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2023-01-29
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[ Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar| 中環 ]An unassuming seafood restaurant is hidden in plain sight in the basement of the Prince building in Central. The restaurant is very spacious and elegant and they are open throughout the day so you can enjoy happy hour here with a few drinks and snacks. I booked via Eatigo for dinner which has 50% discount on a la carte menu. They have various discount ranging from 10%-50% so I highly recommend you book during this period. The service here is very
An unassuming seafood restaurant is hidden in plain sight in the basement of the Prince building in Central. The restaurant is very spacious and elegant and they are open throughout the day so you can enjoy happy hour here with a few drinks and snacks.
I booked via Eatigo for dinner which has 50% discount on a la carte menu. They have various discount ranging from 10%-50% so I highly recommend you book during this period.
The service here is very amicable and attentive. They offered warm water for me on this cold day and refilled it attentively throughout the night.
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Bread basket
We are served a small selection of bread after ordering. Which includes a baguette and a brioche, both nice and warm. We also have a more generous selection of accompaniments such as the classic butter, olive oil and balsamic, and also a rare sighting of olives.
The baguette is crispy and crusty and great with any of the dips but it does get hard when it cools down so best eat it when warm. The brioche is so soft and buttery, I personally liked it better with the olives but at least it stays soft even when cooled down.
The server was very nice and offered to refill the bread basket throughout the meal and only gave us one each time to ensure it stays hot.
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Maryland crab cakes $228
One of the starters we got was this crab cake because my friend got it before and said it is really good.
The crab cakes themselves are very fluffy with ample amount of crab meat and only very little potato was used to make it fluffier and help bind the crab meat together. The outside has a very slight crisp whereas the inside is extremely warm and soft. I really enjoyed this with their version of a Marie Rose sauce which is basically mayonnaise, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and commonly eaten with seafood, but they added some chipotle which gave it a mild spice that was very pleasant and gave another layer of flavour.
The side spring salad is pretty mundane but the avocado is very fresh.
Portion-wise, it is crazy that they only give 2 pieces of (small) crab cakes for this price, I mean, even the salad took more space than the crab cakes. But at least I have the discount and the taste is good.
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Timbale of snow crab $198
This second starter is a much better value than the crab cakes despite both being crab dishes.
Timbale is a dish of finely minced meat which is pressed into a mould. In this case, the crab is pressed into a mould with some avocado.
The crab mixture itself is really delicious, fresh and refreshing. The mayonnaise is light and not too heavy on the mouth thus you can taste the freshness of the crab. The mixture is 100% crab meat and they give quite a generous amount of it, each super tender and flavourful. Eating with the soft avocado underneath is perfection itself but having it with the trout roe just enhances every taste and texture by adding its distinct flavour and the way it just bursts and released its oil is sensational. The vinaigrette on the side is a must to add tartness and acidity to each bite.
I personally recommend eating this with some warm baguette or brioche for the best bite.
The portion of this may surprise you as they stuff the mould quite generously and eating this with bread will definitely be satisfactory whilst still leaving space for the main course.
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Black cod bouillabaisse $338
The selling point of this dish is 1) the bouillabaisse which takes a lot of time, effort and seafood to get it right and 2) the cod.
Firstly, the bouillabaisse may taste salty at first but after a way, you realise it is the salt from the seafood and you feel as though you are drinking the ocean, in a good way. The broth is light but immensely flavourful and aromatic and I highly advise you to let the bread soak up all that deliciousness as it is the perfect vessel for this stock.
The cod is also magnificent. A thick piece of extremely tender and soft fish, but not the flaky kind, this cod is still firm (supposed to be) but soft enough to be eaten with a spoon. The skin could have been crispier but its slight crispiness actually works well after it has absorbed some of the broth. This fish was also very well seasoned whilst still maintaining its freshness.
An honourable mention to the mussels on this dish which are all so plump and juicy and perfectly cooked. No sand nor dryness here. I highly recommend eating the mussel meat on some bread that has been soaked in the broth along with some crunchy fennel and juicy tomatoes. It is the bite you will be dreaming about for days.
There are also some saffron-infused potatoes which are nice and tender but could use more flavour.
Portion-wise it is quite reasonable for this price but I expected some clams as well as mussels which is what it said on the menu
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Lobster risotto $378
Our second main course was this lobster risotto which my friend also said is really good. But I personally think it can be much improved. The presentation itself has so much potential.
Firstly, the rice itself is nice and tender but a few are still starchy. The flavour is quite minimal and I kinda expected them to use lobster stock instead of regular stock due to the price charged. They also didn’t use cream which meant it lacked the creaminess and silkiness of a risotto. The peas were a bit mushy and weren’t very fresh but added a nice contrast in colour I guess.
I would have preferred the lobster to be cut into pieces and scattered around the dish instead of being served as one big piece in the middle (although I do see the appeal). The meat is nice and tender and well seasoned but they don’t offer you a knife to cut it so you just have to chew on it.
Portion-wise, a very filling dish but not too heavy.
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Banoffee pie $128
We ended with the dessert that my friend said is really good and I have to agree.
The biscuit crust is so good and malty because the graham cracker used makes it not overly sweet or buttery with some savory notes too. The texture is also crumbly but still holds it shape and it is tender enough that it doesn’t shatter in your mouth.
Above the crust is a thick layer of caramel toffee that is surprisingly the perfect level of sweetness. The caramelized flavor of it is delicious and the texture is also top notch. Doesn’t stick to your teeth like toffee nor is it hard and dense like nougat. The soft and tender texture is just sublime with the crust.
After this caramel layer are a few banana segments and I love that they place it so you can see the ring of banana. A small detail but highly appreciated. The bananas are chilled and thus the texture is akin to ice cream, the mild and plain nature of bananas means it is a great canvas for the caramelized toffee and the malty crust. Also offers a smooth and velvety texture.
And finally on top is a thick layer of whipped cream. Because they didn’t let the pie come to room temperatures before serving, the cream is even more light and airy and even a bit icy, which is surprisingly not a bad thing. And makes the cream less heavy and rich.
Speaking of the temperature, this pie is supposed to be eaten at room temperature but they served it straightaway which made it hard to cut but the texture and taste is better in my opinion.
On the side is a vanilla ice cream that’s too icy but not too sweet. I did enjoy the sweet strawberries on the side too.
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推介 🙆🏻♀️
💬 Overall, not a bad restaurant with very friendly staff. Remember to book via booking app to have discounts from 10% to 50% off!!!
🗓 Revisit? ✅ ⭕️/ ❎
Bread basket
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Timbale of snow crab
$198
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Maryland crab cakes
$228
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Black cod boullibaise
$338
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Lobster risotto
$378
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Banoffee pie
$128
81 views
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Banoffee pie
$128
112 views
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