I have always liked Fish & Co. Their portions are huge, the food is good and unpretentious, and you feel so satisfied after each meal there that it's almost easy to disregard the enormous amount of calories you must have consumed. It helps that my family enjoys the food there - good food always tastes better when you're sharing it with your loved ones.

That said, one of the main draws of the seafood chain is its unpretentiousness and homely, friendly ambience. When I received an invitation to try out the food at its new Paragon outlet, I was curious. Would going upmarket rob the restaurant of its casual, laidback appeal?

I needn't have worried. The Paragon outlet displays all the elements that I have always liked about Fish & Co. - warm ambience, friendly staff, good food and large portions.

In fact, the only discernible difference at first sight is the restaurant's furnishings. Light colours and simple lines give the Paragon outlet an airy, breezy feel which befits its location in the heart of Orchard Road.

 On its menu are all the familiar favourites such as their mussels in lemon butter sauce, grilled calamari, and seafood platters. There are also a number of dishes unique to the Paragon outlet.

One of them is the Wakame Salad with Shrimp ($9.90) - a prettily presented salad of mixed seaweed and Japanese kelp with tiger prawns. It had a slightly sweet taste, and the addition of cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinegar was quite refreshing. The Prawn Fritters ($8.90) also make tasty appetizers. The ones I tried were well-fried and not overdone, and the accompanying chilli jam was pleasant with a slight kick, but was not too spicy. with it. The miso sauce had enough flavour without being overly salty, and complimented the light taste of the fish well.

If you have a huge appetite, go for the Whole Lobster with Spicy Lemon Cheese Tomato (seasonal price). The specimen I tried was succulent and the unusual combination of tangy, spicy and savoury flavours in the accompanying sauce was quite agreeable. As with all of Fish & Co.'s main courses, it comes with a side of either raisin rice or paprika fries.

My favourite, however, was the Philadelphia Fish and Chips ($15.90), so named because the batter-fried fish was generously stuffed with Philadelphia cheese. Fish & Co. does have another cheese-stuffed dish - the New York Fish & Chips ($14.90) with parmesan cheese stuffing - but the Philadelphia version is unique to the Paragon outlet.

At first sight, it looks rather ordinary, but once you cut through it and see the lovely cheese stuffing oozing out, it is hard to resist. It was savoury, but despite all that cheese, it was not too rich. The light, crisp batter of the fish made the indulgent dish just marginally less sinful for weight watchers.

Fish & Co.'s newest outlet is worth checking out for some of these dishes, particularly the Philadelphia Fish and Chips. For those craving seafood with full flavours and big portions in Orchard Road without wanting to fork out an arm or leg, this is one restaurant to consider.

Fish & Co. Paragon
290 Orchard Rd
#B1-35/36 Paragon
S (238859)
Tel: 6733 0938

Note: Fish & Co also recently launched a delivery service of its popular signature items* from three of its suburban outlets ? Tampines Mall (Tel: 6787 3437), Parkway Parade (Tel: 6348 9727) and Jurong Point (Tel: 6898 4248) ? for homes and offices in the vicinity .

*The following items are available for delivery: The Best Fish & Chips in Town ($13.90); Fried calamari ($8.90 ); New York fish & chips (fish with parmesan cheese stuffing, $14.90 ); Prawn fritters (batter fried prawns and chip) $14.90 ); Fisherman's combo (fish cutlet, fried calamari, prawn fritters and chips , $18.90)