You’ll feel like you’re in a Thai fishing village at this quaint restaurant
By Nicole-Marie Ng
Escape from city life and head down to ORTO, a quiet hub of restaurants and leisure activities that used to be known as Bottle Tree Park. Here, you’ll be able to spend the afternoon longkang fishing, prawning, or even playing paintball.
After working up an appetite, head down to Aroy Jing Jing for an all you can eat seafood spread as you take in the serene view of the large fishing pond. Have your pick of mussels, clams, scallops, crayfish, flower crab, salmon, prawns, squid, marinated chicken thigh and streaky bacon.
Value for money seafood buffet
After trying out the full variety, I would recommend zoning in on the crayfish — I must have had about 8 pieces in total! The meat cooks within the shell so that it doesn’t get burnt by the charcoal fire, and still remains juicy and sweet. This item alone made the $29.90++ per person price tag worth it for me.
Nevertheless, the dining experience wasn’t without its gripes. I was disappointed by the size of the scallops which shrivelled up and stuck to the shell, making it almost impossible to eat. Since the seafood is displayed in the open, it also attracts a fair number of flies to the stand.
The seafood at Aroy Jing Jing does not come marinated but you can add your own salt and pepper to the mix but the real hero, however, is the Thai chilli sauce that came in three levels of spice. Patrons of Mookata would be familiar with the chilli sauce as Aroy Jing Jing is a sister branch of Mookata and uses the same sauce.
Simple and fresh
The concept at Aroy Jing Jing is simple; fresh seafood that diners can take and grill over a charcoal flame on their own. It might be exhausting to some but enjoyable to others.
The lack of indoor ventilation also makes for a very smokey barbeque experience, so make sure you reserve a seat outdoors. Either way, you’re definitely going to leave smelling of barbeque.
Aroy Jing Jing @ ORTO. #01-05 ORTO, 81 Lorong Chencharu, Singapore 769198. Seafood BBQ only available Tuesday to Thursday, from 5pm.
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