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This is just a heads up to anyone who might get sea-sick of my puns—this article will have a lot of them. The Mad Sailors is not a new kid on the block or a new fish in the bustling reef that is Arab Street.
I’ll give you a heads up, their blue-red-and-white, nautical-themed decor is definitely a good catch, especially if you haven’t been back since their renovation in November last year. A series of menu additions have swum up upon their shores recently since our last visit, but for now, I’ll clam up about the decor and get right into it.
The Mad Sailors’ new appetiser is great for that friend we all know who gets a little crabby when everyone’s taking a little longer to decide on what to eat. Enter the Crab Roll (S$14.80), two slices of brioche toasted to golden-brown perfection sandwiching fresh crab claw and celery, and topped with ikura.
I wish that there was something more to this that would make it stand out from other basic crab rolls, but this was only tasty in the most predictable way.
For those who aren’t fans of shellfish, The Mad Sailors also added Bone Marrow (S$21) to their menu—butter-smooth and savoury, and won’t keep you too full for your main. I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of bone marrow, to begin with, but when topped with beef marmalade, pickles, and shallot for that extra flavour, it does make a pretty convincing case.
Something fishy this way comes—in the form of a grilled Red Snapper (S$24), served alongside a bed of asparagus and potatoes, made extra zesty with a lemon wedge squeezed over and topped with crispy rice puffs. It’s The Mad Sailors’ elevated version of the well-loved fish ‘n’ chips combination with fresh snapper that melts in your mouth.
I was expecting the dish to blow me away in a sensational mix of flavours, but while it was an absolute win, texture-wise, it fell short for me in the other regard.
The last to dock in the harbour was their Crème Brûlée (S$12), and as a dessert fiend who believes no meal is complete without something sweet, this checked the boxes. The lavender was a nice touch, and the crème brûlée silky. I’ve always been a big fan of The Black Hole Group’s eateries, especially Tipo Strada, but I’ll admit that I left The Mad Sailors wondering if what I tried would convince me enough to revisit.
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