pretty substantial and the flesh was tight and firm. You wouldn’t mind getting your hands dirty for this stellar crab.

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Perhaps one of the most important parts of any chilli crab is the sauce. The best way is to use those golden deep-fried mantou buns to assess whether the sauce is worth your time. For Red House Seafood, their sauce was robust and thick, complete with a good amount of heat that hits the back of your throat.

I appreciated how its sauce had a deep tomato flavour without being too acidic but it’s still rich enough for you to come back for more. With a sauce that is complex and immensely flavourful, this was not your run-of-the-mill chilli crab for sure.

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One of the more sought-after crustaceans, Red House Seafood’s Lobster in Signature Creamy Custard Sauce (S$88++) is one decadent number that should be on your list.

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This lobster is first flash-fried before blanketed in a viscous golden custard sauce—a dream, if you ask me.

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These lobsters are from Boston, Maine, which tend to have sweeter flesh and more pronounced flavour than their Canadian counterparts.

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A signature of Red House Seafood’s, the custard sauce was a close cousin of the famous salted egg sauce but not as cloying. Creamy, thick and buttery, with a little help from chilli padi to cut the richness, I was licking my fingers clean. The craggy bits of the lobster soaked up that tantalising sauce, making this a real treat.

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For spice fiends and those who just can’t decide, the Spicy Seafood Combination (S$38++) would suit you well. Inspired by Thai flavours, this comes with juicy curls of prawns, succulent scallop pucks, squid and garoupa fillet.

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Given our penchant for all things Thai, this plays right into those tendencies. The sauce was smooth and velvety, most likely from the coconut milk and even a little zesty before delivering that addictive heat we love so much.

The seafood did not disappoint; they were fresh and cooked to correct doneness. The highlight for me has to be the scallop—notoriously easy to dry out, these were tender but with a good amount of bite.

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For a real showstopper, the Lotus Leaf Fried Rice with Fresh Prawns (S$24++) is sure to garner oohs and aahs when it’s set down on the table. The rice is fried first with garlic before it’s wrapped and steamed in a lotus leaf, then adorned with those same deshelled prawns.

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While the rice was fragrant and the prawns fresh, I found the fried rice a little ordinary and forgettable. Don’t get me wrong, the rice was still tasty but there was nothing particularly memorable for me.

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After all that seafood, I do think some dessert is in order. The Chilli Chocolate was admittedly a curveball but one that I enjoyed immensely. Chilli and chocolate is not an entirely new thing, but it is a combination that is rarely seen in Singapore.

Along with two halves of a sphere of Red House Seafood’s homemade chocolate, this dessert was also accompanied with a scoop of coconut ice cream, toasted coconut crumble and red date sauce.

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An unlikely combination, but one that works. For those a little apprehensive about chilli in chocolate, not to worry, the chilli is rather subtle. Not a punch but a gentle nudge at that, and the heat comes in only as an aftertaste at the back of your throat.

The heat, however, is quickly quelled by the nutty, deep notes of toasted coconut crumble and frosty delight of the ice cream. Additionally, the red date was another interesting choice. A markedly Asian fruit, this was a turn from the usual saccharine desserts I was used to.

I loved the subtle almost caramelly sweetness of the dates and how they mingled with the chocolate. A rather innovative and unexpected dessert to come out of Red House Seafood’s kitchen.


Red House Seafood did not disappoint—from the decor, to the ambience, to the calibre of crustaceans, I was thoroughly impressed. Given Red House Seafood’s long history, they have managed to keep up with the times by tweaking their dishes to suit our tastes but still maintaining that high standard.

While the meal at Red House Seafood cost a pretty penny, I do think it is absolutely worth it.

Wait, there’s more.

You can enjoy Red House Seafood’s ala carte dim sum buffet starting from just S$23.80++ per person. Choose from 45 delectable dishes ranging from comforting bowls of congee, classic cheong fun to special dishes such as Salted Egg Calamari and Crispy Prawn With Mango Dressing.

You can get your fill of har gau and siew mai from 12 pm to 2.30 pm on weekdays and until 3pm on weekends.  It’s time to make plans with your dim sum buddies!

ChopeDeals: Save up to 20% off at Red House Seafood

Make a reservation at Red House (Clarke Quay) | Red House (Grand Copthorne) | Red House (Prinsep)

Expected Damage: S$50 – S$80 per pax

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Red House Seafood Grand Copthorne

Price: $ $ $

Our Rating: 5 / 5

Red House Seafood

392 Havelock Road, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel (Level 2), Singapore 169663

Price
Our Rating 5/5

Red House Seafood

392 Havelock Road, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel (Level 2), Singapore 169663

Telephone: +65 6735 7666
Operating Hours: 12pm - 2.30pm & 5pm - 10pm (Daily)
Telephone: +65 6735 7666

Operating Hours: 12pm - 2.30pm & 5pm - 10pm (Daily)
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