RWS Presents Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, The First Lady Iron Chef

Singapore’s first aquarium dining experience where exceptional food, wine & service are as memorable as the view. How does that sound to you?

Pix Credit: Resort World Sentosa

Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, which is situated in the S.E.A Aquarium, part of the world’s largest oceanarium, will be the Iron Chef’s first restaurant in Asia.

Let me walk you through a spectacular journey under the sea…….

The media event commenced with me arriving at the S.E.A Aquarium inside Resort World Sentosa. I was given a brief introduction of the S.E.A Aquarium while I was being guided to the restaurant.

My mind was whirling with excitement as I walked through a glass tunnel to experience the underwater world journey, looking forward to tasting exquisite dishes created by the First Lady Iron Chef.

Marvel at more than 800 species of marine animals, the aquarium is home to majestic manta rays, enormous goliath grouper, magnificent sharks & more through the planet’s largest window to the ocean.

Walk across a floor of glass & watch the predators & other ocean denizens swim right beneath your feet!

I stood in front of the giant tank, awestruck by the beauty of it.

From Sea-Stars to Sea Urchins, enjoy the tactile experience of the sea creatures.

Get a chance to touch a Sea Star at their Discovery Touch Pool!

Check out an array of Sea Jellies where fascinating ‘magnified’ encounters with marine life await you.

The jellyfishes glittered like falling stars in the distance.

Be captivated by these jellyfishes as they sashay past you.

Watch squadrons of pompano, threadfin trevally, batfish & other marine animals dance in your presence.

Let your imagination swim as you view an ever-changing panoramic marine vista.

The perfect complement to your underwater adventure, is Cat Cora’s Ocean Restaurant, showcasing many of her signature dishes which have Mediterranean-Californian influences with an Asian flair. The restaurant also follows the chef’s farm-to-table philosophy on ingredients, which makes her food truly authentic & sensational.

Special consideration was taken to ensure all guests in the 63-seater restaurant will have a good view.

For instance, the walls above the banquettes have angled mirrors reflecting the aquarium for guests seated facing the opposite direction & dining chairs were custom made with concealed swivel mechanisms so that guests can spin around from all angles to marvel at the marine life.

Well, here’s the 5-course menu we got to sample for the evening:

Sous Vide 48°C Ocean Trout

The seafood is a 20-minute sous vide 48°C water bath which drowns in your mouth with its tenderness. The combination of ingredients such as the Sustainable Caviar & Prosecco Pear Crushed Almond, Vine Tomato Jelly & Garden Cress demonstrated remarkable versatility. It was oceanic love at first sight taste! ★★★★★

Celebrity chef Cat Cora shows us how her signature dish Sous Vide 48°C King Salmon is made. The delectable dish is available at the Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora at Marine Life Park's S.E.A.

Sakura Shrimp Risotto

The marvellous aroma from the Morel Mushroom-Black Truffle coupled with the Butter Ikura & Gold Leaf decor makes the risotto so desirable; it was as if a sulfuric love bomb went off. Only complaint, I found the Seared Hokkaido Scallop a little overdone for my liking. ★★★★☆

Vongole of Manila Clams

One of my favourites for the evening. The Soup with Spicy Sausage seemed to be perfumed with a tinge of lemon, making it very addictive. I nibbled at my Toasted Sesame Croutons, relishing every bit of it. ★★★★★

Invited guests had a choice between Grilled Basque Wagyu Striploin With Leek-Bread Pudding & Roasted Sesame-Coriander Vegetables, or King Salmon With Mandarin-Habanero Glaze, Meyer Lemon Couscous & Hot House Cilantro.

I should’ve picked the King Salmon instead as the maître d mixed up my order. I wanted my Australian Striploin med-well, but was given medium instead. Service was slightly inexperienced, perhaps due to new opening, but the beauty of the fishes prancing around me & the well execution of the first few dishes overshadowed any minor mistakes they made. But it’s definitely Japanese Wagyu for me anytime.

The satisfying guests ended on a high-note with the ‘After Eight’ Mint Variation with Chocolate. ★★★★★

Plus, we got an autographed pix of Cat Cora & a box of macaroons!

Be spellbound by the magnificent view of the Open Ocean habitat whilst enjoying a truly memorable dining experience at Cat Cora’s Ocean Restaurant at Marine Life Park's S.E.A. Aquarium. You may catch the Iron Chef in action!

Pix Credit: Resort World Sentosa

The specially created 5-course Cat Cora Experience set is available from now till end February 2013. Until 7 February, the Iron Chef herself Cat Cora will hold court at the restaurant where she will offer a specially created dinner set menu at S$158++.

Entrance from the S.E.A Aquarium to the restaurant is S$29, but diners can also choose to enter by the restaurant entrance directly without paying the admission fee.  For details and reservation, please call Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora, Resort World Sentosa at Tel: +65 6577 6869.

Thank you RWS & the organizing team for the astounding experience!