I like fish. I come from a small fishing village in North County Dublin so I definitely like my fish. I like my fish fresh. Yes in Howth, you can stroll up to the fish market where freshly caught fish is lying on ice and take your pick of the days catch. A lot of Dubliners head out to Howth on the weekends to pick up their fish. So, my interest was piqued when I wandered past The Manhattan Fish Market in Lotte avenue the other day. Yes yes I know...there's no fishing pier across the road where you can walk along beside the fishing boats that have caught your purchases. The closest sea is in North Jakarta, in Ancol, and considering most people won't stick their big toe in the water there I can't imagine anyone catching fish in it. So where does the fish come from that we eat in Jakarta? Well, I thought, sometimes you just don't want to know.
So anyway, here I am, at The Manhattan Fish Market, and I put all thoughts of infested rubbish filled waters out of my mind and focus on the menu. The menu reminds me of Johnny Rockets menu. You know, each choice on the menu beautifully photographed to look succulent, bright and extremely appetising. Alarm bells start ringing...but I try to not pay attention to them. I settle on a 'Small Grill' while Hubby goes for the 'Small Flame'. Prices are not cheap at 129k per dish so I'm hoping for good things. The 'Small Flame' came first and this was the highlight of the meal as they actually torched the prawns at the table. I say torched because, well, there isn't any other way to describe it. Not barbecued, not roasted, just plain ol' torched with a blow torch. Interesting! The 'Small Grill' came shortly after. No torching.
Verdict? Not great. The squid and prawns were a bit rubbery for me and the fish fillet, well it just didn't taste fresh. The actual quantity of seafood compared to the carbs was pretty poor. Underneath my scant seafood was a mountain of rice and a small helping of French fries. Hubby found his fish and prawns pretty rubbery too and the weird, sweet mayonnaise that got torched on top of the prawns did nothing to enhance the flavour. I finished up feeling rather unsatisfied both with the food and the bill. I won't be in a rush to come back here, between the decidedly fishy fish and the very dark and gloomy interior I felt like I'd had my lunch in a fish cellar rather than a fish market!
Restaurant interior
Small Flame
Live 'torching'
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