where jess ate

Located a stone’s throw away from Pacific Mall, Fishman Clubhouse Restaurant is notorious for their up-selling and pushy service. But that didn’t stop us from getting our mountain of lobster!

There are two seatings for dinner: 6pm or 8pm and reservations are a must! Our group of eleven had an 8pm reservation and the restaurant was absolute chaos when we arrived – tons of people waiting around for their table to free up.

The large room is surrounded by fish tanks of fresh seafood ready to be eaten. Like most Asian restaurants, they pack as many tables as they can into the space so you might feel a little cramped.

As I’ve already mentioned, the staff is known for their hard up-selling. Most people order the set combos which call for lobsters at a set weight. But if they give you one that weighs more than what the set menu calls for, it’s an additional $16.99/lb. So beware!

The prices are quite steep so it’s definitely more of a special occasion kinda place. To give you an idea – there’s a king crab dinner (for 2 people) for $218, King crab & lobster dinner (for 4 people) for $288, a shark fin & seafood dinner (for 8-10 people) for $699…You get the idea. But their portions are quite large so I’d recommend going with a combo that is meant for a party smaller than yours (i.e. if you have 12 people, go with a dinner meant for 8-10).

Our first dish to arrive was the Garlic Beef – with asparagus. Our combo called for a bottle of wine but we opted to substitute it out for this dish instead. I was pleasantly surprised because this turned out to be a really great dish. The pieces of beef were incredibly tender, perfectly seasoned and covered in a generous coating of fried garlic (there’s no such thing as too much garlic, in my opinion!).

Shortly after the garlic beef arrived, the seafood started coming. Our combo called for two lobsters which totalled 12lbs. The first of the two lobster dishes to arrive was the Fried Lobster with Dry Garlic. Meaty pieces of lobster covered in garlic bits – what’s not to love?

While I enjoyed the first lobster dish, it was no match for the Lobster Claws & Legs in Hong Kong Style. It was certainly impressive in terms of presentation – literally a mountain of lobster! It was topped with chili, fried garlic and fried baby fish. Really, really delicious.

At the beginning of the meal, they provide everyone with plastic gloves so you know you’re in for a messy meal. It felt so barbaric picking up handfuls of fixins from the plate but I guess that’s all part of the fun!

The last lobster dish in the combo was the Fried Rice with Lobster Roe in Crab Shell. I have to say that this sounded better than it tasted. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad by any means but I just expected more.

Our combo also came with an 8lb king crab which was served in two courses. The first to arrive was the perfectly Steamed Crab Meat with Chinese Wine. It was prepared very simply which I appreciated since it really allowed the crab itself to shine. Loved it!

The second king crab dish was the Steamed Crab Legs with Salted Egg & White Wine. Initially I thought the salted egg was garlic so I was in for a salty surprise. The crab was well cooked and undoubtedly fresh but I wasn’t a big fan of the salted egg. I would’ve preferred garlic.

Another dish that came with our combo was the Steamed Southern Flounder (2.5lb). It was topped with a generous amount of green onions and was served with a small wine glass full of soy sauce. The delicate fish was a tad undercooked but overall, it was still a solid dish. It just paled in comparison to the crab and lobster.

The veg dish that came with our combo was the Poached Shredded ham & Vegetables. I was a little too focused on the seafood so I only had a bit of greens (I don’t eat a very balanced diet, if you haven’t already noticed). They’re your pretty standard Chinese-style veg. Nothing particularly special.

Our meal ended with a forgettable Black Sesame dish. I’ve had better!

While I felt the Hong Kong-style mountain of lobster lived up to the hype and the steamed king crab was quite enjoyable, the other dishes weren’t quite as memorable. So, stick to what they’re famous for and you’ll be a happy customer!

At a glance:
• Famous for their giant lobsters and king crabs
• Enjoyed the Hong Kong-style lobster and steamed crab meat; the other dishes weren’t as memorable
• Notorious for their up-selling and pushy service
• Located a stone’s throw away from Pacific Mall
• Reservations are a must – two seatings for dinner (6pm and 8pm)
• Enormous portions
• Cash only

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 3.5 stars
• Service: 2 stars
• Atmosphere: 2 stars