One Prawn & Co’s seafood dinner and Binary’s revamped menu

Seafood dinner at One Prawn & Co

You know One Prawn & Co for its robust prawn noodle soup served in a claypot. 

The stall debuted on the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list in July 2022, when its chef-owner Gwyneth Ang told The Straits Times about how her cooking elevates local cuisine. 

Six months down the road, the gung-ho hawker continues to do so.

By day, you can still get your fix of prawn noodles. By night, the coffee-shop space offers a 12-course seafood grill dinner ($128++ a person; add $30++ for free-flow house sake). 

While the non-air-conditioned setting is not the fanciest of dining spots, I know I’d be paying a lot more for this menu – and its premium ingredients – if it was in a proper restaurant space.

Dinner kicks off with a medley of starters, including sweet amaebi, Hyogo oyster, cured amberjack and tempura softshell crab. 

Some dishes are meant for sharing, such as the grilled maitake mushrooms with burnt barley risotto and smoky squid “noodles” tossed in a piquant salsa verde. 

The greedy part of me wishes I have the grilled Scottish King scallop to myself. The plump scallop is served in its shell and topped with an XO chilli jam that marks a shift into stronger flavours about halfway through the meal.

Interestingly enough, the hanger steak that follows after does not shine as much as the grilled turbot smothered in garlic brown butter, pickled papaya and capers. I guess chef Ang sticking to seafood is the way to go. 

While I am fairly full by now, I definitely have space for the abalone poached rice, which comes with One Prawn & Co’s signature prawn broth. 

It is the perfect way to complete the meal and, if you are a first-timer, an important showcase of how the brand started.

Where: One Prawn & Co, 458 MacPherson Road
MRT: Tai Seng
When: 6 to 11pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays
Info: www.facebook.com/oneprawnnco

Binary’s menu revamp

 

As its name suggests, the gastro-bar’s binary approach to food features two components – an Asian and Western version for each dish on its menu. 

This concept continues in its recent revamp and now applies to its cocktail programme too. Some must-have signatures remain, however, such as the popular Kubaneh Bread ($14++), housemade pull-apart rolls served with garlic and kombu butters; and my favourite, Lao Gan Ma octopus ($32++). 

For the new offerings, I naturally gravitate towards the Asian options, such as the Hong Kong-style Prawn Toast ($18++) drizzled with kecap manis. The Western take on tiger prawns is the Gambas Al Ajillo (Spanish garlic shrimp, $18++).

For the Wagyu Petit Tender ($18++), I prefer it with the savoury char siew sauce – a more interesting take than the truffle version.  

 

Some decisions might be harder to make, such as for the Iberico Presa ($42++), served either with a Vietnamese dipping fish sauce (Asian version) or Argentinean chimichurri (Western version). Or the King Prawns ($42++), which comes with creamy mentaiko for an Asian spin or Cajun herb butter for a Western take. 

End with the decadent Valrhona Dark Chocolate Terrine ($16++), simply topped with snowflake sea salt and vanilla chantilly cream; and Miso Caramel Parfait ($16++), with Valrhona chocolate ganache and pistachio brittle.

Where: Binary, 01-01A Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road
MRT: Orchard
Open: 11.30am to 10.30pm (Sundays to Tuesdays), 11.30am to midnight (Wednesdays to Saturdays)
Tel: 9363-0101
Info: E-mail info@binary0101.sg