Tucked away behind Changi village is a relaxed, casual restaurant which offers great views of the seaside, beachside dining, and down-to-earth prices
By Frank Young
If you are looking for a cool, relaxed place by the beach, consider Bistro@Changi, located on Nicoll Drive behind the boat jetties by Changi Village.
Have a sip of beer, enjoy the sea breeze and enjoy some of the unpretentious and hearty fare.
Beautiful FRESH Seafood
Many restaurants claim to have fresh seafood but really who knows for certain? One of the advantages of having a beachside restaurant is that the seafood can come right from the sea in front of you. This is literally the case for Bistro@Changi.
Unbeknownst to many Singaporeans, there are quite a number of fish farms around Singapore. Bistro@Changi’s seafood is delivered, literally, by a boat from the farms, to their kitchen. It can’t get any fresher than that, unless you catch it yourself!
Moreover, the fresh seafood that comes is different every week, so customers will always be in for a surprise.
Sambal Tiger Prawns with Butter Rice
When I was served the tiger prawns, I was fully aware that the seafood was alive moments ago in one of those floating farms within sight of where I was sitting.
It was a beautifully presented dish with nicely-sized, orange-coloured tiger prawns complemented by butter rice sprinkled with faux bacon bits.
The flesh was firm yet tender. The sambal chilli added a nice kick, though my personal preference would be for it to have more sambal “bite” to it. The manager explained that many of their patrons didn’t like it too hot.
The real surprise was when I ate the buttered rice. The buttery flavour of the rice and the salty accents from the faux bacon complemented and balanced the sambal prawns, adding more dimension to the experience.
New Zealand Lamb
Upon hearing “lamb”, many Singaporeans would immediately say: “Oh, I don’t like the smell.” The truth of the matter is, lamb has an identity crisis in Asia.
In many Asian languages, including Chinese and Malay, the word for goat (yang or kambing) is the same as the word for lamb, which is a young sheep, even though both are very different animals and taste very different.
To compound the problem, “mutton”, commonly used in Indian cuisine, refers to goat. However, in France and Britain, it refers to the flesh of sheep. Confused yet?
The difference, in eating, is that goat meat is gamier and stronger-smelling than lamb. It is also leaner, making it healthier and tougher. Unlike sheep and lamb, which graze on grass, goats will eat almost anything, thus influencing the taste of the meat.
Bearing that in mind, Singaporeans know that New Zealand is known for their sheep and, by extension, lamb. The dish served was grilled lamb from New Zealand.
What surprised me was that there were two lamb steaks stacked upon each other. A pleasant surprise, indeed, especially when the price is only $19.90.
The lamb was smoked, lightly grill-charred, and served with chicken and mushroom gravy. The meat was tender and smooth, not fatty. The dish comes with vegetables and yummy baked potato with a generous topping of sour cream.
Bistro@Changi also serves a full-range of items on its menu, such as pizza, burgers and some local favourites. There are happy hour beers from 12pm to 5pm daily and live bands on weekend evenings.
If you’re looking for nice retreat, where you can smell the sea air and listen to the surf lapping the beach while you dine, Bistro@Changi is certainly worth a visit.
Bistro@Changi is tucked in Changi Beach Park, Nicoll Drive, behind the jetties north of Changi Village.
260 Nicoll Drive, Changi Beach Car Park 1, Singapore 498991; Tel: 6546 5229; Opening Hours: 12pm-11pm (Mon-Thu), 12pm-1am (Fri & Sat), 10am-11pm (Sun)
ADVERTISEMENTS