Never had a reason to travel to Sentosa? Well, Blue Lotus will change your mind. Located at Quayside Isle in Sentosa Cove, Blue Lotus is a new age Chinese restaurant that serves traditional Chinese and Singaporean hawker dishes with an interesting twist.
With globalisation, Spanish tapas, Korean BBQ and Hawaiian poke seem more trendy to youngsters but Blue Lotus refuses to believe this. The only Chinese restaurant along Quayside Isle, Blue Lotus is on a mission to make Chinese food appealing again.
Blessed with a beautiful view and a cool sea breeze, Blue Lotus gives diners the option to either dine indoors, or go Al Fresco. Unlike most restaurants Blue Lotus ensures plenty of space for guests to move around with furniture placed comfortably apart.
If you choose to dine Al Fresco, enjoy the view with their selection of Chinese wine. The Gerard Golin Chardonnay 2014 is highly recommended as it goes really well with seafood. Slightly acidic and fruity at the same time, it is the perfect drink to have in your hand while you enjoy your meal and the beauty of the setting sun.
If you’re not a fan of wine, maybe get yourself a fresh cooling coconut. The coconut juice is the freshest juice you could possibly have on Sentosa Island. Small in size but high in quality, you’ll definitely finish this in no time at all.
The Crispy Fried Salmon Skin Coated with Salted Egg Yolk & Lime Zest 黄金香檸脆炸三文魚皮 ($14), was the perfect appetiser to munch on, made all the more better with their homemade XO dipping sauce. This is definitely an unconventional must-try dish you could add to your salted egg yolk list.
Continuing with the theme of fried food, the Crispy Fried Szechuan Style “La Zi Ji” Spicy Egg Plants四川辣子茄子 ($10) was served. The eggplant, soft and chewy, has its flavours enhanced by the Szechuan spices, and if you can’t handle spice, this is probably not the dish for you.
Although the fried dishes were delicious, crunchy and light, it is the seafood that steals the show at Blue Lotus. The Smoked Truffle Wanton Lobster Bisque松露龍蝦雲吞湯 ($18) is a slurp-worthy soup. Just look at how rich the soup is and how thick the lobster meat is. The wanton is a great starter that will keep you excited for more or even a great entree if you’re a small eater.
The Josper Grilled Barramundi Fillet with Pickled Chilli Sauce剁椒炭烤金目魲鱼 ($34) is an entree you have to order though regardless of whether you’re a small eater or one with a huge appetite.
Grilled to perfection, the barramundi fillet peels off layer by layer and melts in your mouth as you bite into it. The pickled chilli sauce makes this dish one of a kind and the rich acidity is smartly balanced by lightly salted boiled Chinese spinach.
Aside from seafood, Blue Lotus also serves various meats, including the big and bad Suckling Pig. With its crackled shiny skin, the suckling pig is a must-order if you’re having a huge gathering. Staring right into your eyes, it tastes as delicious as it looks.
However, do note that you have to place your order 3 days in advance so that the kitchen can roast this baby to perfection just for you!
Blue Lotus also serves lamb. The Roast Australian Baby Lamb Short Ribs with Five Spices and Fennel Seeds香烤五香羊排骨 ($34) is the perfect mixture of flavours from the east and the west. The Five Spices Fennel Seeds added a traditional Chinese touch to the western meat that is unbelievably juicy.
Inspired by Singapore’s local flavours, the Chicken Rice Paella, only available during their weekend lunch by request, is a blend of cultures.
Despite the obvious Spanish twist to this beloved Hainanese dish, the Hainan flavours are still strongly maintained with very succulent chicken. However, despite the creative interpretation of this dish, I feel that the original Hainanese Chicken Rice is still the best.
Another unique dish at Blue Lotus is the Wok Fried “Prata” Kway Teow with Seafood & Chinese Sausage特色海鮮臘腸炒”粿條” ($22).
Most people are often fooled by this Kway Teow because although it is made up of prata strips, it tastes just like Kway Teow! Fried to wok hei perfection, this is a must-try for char kway teow and prata lovers.
And now back to seafood with the Blue Lotus Signature Chilli Pomelo Crab經典辣椒柚子螃蟹 ($7.80/100g). Served with pillow-soft man tou, the Chilli Pomelo Crab is doused in a slightly spicy and acidic chilli sauce.
If you want to challenge the chilli Gods, you could even one up the spice level. However, to really enjoy this dish, take it as it is. The crab is fresh and the sauce is fantastic at the given spice level already!
And to top it all off, order the Chilled Durian Shaved Ice with D24 Durian Puree D24 榴蓮冰 ($10). If you’re the kind of person who would travel to Pahang, Malaysia just to get your durian fix during durian season (like me) then this dessert is perfect for you. Although the actual durian could have been fresher and sweeter, the shaved ice had beautiful and intense durian flavours that will keep you coming back for more.
Overall, if you’re not as adventurous when it comes to food it’s probably safer to just stay on the main island and go to a local hawker store. Nonetheless, if you’re really big on new age cuisine, this would be perfect for you. Foodie enthusiasts who enjoy looking for new age innovative food should definitely check Blue Lotus out.
However, located at Quayside Isle, the prices are unsurprisingly slightly steeper than average, so don’t say I didn’t warn you if you leave with a hole in your wallet!
Expected Damage: $50 -$100 per pax
