Singapore: Jing Long Seafood Restaurant 金隆海鲜楼 (Punggol Settlement)

Both the alfresco area and indoor area (read: air-con!) of Jing Long are bustling with regulars and new customers, most of them opting for steamboat, and some are enjoying the tze char seafood and classic Cantonese dishes as well. The flexibility means you can literally decide only when you're here, depending on your mood.

It should be quite an ideal location for birthdays as well with the accommodating staff that helped with cakes and keeping surprises. You know most Chinese restaurants I've gone to really don't understand the concept of a birthday surprise, but Jing Long is more than experienced to handle all your celebrations.

As for seafood, they are freshly caught and cooked, you will be assured that you will be enjoying premium dishes at an affordable price tag. 

We started the dinner with Cantonese traditions, Chilled Pork Slices (SGD15) which were surprisingly enjoyable even on its own, every bit melty and delicious. It retained much of its original flavour, and preps my appetite for the meal ahead. You can also pair it with the soy sauce on the side, but it is good enough on its own.

One of my personal favourites was the Crispy Seafood and Duck Delight with Crepe (SGD15) which would imaginably be a crowd-pleaser as well because of its light crispy batter wrapped around the multi-layered and deep flavoured fillings of both seafood tastes and roasted duck.

While Jing Long has a range of beverages, juices, coconuts, and alcohols, their in-house unique concoction - the Green Apple Juice with Sour Plum (SGD5.50) is an absolute must-try, with sour plums specially sourced to achieve a refreshing and interesting blend. While the green apple and sour plums may seem strange, but they actually complement each other very well. I love this one.

Note: There is a cover charge per person of SGD1.50++ which includes Pu-er tea, and water and wet towels. This is common practice in all traditional Chinese restaurants.

The Prawn, Scallop & Banana with Bagua Rolls (SGD6/each, minimum 3) are curiously delicious, with the amalgamation of all things awesome in the same place. Well, well, isn't that a dream come true? Savour this slowly to appreciate the nuances of this delightful creation, just meant to pamper you silly,

The Red Garoupa is steamed to perfection with deep-fried crispy salted turnip bits (SGD10.80/100g), lightly drenched in subtly-flavoured stock, helping to retain the original fresh flavours of the fish itself. I really liked that traditional focus on the fish itself rather than dousing it with too much flavouring. It would surely be suitable for family dinners as everyone always love digging in together to this. The crispy salted turnip bits were a hit with fellow diners as well for its savoury kick.

Dragon Vegetables (SGD12) is the most understated dish of vegetables, ever. I mean, I looked at it and thought how special or delicious can vegetables be? Especially when I am not a fan of vegetables at all.. I absolutely fell for this, and it was so crunchy and delicious, it instantly sits at the top of the list as my favourite plate of vegetables ever. The reason why it is so good - it is farmed on the chilly hills of Cameron Highlands, with no pesticides used at all. Healthy and delicious - finally we see it truly manifesting in this plate of Dragon Vegetables.

Lobster Porridge (Seasonal pricing) is easily the most lavish porridge there can be, with sweet and pure lobster essence flowing from freshly caught lobsters into the superior broth, stewed for hours to achieve this ultimate umami taste. Indulge away, and it doesn't end here yet, you get to slurp and feast on the generous and fat portions of lobster meat that left me starry-eyed.

As tantalising as it soothes my OCD-ness, these delicious creamy milk-coated Spicy Prawn Balls (SGD22) are really the most sinful of all, no prawn shells so you can simply sink your teeth into the juicy, succulent and chewy prawn. Can this be a mainstay of every tzechar I go to? I wish, but this is not easily found in Chinese restaurants, but this is so good!

For those who came here precisely to enjoy crabs, one of Singapore's many favourite national past times, Jing Long presents the Black Pepper Crab (Seasonal pricing), pulling no punches when it comes to ensuring the crab is fully sauteed with a strong savoury black pepper taste. Shiok is the word! Plunge into the messy world of yummy crab meat, there's plenty of juicy meat to feast on. It is the rare times that I actually didn't have to fight with the crab to actually eat, the meat slips out quite easily. I have to emphasize again how fresh it is, the sweetness of the crab is unrivalled. 

Note: As usual, the cost of the black pepper crab is dependent on weight. Jing Long holds themselves to a high standard of integrity when it comes to weight vs price, and they are transparent about it, so do not hesitate to confirm with the service staff before ordering.

I understand that steamboats are equally enticing, so if you want to, by all means go for it. I haven't personally tried the steamboat, but if the quality is upheld the same as the tzechar dishes, it would be really good too. Here is the menu for you to consider the steamboat option (Jing Long Seafood Restaurant - Punggol Settlement)

Mon - Fri: 1130 - 1430; 1730 - 2230
Sat - Sun: 1130 - 1430; 1700 - 1030
67027223

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