Docked at St John’s Island, the Royal Albatross is a tall ship – a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel – that promises a novel culinary extravaganza at Albatross Island Restaurant (AIR). While that may sound hyperbolic, few restaurants in Singapore combine a speedboat transfer, fine dining and playtime with a resident cat – let alone aboard a ship instead of within four walls.
After boarding a speedboat at Marina Ferry Terminal or departing from either Singapore Oceanarium or Siloso Beach, diners are whisked to St John’s Island via a speedboat that runs around the clock, where the Royal Albatross awaits with her mighty stature.
Fortunately for those fretting about motion sickness during a gastronomic escapade, she is firmly anchored and stable. Upon stepping foot on the ship, diners are asked to swap out their footwear for soft hotel-style slip-ons, very quickly raising the comfort quotient.
Spanning two decks, the ship allows diners to choose alfresco seating on the top deck or an air-conditioned indoor space on the bottom. Both are equally cool, as the top deck boasts misting machines that keep temperatures low.
The experience is also pet-friendly, with well-behaved dogs welcome on board, making it one of the few fine-dining venues in Singapore where four-legged companions can join in.
Now for the star of the show: the three-course meal curated by former MasterChef Singapore winner, Inderpal Singh. The menu also marks the chef’s first major venture since the closure of his restaurant Meh’r, which permanently shuttered in October last year.
The meal begins with a Hokkaido scallop ceviche. Tender scallops rest atop an assam ponzu – a fusion of the tangy tamarind base made from Southeast Asian assam fruit and the citrusy, soy-based flavours of Japanese ponzu. Fresh green mango lends brightness, while curry leaf oil (an element that runs through all courses) adds an aromatic touch. Puffed rice rounds off the dish with a satisfying crunch.
The vegetarian starter replaces the scallops with coconut flesh and pomelo to achieve the same mouthfeel as the scallops.
For the main course, diners can choose between a 16-hour braised beef short rib and Patagonian toothfish, while vegetarians are served a lion’s mane mushroom that is surprisingly just as tender as its meat counterparts.
The beef short rib is cloaked in a warming rendang sauce and paired with a fragrant raisin-studded pilaf. Those opting for the Patagonian toothfish will instead be greeted by a vibrant yellow sauce – a fusion of spicy lemak chilli padi and sodhi kuzhumbu, a lightly spiced coconut milk curry popular in South Indian cuisine.
“It’s a play between the two of them, which is what I really enjoy. Because for me, even as a Punjabi, in Singapore, our parents would make sodhi for us,” Chef Inderpal told tabla! late last week. That paired with toothfish that “cuts like butter” and is freshly sourced from Lombok, makes the dish feel luxurious.
“The toothfish is a very unique fish in the sense that it has the thickness of a cod but peels away like a snapper,” the chef explained.
The meal concludes with a sweet treat that is a mainstay across India. When temperatures soar, a cold kulfi often comes to the rescue. And that is what Chef Inderpal chose, with a local spin of course – a pandan gula melaka kulfi on a stick, perfect for a warm summer’s day, which just happens to be all year round in Singapore.
Peter Pela, the founder and CEO of Tall Ship Adventures, said the concept of AIR had been years in the making. After quitting a drab tech job, Mr Pela decided to funnel a large fraction of his savings into acquiring the Royal Albatross in 2008 with hopes of creating a destination guests would remember long after stepping ashore.
“With the addition of our fleet of five Albatross speedboats, we are bringing together two products into one seamless guest experience with the launch of AIR. I particularly love the name ‘AIR’, because in Malay, it means water, which is very fitting for a restaurant that floats on the sea,” Mr Pela said.
You can dine on the ship for all three meals of the day at prices ranging from $95 to $300 and is open daily.
