Pince and Pints Lobster Bar, Duxton

Put your claws up for Pince and Pints! Officially opening tomorrow (7 Jul), the lobster-only restaurant and bar may raise a few whiskers with their 'no reservation' policy, but each of their three finessed dishes (revised to $58 per dish, effective 20 April 2015) on the menu proves to be queue-worthy. For those seeking to beat the crowd, the establishment starts dinner service at 5pm on weekdays.

Lobsters at Pince and Pints are wild caught and flown in direct from Boston, Maine and Canada, where they are stored in state-of-the-art deep sea tanks maintained at temperatures of 5 to 7 degrees Celsius. This ensures that lobsters remain comfortable and snug, lowering overall activity, which results in meatier crustaceans on the plate. Only upon ordering are the poor fellows removed from their cold havens and—well, you know the rest.

[Update] We returned to this hot new restaurant to find they've tweaked the recipes, and we like it even more now!

We recommend starting with the Steamed 'Live' Whole Lobsters (not pictured), served with a smooth herbed butter sauce thickened with a touch of mayonnaise. The grilled version presents a nice smokey edge, but I particularly enjoyed how masterfully executed the steamed lobster was—to the point that the prized flesh remained juicy, allowing its natural sweetness to really shine through.

Also to note is how nicely the flesh peels off, right down to the tiny flaps on the lobster tail—an indication of premium quality, Ken Loon of The Naked Finn shares.

Entrepreneur-owner Frederick Yap puts his own spin on the classic Singapore dish with his Chili Lobster (served with fried mini mantou's), a recipe that uses Roma tomatoes, lemongrass and a special chili sauce mix.

When we first visited, it tended towards the ketchup-y half of spectrum, but they've since adjusted the recipe and turned up the spiciness by a notch. The luscious sauce now leaves a slight tingle on the lips, making it all the more addictive.

There's already plans to expand the menu, but Frederick explains how he wants the team to focus on the current set of recipes, and that dedication shows.

Highlight of their current three-dish menu is the simple yet outstandingly delicious Lobster Roll. Made using the flesh of a whole lobster (claws included)—that's been painstakingly steamed, chilled, extracted, marinated then topped with chives—decadent chunks of stuffing sit between eggy-aromatic, buttery bread rolls that are decidedly just as fluffy as the pillowy buns of the famed Omakase Burger.

Also noteworthy is their all-out addictive garlic aioli that teamed only too well with the golden-crisp shoestring fries—so tasty, we were fighting over fries for another taste of the sauce.

Pince and Pints also offers a tight menu of craft beers and cocktails concocted using homemade syrups and freshly cold-pressed juices. Go for the gin-based Bee's Knees ($18), where saccharine notes of honey are balanced with cold-pressed lemon juice.

Pince and Pints 32/33 Duxton Road Singapore 089596

Tel: +65 6225 7558 (no reservations)

Operating hours: Monday to Friday 5pm - 11pm Saturday 12pm - 11pm Closed Sundays