hooked II

Did we not say previoulsy that we were hooked on Hooked?

For a number of reasons, Sheryl and I found ourselves back at Hooked for lunch last weekend. Well, truth be told, we didn't plan on coming back here quite so soon. Neither was this place our first choice for lunch.

Reason 1: We both had a busy morning and could only do lunch at 2. By this time, all the places we had intended to visit were just about rounding up their lunchtime orders.
Reason 2: We were near the area and didn't want to travel too far for lunch.
Reason 3: We had originally wanted to go to Sushi Tei at Thomson Plaza but were instantly repelled from the shopping centre by the LONG line of cars waiting to enter the carpark. (Why is there ALWAYS a queue to enter the carpark on weekends? Always. No matter what time in the day you go, there's a queue. And when it's raining outside? Oh man, don't even get me started on that) Being at the mercy of the few good restaurants located in the area, Hooked thus presented itself as a viable alternative.
Reason 4: We didn't want something too heavy as a late lunch would mean we would still probably be filled by dinner and, being the foodies that we are, we weren't about to let anything mess with our dinner. (Yes, we make it a point to have 3 meals a day, no matter wat. Having more is always welcomed. But 3 at the minimun. No two ways about it)
Reason 5 (and perhaps the most poignant one): We were hungry and needed to fill our stomachs. Pronto.

So Hooked it was to be again.

As with our previous visit, the restautant was quite empty when we got there. Worryingly so actually. Save for two other tables and us, there were no other patrons for the entire time we were there. Then again, it could also be because it was rather late to be having lunch. Quite a few groups of people walked past the restaurant though, but they merely gleamed through the menu, and left.Why people? Why? Does the menu not interest you?! Come on! it has over 100 items! Surely you can find something that catches your eye? Hell, I don't even like fish and I already know what I'm having my next visit there. Aye, next time, just go in. I promise you you won't be disappointed.

Again, we had a tough time deciding what to order. Everything on the menu looked so good, we wanted to try everything. That was when I had an epiphany (or rather when I just got greedy). Why not order a combo? That way, we would get to sample a little of everything. Closest thing to ordering everything on the menu we could get, I say. And so we did just that. Lover's platter for two. Steamed snapper with asaparagus, grilled half-shell scallops, baked squid, grilled prawns, fries. Call me greedy but I had expected the plate to come teeming with glorious seafood. But by golly, look at the white expense of the platter! (Think the seafood platter for two at Fish & Co and this serving seems like it was meant for 1. Ok, 1.5 people at most.)

No I'm serious about this. Someone (else) should tell them to increase the size of their portions.

The baked squid was adequately prepared. Slightly firm to the bite but not overbaked till the point where it became rubbery. It came with a mayo-like dressing which I thought added a pleasant dimension of flavor to an otherwise uninspiring dish. Maybe it's because I prefer my squid grilled, slightly charred around around the edges and boasting of smokey flavor. Sheryl didn't take to this dish as readily though as she's never been a "mayo-groupie".

Next was the steamed snapper. The steamed snapper was served steaming hot. It was a bit tough but snappers are tougher fish. I quite liked this dish, the broth(?) was delightfully tasty. Infused with the succulence of seafood and laced with a tinge of lemon, this broth was light and invigorating and reminiscent of homemade goodness. The taste was clean and brisk, keenly sapid yet not overbearing. This went particularly well with the rice pilaf that we ordered, although the rice pilaf is a far far far cry from the one at Canopy.

The prawns were, in my opinion, the best offering on the platter (I think Sheryl would contend this though. I have a feeling she prefered the fish). Albeit being a little on the small side, the prawns were firm to the bite and blanketed in a delicious creamy sauce. The sauce actually tasted like ba-hu to me, a mixture of savoury and sweet. The combination was strikingly successful and was a bit reminiscent of lobster mentai for me, except with the added taste of pork floss.

The baked scallops were a let-down. For starters, they were overbaked. As a result, the shellfish had atrophied and became really tough to the bite. Sheryl literally had to pry the scallop from its shell. The butter sauce used to flavor this dish teetered on the overbearing side which I felt took away from the natural sweetness of the shellfish. They offer this as a starter too but my vote would be to give this a miss and try the salmon wonder rolls instead.

Hooked! Leaving second time satisfied and awaiting our 3rd visit there. Hmm, sometime next week perhaps, Sheryl? Anyone wanna join us? !

Hooked!
203 Upper Thomson Road