If you come to Tide and Table in Melawai expecting the usual seafood dining experience, it’s probably best to leave that at the door. Led by Chef Theodore Darrel, the new dining establishment by 20WOL is carving out another space in the city’s culinary scene for an updated experience surrounding seafood with the premise of subverting expectations.
The influence mainly comes from Chef Theodore and his two affinities: cooking and fishing. Having been captivated from the young age of seven, the build-up of both passions arrived with a sense of curiosity, inventiveness and familiarity, as translated in Tide and Table’s menu offerings that he fittingly called ‘ocean steakhouse’. “My family doesn’t cook that much, so I’ve always been intrigued by what can be achieved with food—the taste, the presentation, it’s all fascinating to me. Same goes with fishing.”
In the dining area, there’s a certain choreography of the interior that follows the theme of the restaurant; rockeries are strewn across the space as if they were washed ashore on the beach, teal-hued dining tables find contrasts with the lofty marble table bar overlooking the open kitchen, while soft, dim lighting creates a warm glow reminiscent of sunlight glimmering on water. At the open kitchen, diners get to see Chef Theodore delving into techniques like dry-ageing and ingredient pairings to unlock unexpected depths of flavour, treating oceanic produce with the same care and complexity often reserved for fine cuts of meat.
Take the Kombu Aged Black Cod, for starters. Aged for one day, the fish develops a richer, more concentrated flavour before being served alongside mussels in a buttery seaweed beurre blanc sauce and bouncy ikura that burst with umami. Mix it with the furikake rice for a risotto-like experience or use the sauce as a dip for the side of triple-cooked fries.
For an element of surprise, there’s the 16-day Dry Aged Roasted Swordfish Belly that boasts the unctuous texture of pork belly, meaty yet gentle flavour of swordfish, and a subtle funkiness that resembles aged meat. Served simply with a trio of condiments—salt flakes, yuzu purée, and black peppercorns—the dish encourages diners to experiment with different flavour combinations. While the dish may not be for everyone, those who enjoy exploring the possibilities of fish will definitely be intrigued.
Meanwhile, the Grilled Tiger Prawn, highlights a meaty tiger prawn head—which you can upgrade to Argentinian red prawns—that’s been grilled in pepper butter. Served over XO rice that soaks up the flavorful sauce beneath, the combination results in a balance of smoky yet sweet flavour that ends with a nice kick of heat.
To fully experience Tide and Table, it’s best to surrender any prior expectation of how seafood is best enjoyed. Instead, let Chef Theodore and the team introduce a different perspective, pushing the boundaries of seafood to new territories while still keeping things familiar and comforting. “Tide and Table is a modern restaurant that offers contemporary food—however you want to interpret that,” closed Chef Theodore. “But at the end of the day, it still has to be familiar and comforting, because that’s how I interpret food and that’s why I started cooking in the first place.”