There’s seriously some fishy business going on

As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, many restaurants have came out with attractive menus to entice couples to dine together.  It is no surprise that Fish & Co., well known for their seafood served on metal platters, come out with their Valentine’s Day menu.  I was invited to preview their xoxo platter for 2 on their first day of promotion.

I visited their ION Orchard outlet on a weekday afternoon with Leon to try out their Valentine’s xoxo platter ($39.95++), which is available from 11-14th Feb.  It consist of 2 drinks, 2 soups, 1 xoxo platter for 2 and 1 dessert to share.

For the soup, I was disappointed because the soup mentioned on the xoxo promotion is Seafood Chowder but I was served some unappetizing milky vegetable soup instead.  When I question the waiter, I was only informed that they do not have any Seafood Chowder and this is some Creamy Fish Soup.  I stirred around the soup and found only a measly bit of fish (as seen in the photo near the tip of the spoon).

I didn’t expect much from the drinks too as it’s some sprite soda mixed with some tropical fruit syrup.  This is nothing new and quite a number of restaurants put a fancy name to it just to make it sound good.

I didn’t have the appetite to finish that soup and the xoxo platter for 2 was served next.  It looks promising upon the first glance and I hope that I won’t be disappointed this time round as they are known for their signature platter.

According to the press release, this is the Crispy Salmon with Spicy Mango Vinaigrette bit I can’t find any part of it that is crispy.  The skin of the salmon was quite sticky and hard to break apart.  However, I do like the unique sour and spicy sauce which complements the salmon fillet well.  The salmon was nice and I find that this is the best item on the platter.

The Fried Calamari is average and there’s nothing much to rave about.  Some smaller parts of the calamari tend to be saltier probably due to the seasoning and it is same here as well.

I feel that it is a clever idea to have some coleslaw on the platter to balance the meal with some vegetables.  Some women out there would love some greens along with their meal?

Grilled Prawns with Peri Peri?  It don’t even taste anything near peri peri at all.  It is more like tomato prawns to me and feel that the “peri peri” is so much of a marketing gimmick.  The natural sweetness of the prawns are also covered up by the sourness of the sauce.

Served with the flavoursome and hearty Paella Rice on the platter, it gives a Spanish feel to the dinner.  However, the rice may not suit the taste of some who are not use to dishes with heavy taste.

The salmon and paella rice are quite delectable dishes on the platter with their unique flavour.  However, the Blue Mussels in Tomato & Pesto Sauce caused a huge setback for the xoxo platter.  The mussels were not fresh and had a slightly stale aftertaste.  The texture too, was soft and isn’t tender to the bite.  I could not stomach it anymore after eating two of it as it don’t even taste decent.

How can a Valentine’s dinner end without something sweet?  Ending off the lunch with a sweet treat, we were served the Sexy Fudgy Chocolate Cake along side with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.  The chocolate cake was served hot but it was slightly overheated, as it was a little dry and tough.  However, when eaten with the vanilla ice-cream, it taste fine.

If you’re the first 100 pairs of couple who order the xoxo Platter for 2 on Valentine’s Day, you will receive the receive a “Spin the Bottle” raunchy fun game & a limited edition Fish & Co. pouch for FREE.  While stock last only.

I am very particular about hygiene when dining at restaurants and shockingly, one of the glasses of ice water served to us has a fly in it.  I’m sure you won’t want such a surprise for your date on Valentine’s Day or feel unwell after eating the food here.

The service at ION Orchard’s Fish & Co. was very poor as there wasn’t any staff at the entrance of the restaurant to greet and show guests to the table.  The staffs were also unsure about their Valentine’s Day when I mentioned to order it.

Although the price for this xoxo Valentine’s Day set is reasonable, I am sure you would rather have a pleasant and enjoyable night with your loved one than to leave the restaurant with a bad taste in your mouth.

Ratings:

• Overall - 5.5
• Food and Beverage - 6.1
• Ambience / Setting - 4.5
• Value - 7.0
• Service - 4.2

Address:

• 2 Orchard Turn
• #B3-20 ION Orchard
• Singapore 238801

Opening Hours:

• 11:30am - 10pm daily

Contact: 

• Tel: 6509 8259
• Web: www.fish-co.com