Seafood lovers meet at Red House restaurant

Passing it round: This method of dining is the perfect choice for a family or friends since most dishes come in family sizes. Mouth watering: The best taste comes from fresh ingredients. Seafood is kept in separated glass containers with different holding condition for each item. Red House Restaurant Sit down restaurant, VIP rooms available Opening hours: 10 am – 10 pm Price: VND300.000 – 600.000 Comment: fresh food, unique taste, good service, stylish but cozy atmosphere Addess: In Ha Noi: 6A Ham Long, Hoan Kiem District Tel: 04 9344 9668 – 01239333399 In HCMCity: 79 Ngo Thi Nham, Dist. 3 Tel: 08 39333399 – 0936471888

Seafood has never been my first choice. To me, seafood dishes have always been somewhat tedious, since the cooking methods are normally quite simple. But after a visit at Red House restaurant, my ideas about seafood have completely changed.

The first thing to catch my eye is the modern style of design. Fittingly with its name, red is the main colour of decor, which brings a bright and fresh look to the place. And as what people might expect of restaurant with "house" in its name, the restaurant gives off a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The whole place is decorated with a sea concept: a wooden dome; rope hanging over the walls and a hurricane-lamp which makes me feel like sitting in a fisherman's boat.

Red House is probably the first Singaporean seafood restaurant opened in Viet Nam. The owner reveals he opened the restaurant because of his passion for Singaporean food and his desire to serve genuine dishes.

Even though the restaurant is new, I was surprised by their professionalism. The menu is huge and you can find almost all of the signature Singaporean dishes. Singaporean cuisine combines Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cooking methods, which explains why the dishes are plentiful and varied.

I believe that the Singaporean chilli crab is the restaurant's greatest success. This dish is made by an authentic Singaporean chef who has been cooking for more then 20 years. Just like pho in Viet Nam, red chilli crab a staple dish and can be found in every restaurant. Because of it popularity, the cooking method varies in each restaurant. What the chef at Red House does is to standardise the dish so it can satisfy all the customers, from people who don't have much experience like me to Singaporean food experts. Another dish worth mentioning is the fresh crab meat. I was drawn to the beautiful red sauce, which is hot but not as spicy as it looks and goes perfectly well with the fried manthou (dumpling) served with it. Fresh seafood can be found everywhere; the sauce is what makes the dish unique.

Another dish I found delightful is the Abalone clam baked with cheese. The dish has a marvellous creamy taste and the clam meat is tender with cream and grilled cheese covering it. Just like most Singaporean dishes, it is served hot off the pot and should be eaten as soon as possible.

On the menu, I'm surprised to find some Vietnamese dishes. The owner explains Red House aims to be an authentic Singaporean restaurant but there are many Vietnamese people who have no idea about Singaporean cuisine, so Vietnamese dishes are added as safe choices. However, each Vietnamese dish has a twist so the taste is different from that which is served at other Vietnamese restaurants. For example, the Red House-style tiger prawn sashimi is quite unique. The prawn is divided into 2 parts. The upper part is grilled while the body is seasoned with sweet and sour sauce. The customer doesn't have to dip the sashimi into wasabi because an appropriate amount is added in the sauce. The prawn might be too spicy at first, but is soon lessened by the sweetness of the sauce. What I really like is that the dish doesn't give off any of the taste or smell of raw seafood, which is something that requires both fresh

Hot off the pot: Nothing can be compared to a hot and spicy dish on a windy day. — Photos Nguyen Thanh Trung

Red House's menu is also full of desserts to satisfy any sweet lover's craving. For those who want something fresh and unique, violet rice sweet soup with ice cream is a highlight.

