Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Flavours of the Sea at The Naked Finn

Valentine's Day this year coincided with the two lions' tenth year anniversary as a couple. Celebration started a week earlier for them. 

Bouquet of Cuchi's favourite flowers.
The two lions picked The Naked Finn
to mark their 10th year together.
The lovely white shed which houses the kitchen
extends out as an adorable little glass house
(plastic sheets on closer inspection)
where patrons relax while sipping on sundowners.
The lions had passed by this restaurant one weekend afternoon
and had spoken to the amiable chef who
promised them a meal to remember.
Forgotten old fire hydrant
sitting quietly in the Gillman Barracks precint.
Washroom just across the road. How cute.
It was scorching hot in the afternoon.
Evenings at The Naked Finn
would hopefully be a cooler affair.
Arriving at 6-ish in the evening
to catch the setting sun.
Dusk falls.
Reservations are a must for this tiny place.
The Naked Finn stands in
picaresque isolation facing a field of greens.
The Naked Finn, formerly a pop-up at The Curious Tepee by the guys behind the now-defunct Klee, has finally found a permanent home amid absolutely serene and rustic surroundings. Extolling the principle of "Less is More", the menu focuses predominantly on locally sourced crustaceans and mollux presented pure and unadulterated, and priced reasonably. No fanciful cooking techniques here, seafood offerings are lightly grilled most of time with just a dash of sea salt.

The lions chose the Estella's set for two ($128+).

Live razor clams drizzled
with hot shallot oil and topped with fried shallots.
Well-executed and cooked to perfect timing!
Not too chewy and rubbery.
Chilled blanched kangkong tossed in freshly squeezed
kalamansi juice and shallot oil. Very refreshing!
Taste oddly South American like ceviche.
Cheers to more romantic years ahead!
Signature cocktails served at minus 12 degree Celsius.
Cute Cute went for the Rockmelon + orange + nigorizake +Hendrick's gin while
Cuchi picked the Lychee + pink grapefruit + acacia honey + vodka.
The cocktails were semi-frozen with the consistency of slushies.
Cute Cute's cocktail fared much better than Cuchi's. Overall, the cocktails
were elegant and subtle, rather too mild and timid for Cute Cute.
Free flow of bee hoon.
This humble dish is addictively cold and tangy. Yum!
True embodiment of the cliche East-meets-West
concept that does not alienate. 
Four sauces representing individual Asian countries  -
namely Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Grilled baby squids with sea salt and
extra virgin olive oil.
This is Cuchi's favourite dish.
Divinely fresh with an emphasis on natural flavours.
Taste like the sea :) 
Live Japanese littleneck clams boiled in comforting homemade
barramundi stock and white wine soup.
Umami-packed grilled African lobsters.
Cute Cute's favourite dish.
Again, kudos to the chef! Cooked to a perfect timing.
Tender, juicy and naturally sweet.
Pan-fried barramundi fillets with sea salt and
extra virgin olive oil.
Another outstanding dish. Crispy on the outside while
retaining the texture of steamed fish inside.
Masterful! The drizzle of accompanying vinaigrette sauce is
ingenious.
The lions cloud-watching (is that a whale?)
as the last slivers of sunlight fade away.


Overall, the dishes were superbly executed. Service was patchy and could have been a little warmer though but hey, no service charge! 


Here is our review for The Naked Finn:

Food Quality: 9.0 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

The Naked Finn
41 Malan Road
Gillman Barracks
Singapore 109454




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