I think I’ll skip dinner tonight as I’m so full from a truly fabulous lunch at Scaled (by Ah Hua Kelong). <- Thanks to my sis for the treat! In the first picture you see above, there are 6 roasted prawns ($17) with the seaweed butter and braised kelp that Scaled makes in-house. The staff here provide almost impeccable service. (Probably one of the rare few dining places in Singapore where the service charge is happily paid as they deserve it) With every dish that’s served, there will be a delightful introduction of the ingredients used and how best to enjoy the dish. For the prawns, we were told that the braised kelp might seem a little salty at first, so enjoy your first prawn, then for the next one, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice for a slightly different flavor profile.
The Mussels ($16) are a must-try! Served with mantou and their homemade curry (which has had, according to them, “Chinese and Indian influences”). I love how thoughtful the chefs are in ensuring the mussels are detached from the shell so you can easily pick them out with your fork or spoon. The mussels are plump, there’s no grit, and they go well with the spicy and tangy curry. My sister asked if we should order a second portion of the mussels, but I said no because I’m afraid the second helping will destroy that wonderful first impression.
The Seabass Pasta ($23) features tagliatelle pasta which I cannot say I like very much. It’s a little too thick and chewy for my liking. I love the thinly sliced pickled radish and the tobiko (flying fish roe). I took the advice of the staff to have eat some of the radish in-between forkfuls of the pasta. I wonder why they don’t simply use pasta that’s so good it doesn’t require something else to refresh the palate every so often.
And that bowl in the corner contains the LGM Mee Hoon Kueh ($14). They make the mee hoon kueh themselves so you’ll find non-uniform ribbons of this MHK that’s both chewy and crispy. It’s also quite spicy so make sure your young children aren’t eating this. I love the addition of the chickpeas.
Scaled really did impress me today. I would recommend popping by on weekdays for lunch because it’s not too crowded. We came by around 1.20pm and there were only 4 tables occupied, with 9 diners in all. They are well-staffed too so there are 3 wait staff always ready to serve you. I like the industrial style decor with clean lines. It is clear the folks at Scaled are quite content to let the food, instead of the decor, impress you. And as a farm-owned restaurant, almost all the seafood’s from the farm. Only the squid, lala and prawns are not locally produced.
Semi-open kitchen concept which lets those tantalizing smells make you hungry:
Iced or warm water is served promptly, and the dishes are cleared away almost the same second that you’re done with them! 😀 This is almost like a fine-dining restaurant. Either that or they have too few plates. I’d give them top marks for service. The crew all look very young but they sure are attentive.
I was told that for the mains, their seabass pasta, chili crab risotto and canto grouper are the hot faves. But we didn’t order all of them. Haha! Next time, next time!
Here’s the menu, if you’re keen on finding out what else is available:
Will probably try the Sambal Lala ($15), XL Clams ($15) and the Prawn Dashi Aglio Olio ($24) next time. 🙂
And just before we paid and left the place, I noticed the staff giving a kid’s high chair a wipedown first, before a couple let their young son take his seat.
Also, my sis and I were stuffed and could not finish all the mee hoon kueh. The staff kindly helped us pack the remainder into a plastic box, and he even included disposable cutlery in the takeaway bag! No wonder this place has only 5star reviews on Facebook.
We’ll be back.
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On the way to Lavender MRT Station, I popped by what’s probably my favorite bakery at Kitchener Complex. Thai Baang sells soft buns and I love the banana chocolate ones.
Another reason to head back to Scaled. As I can get more of these soft and fluffy buns while on the way home. 😀
Working With Grace 
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