Knowing that Singaporean dishes are for sharing, I was still surprised by their size. I'm quite sure it will satisfy people with strong appetisers. Customers should come with family or friends in order to try more dishes. There're still many dishes I haven't tried and I can't wait for the next visit, as a converted seafood lover. — VNS

Seafood lovers meet at Red House restaurant

Passing it round: This method of dining is the perfect choice for a family or friends since most dishes come in family sizes. Mouth watering: The best taste comes from fresh ingredients. Seafood is kept in separated glass containers with different holding condition for each item. Red House Restaurant Sit down restaurant, VIP rooms available Opening hours: 10 am – 10 pm Price: VND300.000 – 600.000 Comment: fresh food, unique taste, good service, stylish but cozy atmosphere Addess: In Ha Noi: 6A Ham Long, Hoan Kiem District Tel: 04 9344 9668 – 01239333399 In HCMCity: 79 Ngo Thi Nham, Dist. 3 Tel: 08 39333399 – 0936471888

Seafood has never been my first choice. To me, seafood dishes have always been somewhat tedious, since the cooking methods are normally quite simple. But after a visit at Red House restaurant, my ideas about seafood have completely changed.

The first thing to catch my eye is the modern style of design. Fittingly with its name, red is the main colour of decor, which brings a bright and fresh look to the place. And as what people might expect of restaurant with "house" in its name, the restaurant gives off a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. The whole place is decorated with a sea concept: a wooden dome; rope hanging over the walls and a hurricane-lamp which makes me feel like sitting in a fisherman's boat.

Red House is probably the first Singaporean seafood restaurant opened in Viet Nam. The owner reveals he opened the restaurant because of his passion for Singaporean food and his desire to serve genuine dishes.

Even though the restaurant is new, I was surprised by their professionalism. The menu is huge and you can find almost all of the signature Singaporean dishes. Singaporean cuisine combines Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cooking methods, which explains why the dishes are plentiful and varied.

I believe that the Singaporean chilli crab is the restaurant's greatest success. This dish is made by an authentic Singaporean chef who has been cooking for more then 20 years. Just like pho in Viet Nam, red chilli crab a staple dish and can be found in every restaurant. Because of it popularity, the cooking method varies in each restaurant. What the chef at Red House does is to standardise the dish so it can satisfy all the customers, from people who don't have much experience like me to Singaporean food experts. Another dish worth mentioning is the fresh crab meat. I was drawn to the beautiful red sauce, which is hot but not as spicy as it looks and goes perfectly well with the fried manthou (dumpling) served with it. Fresh seafood can be found everywhere; the sauce is what makes the dish unique.

Another dish I found delightful is the Abalone clam baked with cheese. The dish has a marvellous creamy taste and the clam meat is tender with cream and grilled cheese covering it. Just like most Singaporean dishes, it is served hot off the pot and should be eaten as soon as possible.

On the menu, I'm surprised to find some Vietnamese dishes. The owner explains Red House aims to be an authentic Singaporean restaurant but there are many Vietnamese people who have no idea about Singaporean cuisine, so Vietnamese dishes are added as safe choices. However, each Vietnamese dish has a twist so the taste is different from that which is served at other Vietnamese restaurants. For example, the Red House-style tiger prawn sashimi is quite unique. The prawn is divided into 2 parts. The upper part is grilled while the body is seasoned with sweet and sour sauce. The customer doesn't have to dip the sashimi into wasabi because an appropriate amount is added in the sauce. The prawn might be too spicy at first, but is soon lessened by the sweetness of the sauce. What I really like is that the dish doesn't give off any of the taste or smell of raw seafood, which is something that requires both fresh

Hot off the pot: Nothing can be compared to a hot and spicy dish on a windy day. — Photos Nguyen Thanh Trung

Red House's menu is also full of desserts to satisfy any sweet lover's craving. For those who want something fresh and unique, violet rice sweet soup with ice cream is a highlight.

Knowing that Singaporean dishes are for sharing, I was still surprised by their size. I'm quite sure it will satisfy people with strong appetisers. Customers should come with family or friends in order to try more dishes. There're still many dishes I haven't tried and I can't wait for the next visit, as a converted seafood lover. — VNS