The Long Beach seafood restaurant name is synonymous with black pepper crab and chilli crab, but foodies will also know that other than myriad seafood dishes, its non-seafood offerings are very decent as well.

The five outlets have slightly different menus, differentiated by their chefs’ unique recipes or own interpretations of another branch’s dishes. The recently renovated Long Beach King at Kallang Park, at the junction of Mountbatten Road and Stadium Boulevard, is located at the edge of the CBD—near enough to head to for a business lunch, and away from the madding crowds in town. The VIP rooms are well appointed for such lunches, and the main dining area is also spacious and elegant. Two al fresco dining areas can accommodate up to 21 tables as well as outdoor events such as casual cocktail receptions.

Following the revamped interiors, the restaurant will soon unveil its redesigned menu. Long-time fans will also have to bid adieu to the restaurant’s familiar wet tissue packaging emblazoned with the iconic toothy, leggy, swimsuit-clad and crab-platter-toting beauty queen as that, too, gets a new look. (Trivia alert: that’s Miss Intercontinental 1994, Kimberly Anne Byers, and she’s been on it for over two decades.)

Bibs on, my dining party and I dig into our first dish: the Portuguese-style live lobster. It brings a medley of flavours—the lobster meat is sweet, and perked up by a dill-topped, tangy gravy, which adds a luxurious mouthfeel. On the side are sweet pickles, which help to cut the creaminess of the gravy.

Next up is the claypot live marble goby (also known as soon hock), which is doused in a tasty fish broth lifted by ginger, parsley, Chinese cooking wine and sliced mushrooms. Simmered for 45min to an hour, the fish meat is bouncy and fresh, and swelling with the essence of the soup.

A new item on the menu that I’d recommend trying is the braised “Chang Le” luffa with fish curd. It looks like a bowl of ordinary deep-fried fish balls swimming in a savoury chicken broth with black fungus, mushrooms, sliced carrots and luffa (a type of gourd with a slightly sweet flavour). The surprise comes when you bite into a piece of fish curd—its spongy texture leaves you half wondering if it’s actually made from egg instead of fish meat. Having soaked up the broth, the curd bursts with flavour in the mouth.

A non-seafood pick to try is the renowned crispy duck, which resembles the French-style duck confit. First marinated for two days, the duck is deep-fried, whole. Beneath the crispy skin, its meat is tender and juicy. Dip a slice into the sweet sauce to enjoy the satisfying layers of sweet and salty flavours.

For dessert, the Snow Gland with Almond Paste in Whole Coconut cleanses the palate. This restaurant signature is a multi-textured dessert, where a base of coconut jelly is topped with a silky layer of almond paste and a scoop of coconut ice cream. The highlight is a generous dollop of hashima.

The restaurant’s wine list also now sees more luxurious Bordeaux tipples joining the extensive offerings from Old and New World wine regions including Italy, Portugal and Germany.