Was intrigued to check out another relatively fresh kid on the Duxton block - Marcy's - as their website mentioned that they are a modern seafood . intimate bar. As a part-time pescatarian I'm always on the look out for great seafood restaurants in Singapore (like laut at Stanley St) because I think as a tropical island we should technically have good seafood. So we booked Marcy's like 2 weeks in advance online because it's not a big place and they have to mind the restrictions as well.
I like the French boudoir inspired decor indoors. Somewhat whimsical, intimate and comfortable. Upon walking in there's a cocktail bar that stretched out into the semi-open kitchen. You'll be glad to know that there's no food smell!
Diners can sit at the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, or maybe just head over for drinks after dinner if its still early (since 10.30pm is the new Cinderella time).
On the other side we have tables and furniture, all quite well done. And because of the thick velvet curtains and trim, sounds from the restaurant's not bouncing off the wall. Which is one of my top pet peeve when dining in certain restaurants (you got to shout to be heard, almost).
Here's the food menu (we scanned the digital PDF version there too). I like how it is small enough to not overwhelm. Also note that it is best for you to come in groups of 3s because the menu is priced for items in threes such as the crab toast, red prawns and the scallop crudo (x6). However, the friendly waitress told me that they can definitely provide additional items (and just charge a unit price to it).
I've not tried their cocktails but it does look good, especially from the local Asian flavours like Kaffir lime and gula melaka fused into classics like the Pisco Sour and Martini.
On to the food! We had 7 items in total between the 3 of us (4 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert). The first starter was the Crab toast (S$24). I suspect the bread's been slightly burnt - though it did not affect the taste, it looks pretty dark. The crab however was really decent and generous! It wasn't fishy or stale, and was nicely mixed into a pate for the crunchy bread to complement. 4/5
Then the Scallop crudo, daikon, lardon (S$25) next. Here the scallops were sliced thinly so you could appreciate its flavour on your tongue rather than to focus on chewing it. The sourish daikon slice gave it a crunch and the tang of it cuts through the sweet and soft scallop slice. Really enjoyable, light appetiser. 4/5
The star of the night must be the clams, calabrian chilli, harissa, sichuan oil (S$16) though. It doesn't look as pretty, but the flavours were so quintessential in Asia when it comes to using clams and mixing it with chilli and garlic. Every shell was meticulously seasoned so the tiny piece of meat created a mini explosion in our mouths, before the spicy (but not killer) oil hits you. I don't typically eat shellfish but this was excellent. 5/5
Then we actually added on the Red prawn aguachile, jalepeno, ginger flower (S$20) after our mains (before dessert) because we felt that there's still a bit of room. And prawns are typically not my thing (due to peeling of the shell) but here it is nicely butterflied and seasoned with jalepeno and ginger flower with super thin slices of cucumber over it like a tiny blanket. The prawn was fresh, bouncy and came alive with the smart seasoning. 4/5
In comparison the 2 mains we had seemed a little less refined. First up was the Bucatini, anchovies, calabrian chilli, bone sauce (S$26) which to me was interesting because the hollow tube-shaped pasta (cooked perfectly here) is typically used in ragu and the likes. The anchovy taste wasn't too overwhelming, and the bone sauce added a wholesome mouthfeel (but doesn't add to the taste). The chilli gave it a sharp kick occasionally. Overall interesting, but not mind-blowing. 3.5/5
The Rigatoni, red wine braised octopus and beef tendon (S$31) would be a better choice. Here the combination of the surf and turf worked well to bring out a strong, almost masculine flavour which is rich and deeply comforting. The octopus is chopped into small pieces to be had with the enlarged tube pasta. The only gripe is there's not enough. Haha. Just looking at the pic is enough to make me salivate! 4.5/5
We ended off with a sweet treat in form of a Pecan pie sundae with red miso caramel (S$14). There's actually a lot of pecan pie underneath the ice cream and the parts with the pecan actually made it less sweet. Otherwise it could become a bit of a sugar rush. Still, a unique way to end off the seafood dinner. 4/5
I'm so glad there are more innovative restaurants popping up despite the pandemic because we all need to pamper and enjoy ourselves once in a while and Marcy's is the perfect restaurant for conversations and delicious seafood. Be sure to go in threes if you can and share the dishes and laughs!
🙅 Thank you, next
🤷 Try if nearby
💁 Bookmark this ✔️
Marcy's
39-40 Duxton Road, Singapore 089503
Tuesdays to Sundays 6pm-10.30pm
Closed on Mondays
Reservations at Chope or call +65 90123747
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