PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAStarfish is a delight to visit, the food lifts above expectations, the service is as warm as a log fire, and the chef’s dishes are artistic in both taste and design. For starters, the entrees are beautifully pieced together; seared scallops are served on crispy strips of pork belly laid across wobbly cubes of tofu sitting in a light rice wine broth. Of course, it’s not all about the presentation, quite often pretension counts for more (especially in the restaurant industry). But Starfish doesn’t seem to bother with that, which is probably how it attracted a band of followers in the first eight months of opening, regulars that book the same table three times a week.
Dinner starts at 6pm, with the restaurant brimming by 7.30pm. Seats inside are most popular, though aside from the white banquette seating the interior feels to sparse for me, better to sit outside in the bracing sea breeze. The charming hostess Shinny welcomes diners to their requested tables, and makes sure outside diners are not forgotten. The menu has a modern Asian flavour with dishes such as the spice-crusted lamb cutlets accompanied by smoky eggplant puree, jewels of sweet pomegranate and goat’s cheese. You’ll also be charmed by the perks of complimentary bread with three accompaniments, and an amuse bouche to get your palette in the mood.
Jennifer Miller, February 2007
