New Ubin Seafood
New Ubin Seafood, A Humble Island Eatery Matures To Take On The World
Hailing from Pulau Ubin with over three decades, two generations and a cult following of foodies, young and old, to its name, the New Ubin Group has carved a reputation for retaining its rustic roots and kampong essence, whilst delivering an inimitable tze char ingenuity that has been shaped alongside the Singaporean palate over the years. With its flagship eatery in Hillview Avenue, a “Garang Grill” offshoot, an upscale restaurant in the city centre CHIJMES cluster, and a hotel restaurant in Zhongshan Park, present-day New Ubin promises a “Truly Singaporean” tze char experience from the moment you arrive, wherever you dine.
From the humble tin roof beginnings on the island of Pulau Ubin, New Ubin Seafood has come a long way, maturing into it’s third outlet in the vibrant Balestier
Ming Industrial Estate, Sixth Avenue along Bukit Timah Road, Marina Country Club and Clementi.
Both openings put the familyrun business on an exciting growth trajectory as it sets out to create a ‘Truly Singaporean’ tze char experience that can hold its own in any context, under the second generation leadership of chef and chief executive officer Alexander Pang, alongside founder and chief operating officer Pang Seng Meng, and of course with the Pang family.
“We’ve spent a good part of the last three decades trying to find that ‘Truly Singaporean’ sweet spot, a tze char offering that can satisfy our innate craving for rustic, home-cooked fare, while appealing to a growing appetite for new culinary experiences from around the world,” shares Alexander, who rejoined his father and New Ubin founder, Pang Seng Meng, to helm the business in 2017, trading an eight-year career in litigation for a culinary calling and an industry he hopes to transform and reinvigorate.
Shared Alexander, “As a business, we’ve arrived at a point where we are determined to do more not not just for our brand, but for the people who work for and with us. Part of this includes the development of tze char and defining what Singapore cuisine means. Ultimately, our goal is to elevate our style of Singapore cuisine to a playing field that’s on par with some of the world’s best restaurants. We want to offer our staff and regulars the same level of prospects and prestige, whether they work or dine with commune and celebrating a significant milestone in redefining the Singaporean “tze char” experience.
The 150-seat restaurant, residing at the ground floor of four-star Ramada by Wyndham Singapore at Zhongshan Park, is the hotel’s mainstay dining concept. This marks New Ubin Group’s first hotel restaurant, earlier last year, the Group opened its first upscale restaurant in the heart of the city, within the iconic CHIJMES cluster. Prior to this, New Ubin existed, and still exists, as a single tze char eatery in Hillview Avenue with previous incarnations in the rustic Sin
us. We want to show the world that there’s more to tze char than coffee shops and chilli crab.”
New Ubin Zhongshan Park will be jointly managed and overseen by Alexander and the hotel’s senior management, alongside, a “New Ubin taskforce” comprising of chefs and service staff from the original Hillview eatery. This is done to ensure that the motivation remains the same across all three existing New Ubin outlets, to bring a ‘Truly Singaporean’ experience that’s rooted in a confluence of hearty and innovative tze char, fresh produce and kampong-style hospitality.
Nestled in the lush, landscaped greenery of tranquil Zhongshan Park, dining at New Ubin Zhongshan Park will allow one to enjoy the brand’s well-loved tze char ingenuity with all the modern comforts a four-star hotel affords while retaining a laid-back, casual charm.
Leather sofa booths, accent chairs, marble flooring and wooden details come together in contemporary accents of walnut, tan and mulberry; and play canvas to a series of black and white photography displayed across the walls. Sure to catch the eye is a sprawling chalkboard that runs across the width of the dining room, depicting a specially commissioned, hand-drawn
illustration of the “Original Pulau Ubin Jetty & Restaurant North Shore”, where it all began for New Ubin Seafood, complete with eclectic inscriptions of New Ubin signatures by local chalkboard artist Drew of online artist collective Imagined Ideas.
Keeping culinary standards in check is Wyndham Singapore’s Executive Chef Melvin Lim, who brings with him over 20 years of expertise leading some of Singapore’s most demanding kitchens, along with four of New Ubin’s very own. Expect the same level of tze char ingenuity that has served the brand well for the past three decades to shine through the restaurant’s opening repertoire of signature appetisers, finger-licking seafood, choice cuts of meat, and wok-kissed classics, all prepared with an inimitable New Ubin flair.
Signature starters come in unconventional creations such as the Foie Gras Egg Special, a decadent spin on the traditional Singaporean breakfast of softboiled eggs, with generous chunks of foie gras and sprinkling of truffle salt; and striking red Carabinero Prawns served sashimi-style, each gigantic head bursting with the intense flavours of the sea. Sticklers for tradition can still enjoy the classics, slurp up sweet, supple Live Scottish Blue Mussels cooked in a pot of fragrant white wine and French butter sauce; or enjoy some good ol’ “Garang Grill” goodness with the widely raved Crispy Pork Jowl served with a miso gula melaka glaze.
The heart and soul of every tze char table, enjoy meaty Live Mud Crabs the New Ubin way, garlic baked with heaps of fresh cloves that are roasted to sweet-smoky perfection. Borrowing from the Group’s “Garang Grill” concept again, the Barbecued Whole Mackerel is cooked on coals in a Spanish Mibrasa oven, and finished with piquant sides of turmeric tartare, spicy tomato chutney and gingered mustard greens.
No trip to a New Ubin outlet is complete without an order of the USDA Black Angus ‘Choice’ Rib- Eye, one of the cult “classics” that first placed New Ubin on the culinary map. The rib-eye is grilled over coals to a perfect medium rare and a smoky char, cubed for sharing, and served with
caramelised onions, Idaho potato wedges, house-smoked sea salt flakes, and, the must- have accompaniment, wok-fried ‘Heart Attack’ Fried Rice caramelised with sinful beef drippings from the rib-eye.
Hot off the wok is a selection of noodles and rice dishes that are brought to life with elusive wok hei. Experience umami like you’ve never before with the Hokkien Mee stir-fried in a flavourful pork and prawn broth with a heady wok hei to match. A Pang family recipe that’s all about that wok, the Boss Bee Hoon is simply rice vermicelli, egg and chye sim, fried “boss-style”, that delivers an unsuspecting wok hei punch.
There’s no reason to not eat your greens with New Ubin behind the wok. Try the Hong Kong Kai Lan Special done two ways: first wokfried with garlic, then topped with a part of the leaves, finely sliced and deep-fried, with crispy white bait. Carmelised crisp-thin with dried chillis and tossed in a tangy coat of spice, the Brinjal Delight will make a convert out of even the eggplant’s biggest detractor.
Sweet endings come in a variety of deceptively simple desserts that don’t fall short on flavours. Kaya On Toasted Baguette is an atas take on the quintessential kopitiam breakfast slathered with French butter that will have you going “ooh là là”. Banana Gula Melaka is a heavenly match of slices of banana caramelised with palm sugar and house-made coconut ice cream that is smoky, sticky and creamy all at once.
As with all New Ubin outlets, oenophiles will be delighted to know that New Ubin Zhongshan Park will still continue to welcome guests who bring their own wines and spirits to enjoy with their meal at no corkage charge, and remain one of the first and only tze char venues to provide high quality Riedel stemware, no questions asked.