I love dining - unfortunately, the dining experiences I have had in Singapore are generally nothing to rave about. While the food is usually top-notch, the service leaves much to be desired. I find myself thanking my lucky stars if the waiter speaks good English and is able to communicate with me!
That wasn't the case at a recent dinner at The Manhattan FISH MARKET Singapore at Illuma Shopping Centre. The food was great, the ambience was nice, but oh-my-God- the service.... it was truly AMAZING! Upon entering the restaurant, I was ushered to a cozy table right at the back. My server introduced himself, "Hi My name is Shafi, and I'm pleased to be serving you today. Here is the menu, I'll be back in ten minutes to take your order, but in the mean time I'll get you a glass of water and perhaps some drinks?" Slightly taken aback by his crisp English, I asked him what he would recommend, to which he replied, "Well, after a hard day at work, I'd recommend our Tropical Breeze. It's sweet yet a little tangy and so it'll perk you right up." And boy was he right. Standing true to his words, Shafi was back in ten minutes. We ordered the Garlic Butter Mussels and the Fried Country Mushrooms. Both of which were absolute must-haves.
After our appetizers we decided to order the main dishes...unfortunately there was nothing vegetarian at The Manhattan FISH MARKET Singapore (I was dining with a friend who loves her seafood, while I'm vegetarian), so we asked Shafi for alternatives. He immediately apologised for the lack of vegetarian items, and assured me that the chef would be able to whip up something delicious - he suggested pasta, and asked me if I preferred red sauce or white sauce. As I much preferred a cream sauce, he suggested that the chef make me cream sauce spaghetti topped with broccoli, asparagus and carrots. He further enquired if I could have eggs, cheese, onion and garlic included in my dish. Boy was I surprised at how detailed and articulate he was! Our meals arrived ten minutes later and before leaving us to dine; he wished us bon - appétit. The salmon my dining companion ordered looked absolutely perfect. The dish I ordered however was average at best.
After we were done, Shafi promptly came by to clear our dishes and asked us if we enjoyed our meal. He asked if we would like to end the meal on a sweet note with desert, to which we declined.
At the end of the meal, Shafi warmly shook our hands, thanked us for our patronage and invited us back to The MANHATTAN FISH MARKET Singapore again.
While The Manhattan FISH MARKET Singapore might seem a little over the top to some, I certainly welcomed the warmth and impeccable service provided. I can’t think of a better place in town for a midweek solo affair as the service itself proves enough to fill the void of the lack of dining companionship. Highly recommended. I give The Manhattan FISH MARKET Singapore six and a half stars out of five.
* We did not recieve any payment for this review, however, our meals were complimentary *