788 On The Sea, a Worthy Ocean Basket Challenger?
NOSA: It’s a bit of a coincidence that as soon as we complain about the lack of seafood options in Lagos, a seafood spot crawls into our radar. Definitely not complaining. The more, the merrier.
FOLLY: We still need some more though, so I hope this 'complaint' brings even more.
NOSA: 788 On The Sea is the newest addition to that Twin Waters complex. Mildly related: that part of Lekki, or is it Oniru, is developing at an unreal rate. In a year or two, it should be as “built up” as main Lekki.
FOLLY: I doubt because that market is a main obstruction to the gentrification.
NOSA: It’s so cute how the waiters at 788 all wore the same thing. Down to the shoes. The tailor that got the contract definitely hit the jackpot.
FOLLY: Unlike whomever has the NYSC contract.
NOSA: To start, we got the Prawn Bruschetta. And like most of our bruschetta experiences in Lagos, the bread was stale-ish. Definitely not fresh, that’s for sure. Texture was a lot like toast that had been out for a while. Particularly ironic because on the menu, it’s described as “…prawns in creamy house sauce served on CRUNCHY bread”. Not a single crunch in sight. A bit of a shame because the house sauce was super delicious.
FOLLY: I disagree with Nosa here and I believe the lack of crunch was due to the bread getting rapidly soggy because of the moisture in the topping - it was absorbed rather quickly. I didn't like the prawn topping at all, it was cold and there's few things I dislike more than cold prawn appetizers.
NOSA: Nah, I've had cold appetizers on toast that have not been soggy. That can't be it.
For my main, I got the Mixed Seafood Platter like a proper greedy bastard. Lobster, mussels, calamari, prawn, and lobster all on the plate.
You might think this a lot, but this isn’t as much to the one we got at The Rock in Zanzibar. I don’t think I ate seafood for like a month after that trip. I digress.
This is easily the most extensive seafood platter in Lagos. There isn’t a single restaurant that comes close.
FOLLY: At least that we've been to, and we've been to a lot. If you have one that offers a more diverse platter please email me.
NOSA: The calamari and lobster were especially delicious. The prawn didn’t wow me, however, but that might be a personal thing.
FOLLY: It has a lot to do with the fact that prawns tend to be overcooked alot and so dry out faster and then have no flavour. However, the protective shell of the lobster forms a defence against Nigerians that like to overcook things. That said, in reference to the particular experience at 788, the lobster was just better flavoured lots of buttery goodness on the lobster while the prawn was mostly dry.
NOSA: There needs to be a discussion about how underrated lobster is. Prawn gets all the talk, but on the low, lobster is the most elite of all the sea animals, for lack of a better term.
FOLLY: Elite is probably the best term. It's also so much more convenient to eat than crab.
NOSA: On a second thought, lobster might not be underrated. It’s out of everyone’s budget. Yeah, I take that back. Still delicious though.
FOLLY: Crab is the biggest inconvenience ever. If it's not shell-off crab meat, I don't want it.
NOSA: I wasn’t a fan of the crab either. Not only was it tedious to eat, there was little, if anything, to eat. As a garnish on the plate, it does an exceptional job.
All of this said, the seafood platter isn’t really worth it. It looks like a lot, but it’s really not a large enough portion to share. The crab just takes up all of the space and there are better ways to spend your 20k.
FOLLY: I also got the salmon as my main. I was expecting a much bigger cut and instead I got a sliver. The salmon itself was overcooked but it was fine. I ordered scallopped potatoes but received herb roasted potatoes - they were delicious even though the wrong thing.
NOSA: The salmon is a tad more expensive than the one at Noir and at that price, the ketchup thing is a little too basic.
FOLLY: I really hope that was done by an over ethusiastic kitchen assistant and not the norm for 788 because serving ketchup with salmon is pretty damn pedestrian.
POSTSCRIPT
NOSA: Ocean basket finally has a challenger, albeit an expensive one.
FOLLY: I'd go with my parents - if they are paying
NOSA: I wouldn’t get the platter again though.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Prawn Bruschetta - N4800
Scalloped Potatoes - N1800
Grilled Salmon Caviar - N16500
Mixed Seafood Platter - N20000
PARKING
The Twin Waters complex has sufficient parking.