How was the Boil in the Bag dish at Dundee’s Surf and Turf restaurant?

We were excited for a Saturday evening out in Dundee with seafood, wine and maybe a couple of cocktails afterwards. Things did not go to plan…

As parents to a toddler, my husband and I aren’t able to go out together that often, but we wanted to try the Boil in the Bag at Dundee’s new Surf and Turf restaurant.

So, we got our glad rags on, called a babysitter and headed for the bright lights of the city centre. We had a 7.30pm table booked, I had pre-ordered the Boil in the Bag and we were looking forward to a crisp glass of wine.

There are two menus at Surf and Turf, one with chippie main courses which appear to be going down well, and another Steak and Seafood menu which has an assortment of reasonably priced and tasty looking dishes.

The latter is what we were looking to try, specifically the Boil in the Bag and it took two attempts for us to get it.

Surf and Turf first impressions

When we arrived at Surf and Turf I was a little stunned by the brightness of the place, it’s very white and stark and had a kind of clinical feel about it.

However, after noting the fun seaside and shellfish theme and spotting the colourful dessert bar at the far end I relaxed a bit.

Despite there only being one table of four in the restaurant, it took a while for the maître d’ to make eye contact and take us to our table, so we waited awkwardly by the bar.

I had sent a message in advance to say we would be having the Boil in the Bag dish as I know this dish can take up a few hours to prepare, but I was horrified to be told we would still have to wait at least an hour.

No wine?

We then noticed that there was no alcohol on the menu, not that this is essential and I often don’t drink when I’m out, however to sit for an hour without a glass of wine was disappointing when we had been looking forward to it.

A starter wasn’t really an option to fill the time, as the main course was going to be very filling, so we agreed with the waiter that we would pop out while they got our food ready and come back at 8.30pm.

We enjoyed a glass of wine along the road and then returned, very hungry by now, only to be told the kitchen was closed and there was to be no Boil in the Bag that night.

After a difficult (and slightly hangry) conversation we agreed to return another night to try again.

Flash forward to next Thursday….

On our second visit to Surf and Turf we were prepared for the lack of wine and ready, if slightly nervous, to finally tuck into their Boil in the Bag.

This time we had a lovely and attentive waiter, who kitted us out with plastic bibs, a large plastic bowl for the discarded shells, various serious-looking tools and took our drinks order.

We were informed that they don’t stock Pepsi or Coca Cola products and instead serve Yo! softs drinks, which I was told supports the Palestinian cause.

I opted for a cola flavoured drink while my husband tried the mango option. The drinks were fine, my cola went flat quite quickly but the mango drink was lovely.

I was told the reason they have only soft drinks is that they want to focus on the food.

Our Boil in the Bag dish came out quickly this time and it was certainly a sight to behold!

We chose the option for two or three sharing and it was massive.

I was taken aback by the presentation of the dish as it appeared to come out in a large oven tray.

The tray it was served on almost filled the width of the table, and it took a moment for me to get my head around the immensity of the dish.

Even if you are going for a rustic look, this just seemed to lack thought and for the £69.99 price tag I expect a more tasteful presentation.

So how did Surf and Turf’s Boil in the Bag dish taste?

Never one to be put off by a challenge, I grabbed a spoonful of mussels, calamari, claws, prawns and potatoes and placed them on my plate for dissection.

I noticed Surf and Turf follow the recipe which includes smoked sausages and they gave the sauce a rich, savoury and delicious flavour.

We regularly spooned the tasty sauce over our food before eating it as it was so good. The roasted potatoes was soft and flavoursome and provided and welcome contrast to the rich gravy.

The prawns were plentiful and very tasty, but disappointingly out of their shells and I was also informed that all the seafood used was brought over from Glasgow rather than bought locally.

Missing a trick on local seafood

It seems such a shame not to make the most of what we have on our doorstep and I feel they’re missing a good marketing tool by not serving local produce.

We very much enjoyed the corn on the cobs, of which there were several, and the addition of beautifully sweet, tiny oranges was a real treat.

The mouth-watering sweetness of the oranges and sweetcorn was a great palate cleanser between wrestling matches with the crab.

My husband was the first to take on one of the two very large and kind of scary-looking crabs and he quickly got to where the meat should be like a pro.

Crabs get their revenge

Clearly meant to be the wow-factor of the dish, the two large crabs were painfully spiky (good for them getting the last laugh!) and the meat inside the main body of the shell appeared to have dried up.

We only found crab meat in the claws and that was dry, possibly damaged by freezing or dried out from overcooking. I don’t know the cause but it was disappointing.

We were in quite a sticky, seafood mess by this point and the lovely waiter brought us yet more napkins to clean ourselves up.

I had to ask for a finger bowl, but really we needed a hose down….

Exhausted but happy

We couldn’t finish the whole dish, largely because I was exhausted with all the cracking, crunching and snapping.

My drink had gone flat and I really wanted to go and wash my hands properly.

We called it a day and although the crab had been disappointing, we were very pleased with the rest of the dish and felt it had been worth the visit, if not the price.

Before leaving, I popped into the ladies to get some hot soapy water on my hands.

Final let down

The bathrooms are not nice, they looked dirty, neither of the two soap dispensers offered any substance that effectively washed hands and I really just wanted to get out of there.

I told the management about the disappointing elements of the Boil in the Bag and the parts that worked well.

I was assured that the size of the dish was to give value for money and I certainly appreciate Surf and Turf bringing something new and interesting to Dundee.

Surf and Turf have other exciting dishes in mind for the future and I am all for trying something new and would certainly go back for them.

I feel the city needs someone who will take risks and offer new food experiences, but this particular dish fell short.

It was important to have experience in taking apart a whole crab and cracking claws to find much of the meat in this dish, which won’t be suitable for many customers.

Too challenging?

There was no offer of guidance and I’d question how many people are looking for that kind of challenge in the area.

This really limits the appeal of the dish, which could’ve been made a little more accessible and more delicately presented.

As improvements, I’d suggest sourcing fresh, local seafood where possible, reducing the size of the dish to bring the price to a more manageable level, taking the crab apart before serving, working on the quality of the crab meat and being more clear about the lack of alcohol on the menu.

Oh, and turn the lights down a little for a more cosy and less canteen feel.

W: https://surfandturfdundee.com/

Price: £73 for two Yo! soft drinks and one Enough for two or three Boil in the bag seafood.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Surroundings: 3/5