Law readings are best digested with a big glass of beer to wash away the acrid taste. Alas, one will be hard pressed to find a drinking hole with delectable grub nowadays. So imagine my slight apprehension when tasked to review a joint that purports to end this first world problem once and for all. Nonetheless, it is an excellent opportunity to drink for legitimate reasons and I headed down to do this very serious work with some company.
Situated at a very convenient location (557 Bukit Timah Road, Crown Centre #01-03), this sleek modern establishment also boasts a nice ambience for a Friday night chill-out with its selection of parlour games available (Darts etc). Looking at the menu, one would think that the owner has a personal vengeance against prawns, exacted through the highest degree of creativity in cooking them. Bad news for prawns but good news for prawn-lovers as you will be absolutely spoilt with a dizzying variety ranging from burgers to pizzas, all served with prawns. Being an all-guys company afraid of commitments, we unanimously decided to have a few glasses of the decadent Libertine Black Ale($12) before committing our night to a single dish.
After much deliberation over the life-altering choices between having our prawns buttered or grilled, we ordered the Aglio Olio Prawn Fried Rice($13.90), Crispy Prawn Burger($13.90) and Signature 6 Prawns Pasta($15.90). However, the night was still early and the best was clearly not to be as the bar was glaringly vacant. Our server assured us business will pick up later and we proceeded to make awkward small talk with each other in the ensuing silence and the staff floated around our table, clearly judging the quality of our conversations. The first orders came and we heaved a collective sigh of relief at this respite from the terrible awkwardness. We were famished and a tad inebriated from the ale.
The fried rice with prawns came out first and the following waft of fragrance was truly breathtaking. Every grain of the stunningly glossy heap of rice was a gastronomical masterpiece, cooked to perfection with impeccable culinary skill. It was obvious the chef was on a dogmatic and inexorable pursuit of excellence, one of which we were honoured to be witnesses to. The friend who ordered this beauty of a dish courteously offered to wait for the rest of the orders but we all know he did not really meant it: Who can resist just pigging out on that pile of delicious?
Rumor has it that Gordon Ramsay teared when he saw this.
Soon enough the rest of the dishes came in and they all looked similarly ravishing. The prawn burger dripped with a tantalising white cream topping was the epitome of epicurean fantasies. The succulent buns were just screaming to be devoured and the hearty prawn patty was doused with an exquisite house sauce. It was seduction in its most irresistible form. The pasta, particularly, was the role model all pastas aspire to be. It was the pasta that all children pastas want to be when they grow up. It was the pasta to rule all pastas. The accompanying prawns themselves were roasted in such a glorious manner that even they will be proud of their sacrifice and role in the making of this gourmet.
People who said perfection does not exist are just sad people who have yet to try this.
This pasta will deliver the world from our conflicts.
Unable to restrain our emotions and appetites any longer, we delved into this little piece of heaven lying before us. The wave of senses on our palates engulfed us and we were overwhelmed. A visceral sense of satisfaction arose within all of us as we gobbled down, unwilling and unable to ‘slow it down’ because one does not simply ‘take it slow’ in the face of such perfection. Before we know it, we had devoured any last modicum of food and would have eaten the cutleries too but for the staff’s restraints. It was THAT good. The flavour of (dead) prawns came alive with the complement of the bitter-dry Ale and it was a curious innovation of pairing that clearly works.
Alas, all good things precede the bad and we had to make our payment. All in all, dining at 6 Prawns and A Beer had been a pseudo-spiritual experience. Go in with an open mind and be prepared to have your palates stimulated. It is indeed a rare combination of good beer and even better food to find in a single destination.
P.S: The writer regrets the absence of photos of the Black Ale. He would like to assure that it was good.
P.P.S: The consumption of alcohol before food might have contributed to the emotions experienced in this article. Diners’ experiences might vary.
Article by: Yam Jia De (Year 1)
