Diamond Kitchen 钻石小厨 - A New Seafood Gem In The West

Ever since the pioneer outlet at Marine Parade opened in 2013, Diamond Kitchen has been satisfying the palates of many crustacean lovers with its myriad of skilfully prepared live seafood dishes and comforting home-style Chinese fare. Until today, the restaurant is still crowded with its loyal fans, reservations need to be made a few weeks in advance before you can secure a seat.

Finally, some good news for the West. Diamond Kitchen has found a second home in Science Park I, boasting a brand new space and larger seating capacity than its first outlet. In addition to the full and original menu reprised from Marine Parade, the restaurant has thoughtfully curated a special set menu that will appeal to new guests, as it gives them the opportunity to discover Diamond Kitchen's seafood signatures at a fraction of the a la carte price.

Needless to say, the highlights of the Diamond Seafood Signatures set menu are perennial favourites such as the Australian abalone, Scottish bamboo clams, premium lobsters, live crabs and grouper fishes. One of the seafood delicacies at Diamond Kitchen - the Giant Grouper, amongst the five different treasures from the sea, is said to be the rarest fish species found in local restaurants. Because of its unique characteristics, the Giant Grouper is deemed too difficult a meat to prepare perfectly, however the chefs at Diamond Kitchen executed it flawlessly.

Available only at Diamond Kitchen Science Park, diners can look forward to this seven-course menu offering at a promotional price of $88++ per person (usual price $150++) and valid from now until end of July 2015. The only condition to enjoy this exclusive set menu is that you have to bring along three friends for dining.

A highly prized ingredient that we always prepare in our dishes during Chinese New Year is definitely the Australian Abalone. Here at Diamond Kitchen, you get decent strips of fresh Australian abalone packed with a medley of finely sliced celery, carrots, black fungus and red chillies blanched in chef's house-made stock, then tossed with silvers of salt-poached chicken and sesame oil, which makes this Shredded Chicken Salad with Abalone as shown in the picture above. 

The tender and slightly springy steamed Scottish Bamboo Clams is served with a marriage of ingredients that gives it an aromatic taste of fried garlic, ginger, enoki mushrooms, sliced water chestnuts and glass noodles doused in a house-made Hong Kong style sauce. 

Wonderfully steamed to perfection, the delicate texture of the clams were well retained. Anyone who loves garlic and bamboo clams will definitely enjoy this dish.

Rather interestingly, what you see in the claypot is a braised Giant Grouper with house stock and lots of garlic. This highly-prized delicacy that comes from the flesh of a 20kg deep sea living contains rich proteins, vitamins and other nutritious benefits. It is recommended to eat the fish with its skin on, as the best nutrients are found under the collagen-rich skin. 

The texture of the giant grouper flesh is exceptionally thick, and different parts of the fish command different cooking methods to bring out the best in their flavour. Diamond Kitchen chefs recommend the back and fin part of the fish for this garlic stewed dish.

Alternatively, you can choose to have your favourite part of the grouper cooked in another style like the Hong Kong Steamed, a classic method which most Chinese food enthusiasts would order to access the the culinary standards of the restaurant.

I personally prefer this method of cooking where it features a sweet-savoury gravy brewed with top-grade soya sauce and best paired with the grouper's belly, which has a firm, meaty bite.

The one and only porridge that everyone's looking forward to is none other than the Lobster Porridge. This dish upped the luxe factor of the set menu, featuring a whole lobster steamed and added to a pot of rice simmered in chicken stock spiked with Chinese wine and ginger.

The rendition of Diamond Kitchen's lobster porridge is something like "Pao Fan" which is a divine marriage between cooked rice and soup. Each grain of the rice's distinct texture sits comfortably in the flavourful bowl of soup. A typical serving of the small lobster (about 750g) is good for sharing between four to six people, while the larger serving containing at least a 1.3kg lobster can be shared for more. 

A moreish dish of Stir Fried Sweet Potato leaves with Salted Fish is sure to stir up your appetite. The summer leaves is cooked with chilli padi, garlic and pork lard in a claypot for the extra oomph. 

Nothing fancy in specifics, the dish is just comforting enough. 

No seafood feast is complete without crabs, and the chefs uses only the most succulent Sri Lankan crabs to produce their iconic Diamond Gan Xiang Crab. I love the Gan Xiang (干香) spices, literally means fragrant dry in Chinese, which is the kitchen's secret formula made up of a blend of spices and curry leaves to enhance the natural sweetness of the crab without overpowering it.

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of crabs, because I am a lazy person and crabs are usually the last thing on my seafood agenda. The Gan Xiang crab at Diamond Kitchen however caught me by surprise, I had my fingers dirty and got them licking clean right from the first bite.

To prove how much I love this dish, here's a picture outcome of the crab I had. I literally clean up all the tasty flesh and Gan Xiang sauce from the legs of the crab, and wouldn't mind if being offered more with other parts of the crab.

I found the Diamond Gan Xiang Crab a little too spicy for me, but I actually didn't stopped at all, as it was really good. 

PS: This is the first time I am posting such picture on the web. I do apologise if the above visual cause any discomfort to you. 

Summing up the seven-course set menu would be a refreshing dessert of Lemongrass Jelly, which is topped with shaved lime and honey ice swimming in cooling lemongrass water. 

A diamond is one of the most sought-after gemstones, so is the restaurant's culinary gems value such as its hearty signature favourites and sublime seafood creations. Diamond Kitchen offers an extensive showcase of quality and unpretentious seafood dishes at affordable prices, it is definitely the go-to-place for family and group of friends dine-out. 


DIAMOND KITCHEN

Science Park (New Outlet)
87 Science Park Drive
#01-01 Oasis (Previously known as Science Hub)
Singapore 118260

Tel: 6464 0410

Opening Hours

11:00am to 2:30pm & 5:30pm to 10:30pm daily

Marine Parade (Pioneer Outlet)
5000F Marine Parade Road
Laguna Park Condominum, #01-22/23
Singapore 449289

Tel: 6448 0629

Opening Hours

11:00am to 2:30pm & 5:30pm to 11:00pm daily

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/diamondkitchenseafood

Website: http://diamondkitchen.com.sg