Cafes and poached eggs may be all the rage now, but there are times when we’d like nothing more than to retreat to some good ol’ fast food after a long and tiring day. Fish Tales, with its plethora of seafood burgers, pastas and more, is one such that place that recently opened in town.

Located on *SCAPE’s second level, which is essentially the ground level just beyond the flea market, the cafe’s sitting area is spread across the far end of the building, making it ideal for a casual meal. Most diners are young adults and adolescents, as befits *SCAPE’s youth oriented vibe.

Being a specialty fish shop, it makes sense to try at least one of their Fish & Chip renditions. The claim to fame is the Cheesy Affair (which is said to ooze with cheese both inside and out), but the Beaurre Au Citron is also worth a shot – it’s basically original Fish & Chips doused in a medley of garlic, lemon and butter for a zesty kick!

Portion wise, Fish Tales is pretty decent and a $10+ price range gets you a sizeable white fish fillet served atop a bed of crisp cut fries. The fish did taste slightly overcooked but was still palatable overall; the sauce reminded me of the ones they serve at Fish & Co. and the like. Fries were crisp at first but got a tad soggy at the bottom.

If Fish & Chips are not your thing, an alternative is their seafood pastas and burgers. Prawn Aglio Olio tossed with wild mushrooms, garlic and chilli, is one of the chef’s recommendations on the menu. Plus points for the presentation and the succulent prawns – all five of them. Minus points for the mushrooms which tasted a tad oily and were few and far between. Pasta was good overall and a made a simple dish for an after-work meal.

For side dishes, most of it is fried stuff. Unless you’re really hungry, try to save space for the mains instead of the sides like the 6-piece Fried Oysters we had, which was rather doughy and tasted more like fried batter than actual oysters. A $3.90 top up gets you a soft drink and a Chowder of the Day, which is not too bad for a cafe in the heart of town.

Overall, Fish Tales is not too bad a choice if you’re willing to overlook certain shortcomings in its food. It’s a relatively affordable choice for those in the mood for Fish & Chips but don’t want to go to the usual seafood places in town.

Website/ Facebook: http://fishtales.com.sg/ / http://www.facebook.com/fishtales.sg

Menu: http://fishtales.com.sg/wp/wp-content/themes/fishtales/download/FISHTALES-Aug14-Menu.pdf

Address: 2 Orchard Link, *SCAPE 02-27

Contact: 6636 9960

Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm daily

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