Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant at Woodlands Waterfront offers both delicious food and breathtaking seaside views. After spotting this place during a previous visit and watching Woodlands Waterfront being featured on TV where Mediacorp GOLD 905’s Denise Tan did a walk from Woodlands Jetty to Marsiling Crescent for nasi padang, I knew I had to bring my folks who were longing for a seaside outing.
First Impressions & Ambience
We visited on a Friday around 1pm and were surprised by the number of diners, mostly office workers from nearby establishments who drove over for lunch. Despite making a reservation through their website, the staff didn’t check it and simply invited us to choose any available table.
The restaurant interior isn’t fancy, but the air-conditioning was a blessed relief from the scorching heat outside. The restaurant sits right on Woodlands Jetty, offering unobstructed views of the Johor Strait and Malaysia beyond.
Menu Variety – Something for Everyone
Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant boasts an extensive menu that would satisfy any palate. It combines seafood restaurant classics, tze char favourites, BBQ options, and even Western dishes. They also serve local beverages and desserts, including waffles with ice cream.
The drinks are reasonably priced – canned Coke Zero at $2 and Ice Limau Clear also at $2. We requested our Ice Limau Clear less sweet, and they delivered perfectly – citrusy and refreshing.
Seafood Delights That Impressed
Our meal included several standout dishes:
BBQ Stingray ($16/$24)
How can we resist not ordering BBQ stingray? It’s like one of the best things to eat! I’m a lazy person when it comes to eating fish, so rather than having a whole fish which you have to watch out for bones, I would rather eat stingray. No regrets in ordering this because the sambal chilli is so good – flavoursome but not overly spicy or oily. After finishing the stingray, there was still sambal chilli leftover. We basically wiped out the plate because the sambal chilli paired so well with other dishes too, giving a nice kick.
The stingray itself was nicely cooked. Though I wished the outside could be a little more charred, the flesh was meaty and moist. Onions gave a nice crunch and the cincalok sauce enhanced the savouriness of the dish too.
Salted Egg Soft Shell Crab ($18/$28)
This was unanimously everyone’s favourite dish of all. When the dish was brought to our table, we could already get a whiff of salted egg yolk smell in the air. The soft shell crab was perfectly fried – crispy on the outside but didn’t ooze oil when bitten into. Each piece was nicely coated in salted egg yolk – so rich and umami. The best part is, you don’t need to dirty your hands when eating soft shell crabs – no shells to peel! So easy to eat and so super addictive.
Other Notable Dishes
We also enjoyed these dishes:
Ginger & Spring Onion Hotplate Chicken ($14/$23)
The sauce was excellent, but unfortunately, the chicken was overcooked and chewy. Perhaps the sliced fish version would have been a better choice for this preparation.
Yam Ring Basket with Seafood ($24)
Being Teochew, we love our yam! This Yam Ring Basket is like the traditional dish to get whenever we went to Chinese seafood restaurants when I was little. Lots of ingredients in the yam ring – fresh, crunchy prawns, chicken cubes, mushrooms, vegetables, cashew nuts – all served atop crunchy fried bee hoon. If the filling had a little more sauce, I think it would be perfect because it was quite dry. All still delicious, nonetheless.
Claypot Seafood & Tofu ($16/$24)
Normally instead of a plate of vegetables, we would order this claypot dish because it would come with seafood, tofu and vegetables anyway.
This was not bad – very saucy which we could douse over our rice. Hot and comforting, not overly salty.
Fried You Tiao with Sotong Paste ($10)
Mum said this looked over-fried but I thought it was perfect. So crunchy and yet didn’t feel greasy. This was way better than many others I had tried elsewhere. Dip into the mayonnaise provided, so super shiok! If you are into you tiao, don’t miss this dish!
Sweet Endings
For desserts, we ordered:
Ice Kachang ($4.50)
Good value for the large portion. But too bad the ice wasn’t finely shaved like those ice kachang you get at hawker centres. The ice here was quite coarsely shaved so you basically had to ‘chew the ice’. Good amount of toppings but too bad I didn’t enjoy the coloured syrups poured over the ice as they tasted rather artificial.
Durian Chendol ($4.80)
Served in a sundae cup with a big straw so you actually suck it up, rather than eat with spoon. Not quite suitable if you want to share this with others. The durian wasn’t actually a fresh durian puree but a rather strong durian flavoured sweet thick syrup paste that had the same taste as durian dodol. Not bad though because the chendol was aromatic and nice. Next time I would just go for plain chendol instead.
*All prices stated above are subject to 10% service charge and 9% GST
Value for Money
Including white rice and drinks, our meal for four persons came to $141.24 after taxes. We found this quite reasonable considering the quantity, quality, and setting. Most dishes were well-executed – tasty, flavoursome, not too salty, not too oily.
The folks enjoyed the meal so much that they said they would like to return for dinner soon to enjoy the sunset view.
Final Thoughts
Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant offers a winning combination of good food, reasonable prices, and stunning views. It’s perfect for family gatherings or outings with friends. Come in a large group so you can order more dishes to try! The restaurant’s location at Woodlands Waterfront makes it an excellent choice for those seeking a brief escape from the city hustle without leaving Singapore.
If you’re looking for a relaxed dining experience with a view, Rasa Istimewa Waterfront Restaurant should definitely be on your list. The combination of traditional Singapore flavours with that stunning waterfront setting makes for a memorable meal.