Gills & Shells @ Hotel Boss - Hidden Find Behind The Hotel

Hotel Boss is a new hotel that has recently opened in Lavender, Singapore. I have been to some of the food establishments in the vicinity such as Founder Bak Kut Teh but I did not know that behind the hotel, along the canal, there are also a few food establishments which is not visible from the main street.

Beergarita 3.5/5

If you are looking for somewhere to chill, Gills & Shells has a bar offering a good selections of cocktails and mocktails. For my pre-dinner dinrk, I opted for the Beergarita ($22.90) that consists of Corona, Tequila, Triple Sec and Lime Juice. A light drink to kick start the dinner.

Spicy Buffalo Frog Legs 4/5

We were quite taken back when the Spicy Buffalo Frog Legs ($16.90) was served. The size of the frog legs were huge, fat and juicy. I enjoyed the re-interpretation of the buffalo wings, replacing it with the frog legs. A good change from the usual.

Half Dozen Freshly Shucked Oysters 4/5

Depend on the season and supply, Gills & Shells offers fresh shucked oysters from varies countries. The Freshly Shucked Oysters ($22.90 half dozen) is served with homemade marmalade and French red wine vinegar sauce.

Clams and Mussel 4/5

Another shellfish dish on the menu is the Clams and Mussels ($15.90). The shellfishes are cooked in a spicy white wine clear broth with herbs, garlic, onions & chilli. It is best to enjoy the broth by dunking the focaccia toast into it to soak up the beautiful flavour.

Lobster Roll 3.8/5

I was craving for a glass of beer when I had the Lobster Roll ($24.90) tossed in the delectable Chef's specialty sauce. Sandwiched in between the bun is chunky pieces of succulent lobster meat. The dish also comes with a choice of rice (pilaf), fries or mashed potatoes.

Truffle Infused Cod 4.5/5

The dish that stole my heart at Gills & Shells is the Truffle Infused Cod ($24.90). The highlight of the dish was not the truffle but the chye poh topping. The Asian influenced pairing of chye poh with cod fish works excellently, complementing each other. In fact, the truffle was not necessary to me. I would rather let the chye poh be the star. It comes with a choice of rice (pilaf), fries or mashed potatoes.

Salted Egg Pasta with Tiger Prawns 4.2/5

Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab 4/5

The Salted Egg Pasta with Tiger Prawns ($18.90) and Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab ($18.90) is two new additions to the menu. The salted egg pasta is slightly different from the norm. On top of the salted egg sauce, there is a peppery kick to it. It felt like having aglio olio pasta with black pepper salted egg sauce. A different execution of the salted egg yolk sauce which delighted my palate. The Hae Bee Hiam Pasta with Soft Shell Crab is the other Asian influenced dish on the menu. The dried shrimp chilli tossed together with the pasta provided that extra lift in flavour.

To be frank, I did not have much high expectation of the food until I tried them. I was pleasantly surprised that the kitchen did a good job. My most memorable dishes are the spicy buffalo frog legs, cod fish and pastas.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Gills & Shells
Hotel Boss
500 Jalan Sultan
#01-19
Singapore
Tel: +65 64932238
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Lavender (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 3pm - 1am

Direction:
1) Alight at Lavender MRT station. Take Exit B. Continue walking down Kallang Road towards Victoria Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶) @ ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre - Crispy Pandan Waffle With 5 Different Spread

Located at ABC Brickworks Food Centre is an unassuming hawker stall by the name Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶). Not known to many people, this stall sells their special Crispy Pandan Waffle with five different spreads. As per their facebook page, no artificial coloring or preservative are used. The stall extract the green coloring of the waffle 100% naturally from pandan leaves. No wonder there was a fragrant pandan smell when I approached the stall.

Crispy Pandan Waffle with Peanut and Blueberry 4/5

I ordered the Crispy Pandan Waffle with Peanut and Blueberry ($1.50 each). Other spreads that are available on the menu are chocolate, kaya and cheese. The waffle here is very crispy on the outside while the interior is fluffy and has a beautiful pandan scent.

The crispiness of the waffle felt like eating a toasted focaccia sandwiched with your preferred spread. Of the two I tried, I preferred the peanut spread more than the blueberry spread. Ok I admit I am biased here as I like peanut butter. Basically there is a choice for everyone. You can also top up fifty cents for a scoop of ice cream.

Grass Jelly 3.8/5

For a light and refreshing dessert, there is the Homemade Grass Jelly ($1.50). The wobbly and tender grass jelly is made from the extract of aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis after long hours of boiling. The only thing I dislike is the ice cubes. I would prefer shaved ice instead.

Do drop by the stall to try their crispy pandan waffle. It is something different for a change. This is probably a hidden find that is not known to many yet.


Gambateh Cafe (甘巴茶)
ABC Brickworks Market & Food Centre
6 Jalan Bukit Merah
#01-52
Singapore 150006
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Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat: 10am - 9pm
Sun: 10am - 5pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Commonwealth MRT station (Stop ID 11169). Take bus number 147, 196 or 198. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]