Catfish Restaurant, Gemmill Lane (Singapore)

Both indoor and outdoor seats are available but we went for the indoor seats as it was a warm evening. Mood lighting gave the restaurant a cosy, intimate vibe, making it a nice place to wind down and relax. Do note that there aren’t many tables due to space constraints so it’s best to make a reservation before heading down. For starters, we ordered the crispy fish skins, catfish tacos, smoked tuna tartare ceviche, grilled octopus leg and squid noodle ramen. Everything was so good! You could tell that each dish was constructed with so much thought, from the flavours and textures to the overall presentation aesthetic. The flavours were carefully procured and well-balanced in terms of their sweet, sour, bitter and savoury ratios, making each bite a tantalizing delight. As starter dishes, they were light and refreshing, perfect for opening up our appetites. I couldn’t pick a favourite even if I tried, although I would recommend the squid noodle ramen just because it was so novel and unexpectedly delicious. Next up, we had the Sichuan BBQ snapper fish and beef short rib pastrami for our mains, along with some sides of potato purée and roasted cauliflower. Initially, I was slightly worried that the snapper would be too spicy but it turned out to be a lot more fragrant than spicy. The meat was well-cooked and delicately soft too. We couldn’t say the same for the beef though as the quality was inconsistent among us, depending on which slice of beef we got. Some were juicy and melt-in-your-mouth, others were a tad dry and tough to chew. Surprisingly, the sides were unbeatable just like our starters! The potato purée was wonderfully smooth and well-seasoned, and the roasted cauliflower was nicely browned and umami. We went round the table to share which dish was the star of the night and a few of us actually nominated these humble yet outstanding sides as our choice. My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #exploresgtogether #momentssg #tripmoments #restaurant #fusioncuisine #singapore