A unique farm-to-table dining concept in Singapore serving fusion cuisine.
Overview
⭐ Name: Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong
📍 Location: 8 Hamilton Road, Singapore 209179
🗓️ Date of visit: 23 Feb 2025
📋 Click HERE to view their menu
💰 Estimated cost per pax: SGD 50++
Intro
It was Valentines Day last month and I was approached by a friend for date-night inspiration. We actually didn’t have any plans and that friend eventually found their own idea. When I asked about it afterward, I found out that they had gone to Scaled, a kelong-to-table seafood fusion restaurant in the East side of Singapore.
When I relayed this to Mr Bao, he actually recognised the restaurant and said it was on his “to-eat” list too. So, we ended up stealing their idea and going there the following weekend. 😂 Unfortunately Mr Bao was down with a cold, but we went anyway because we had already made reservations and bailing would incur a penalty fee. The food turned out to be really good, but Mr Bao felt like he wasn’t able to appreciate them fully. So we’ll definitely be back!
Experience
We were the first customers of the day and were ushered to our seat by a server. As we sat down, we were asked if it was our first time at the restaurant. The server then explained the concept of the restaurant to us, and pointed out which items on the menu were fresh from the Kelong and which were not. The server also gave recommendations for which dishes to try before leaving us to decide. After we ordered our food, we were given a glass of water. When our food arrived, the server also took the time to explain each and every dish to us so we knew what to look out for. I think it also fostered a greater appreciation for the thought and workmanship behind each dish, from when it was being grown, to the final plating.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with the quality of the service at the restaurant. Granted, there were quite a lot of staff and the restaurant was only at half capacity. But it left a really good impression. 👍
Curry Mussels (SGD 11)
This is an appetising starter due to the curry’s sour tang and spicy kick. We were told the curry takes inspiration from Indian curry. On top of the herbs in the curry giving it that punch of flavour, the mussels added a natural sweetness to the dish. The mussels were also incredibly soft. This was probably Mr Bao’s favourite dish. He even boldly claimed “I have never eaten mussels before”, as a testament to how good and different they tasted from mussels he had eaten before.
Mussels were never my favourite seafood. I often saw them at buffets in the cold seafood section or boiled. But maybe I actually love mussels when they’re cooked like this! They came out nice and hot, and so soft they almost melted in my mouth. They also don’t have that fishy aroma that seafood sometimes has.
I also love the addition of the fried mantou, or dough bun. This is an element that is best known for being the accompaniment to chilli crab. In this case, we got to dip the pillowy buns into the curry to soak up all the flavours. We could have added on another 5 mantous for SGD 2.50 (50 cents per piece), but we had ordered two more mains, so we declined.
Prawn Dashi Aglio Olio (SGD 32)
When the server explained this dish to us, she said that everything on this plate was edible. The prawns had been fried till crispy, so the entire head of the prawn and the remaining shell of the tail could be eaten. This is not something that I usually do, but with the combination of the social pressure and knowledge of the work that went into this, I decided to eat the prawn head. And it was … pretty good 😲 I think it’s best to eat this first as it will lose its crispiness over time.
The prawns themselves were firm and tasted really fresh too. The pasta had been cooked in a prawn stock and was super savoury and umami. I think I’m using the right word, but don’t quote me. 🙃 This dish is quite heavy on the palate though, which is why they added a lemon slice to lighten the flavours. So just keep that in mind if you’re ordering multiple dishes.
Seabass Puttanesca (SGD 26)
Since it was a kelong-to-table concept, Mr Bao felt like we needed to try at least one type of fish. This was another pasta dish with two large pieces of seabass on the side. The fish was firm and fresh, and I’m pretty sure I even ate the skin (I usually don’t like the skin because of its texture, but this one was crispy, so I made an exception).
The noodles tasted interesting. This one was quite earthy and had a lot of different elements. There was the saltiness of the black olives, the pungent garlic, the sourness from the tomatoes, and the flakes of cheese. I enjoyed the taste, but after leaving it for too long, the noodles got a bit hard because there’s not as much moisture in the dish.
The star of this dish, literally and figuratively, was the pickled starfruit. I loved it so much! It was super sour with a hint of sweetness. Just a small bite helped to balance out the heavier dish. I almost wish they sold the pickled starfruit separately! I’d love to just add it to any random meal I have. 😍
Final thoughts
It’s pricey but I can see why! We would definitely come back to try some of their other dishes. The freshness of the seafood can’t be beat, and they seem to put a lot of attention into their food. The food is tasty as well, and different to what we would normally eat. Highly recommend to come and try at least once.
If you’re visiting Singapore and would like to try some fusion Singaporean cuisine made with locally-grown food, this is the place to come! It’s located in a quiet neighbourhood in the heart of the city. After this meal, you can take a short 11 minute walk to Mustafa centre to explore. You can also walk 7 minutes to Bendemeer MRT, which opens up access to exploring Bugis, Arab Street and Haji Lane.
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About Food Reviews
This review is not sponsored and I don’t have any food-related qualifications. I just like writing about food that I eat. Reviews are based on the date and outlet that I visited, and may not be representative of the entire menu available. Full disclosure: Mr Bao is also a regular feature in these posts and I will share the credit with him for some of the points made above as he’s a bigger foodie than me for sure. 🤭