Cuisine: Chinese and Western fusion

Address:

Nearest MRT: NIL. Take any bus that goes to I12 Katong.

When Pince & Pints first opened at Duxton, diners queued for at least one hour just to have a taste of its famous lobsters. Today, they have another outlet at Katong and the queues have died down. Who can afford to eat lobsters everyday anyway? Unless you are a crazy rich Asian. Pince & Pints offers up a small menu of high quality, classic Maine lobster dishes. Its quality control and impressive drink menu has both locals and expats alike flocking to this happening pincery.

At the Katong outlet, the restaurant takes up two levels. On the first floor, there are about 6 tables and an open-glass kitchen where you can catch the chefs in action. On the second level of the former shophouse, there are more tables and even a small play area for kids. It is a good idea to keep the kids occupied while the parents are busy savouring their lobsters.

In the past, there were only four items on the standard menu at Pince & Pints. Today, it has expanded to include more offerings and to cook the lobsters in different styles, be it in chilli sauce, grilled, steamed, black pepper, Cantonese style etc. There is also a kid’s menu which features mainly chicken dishes because the kids probably would not know how to appreciate the lobsters or if they are curious about this huge crustacean on the parent’s plate, they can have a sample from their parents.

I ordered the grilled whole lobster, served with fresh salad, straight cut fries and a choice of butter sauce or spicy seafood sauce. I chose the latter because I enjoyed spicy things and it turned out to be a sour and spicy concoction prepared by the chef, which went well with my lobster dish. The lobster was really fresh and it was grilled to perfection, with a light buttery and chargrilled taste on the exterior. 

As for my companion, the chilli lobster was served with fried mantou. For those looking for more substantial carbohydrates, you can substitute the mantou for the steamed jasmine rice. The housemade tomato and chilli sauce was delicious, which made a good dipping for the fried mantou. However, we felt that the sauce was too watery and after a while, it lost its taste when the dish was cold. Despite being served in a dish, it was still easy to eat the lobster because of the forceps and pincer provided by the restaurant to dig out the meat.

Besides whole lobsters, Pince & Pints also offers lobster rolls which have been gaining popularity on restaurant menus in Singapore. These are easier to eat because the meat has already been taken out by the chef and placed into the roll. The American dish, which is said to have roots in New England, comprises chunks of lobster meat tossed in a light dressing, which usually includes mayonnaise, served in a bun. It is suitable for those in a hurry or lazy to use many utensils while eating the lobster.

For drinks, we shared a bottle of Chardonnay white wine from Italy as it was on promotion. The wine was subtle and paired well with the seafood. Pince & Pints also offers some interesting cocktails, beers and spirits. The beverages prices here are on the high side so this is not the place to get drunk.

Overall, lobster is more of a privileged dish that not many people in Singapore can get to try. Usually, our first taste of lobster would be at a wedding dinner, where lobster is served in a salad with mayonnaise that disguised the natural taste. I really enjoyed my first tasting of true lobster in Singapore at Pince & Pints. The lobsters are air flown from Maine in USA and they managed to retain the freshness and the way it was prepared also helps to keep the fresh taste in. I would recommend this restaurant to my friends who are looking for a lobster treat. Since Burger & Lobster (UK chain of restaurants) hasn’t set up store yet in Singapore, Pince & Pints would be the place to go to settle your lobster craving for now..