I am late in discovering Mariners’ Corner Restaurant. Having been around since 1984, nothing much seems to have change. The checkered tablecloth to the wooden furnishing, it feels like I am having dinner at another Shashlik.

Hainanese western eateries are getting lesser. Besides Shashlik, Prince Café and Mariner’s Corner, I can’t think of anyone else. It’s always interesting to eat in these western eateries. My forefathers who had served the British colony have learnt the western style cooking and came up with their own interpretaton.

Third generation owner Jeremy took over his father’s business and the recipes are all from his grandfather’s. We started our dinner with the salad bar. The variety is not that great but good enough as an appetizer. The beef salad is great, or you can have the greens with garlic vinaigrette.

Escargots Gastronome  ($10.50/half dozen) had snails cooked under salamander with garlic butter and served sizzling in shells. It was a little too buttery for my liking.

But the mains were wonderful. A must try is the Hainanese Braised Oxtail Stew ($18) which was a recipe passed down from the owner’s father who was a colonial cook. The the flavour of the meat is retained within the sauce, so deliciously rich.

The Ribeye Steak ($23) was excellent. The buttery flavour of well-marbled beef does not disappoint, giving a juicy steak and beefy flavour. Other options include the N.Z Sirloin Steak ($21), N.Z Venison ($21), N.Z T-Bone Steak ($24.50).

If you want to have seafood and can’t decide, go for the Seafood Platter ($19.80) which in an assortment of fresh fish, prawns, calamari and onion rings. The fish and chips still stay nice and moist.

A nice hideout for a quiet dinner with friends. Plates were cleared pretty quick and the restaurant staff here are friendly and attentive.. Moreover it is a cozy and warm place with faux pas stained glass windows looking out to Cantonment Road with the Pinnacle housing estate looming over jus

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