Love them or hate them, Escargots (cooked snails) are enjoyed by many in the European states, and its popularity is gradually growing in Asia. This gourmet delight has grown from being only available at snazzy restaurants to a coveted street food item. In recent years, we witnessed a gradual increase in the number of affordable escargots in Singapore

Escargots, which stands for snails in French, were classified as a luxury food item and it is usually served only during festive dinners. Now, however, we see more affordable options of this gourmet dish.

Jeremy Say, one of the owners of Mariner’s Corner, a Haninese-Western restaurant let us in on the reason behind escargots new found affordability.

“We can import live snails from France, but that would be extremely expensive. So we used canned snails, combined with our house recipe batter to make it affordable and tasty.” says Jeremy.

A high protein, low fat dish (without the butter), it is usually garnished with garlic and butter.

TFS Bistro

Served in a plain pastry bowl, TFS Bistro (previously known as The French Stall) presents ½ dozen escargot drizzled with rich green garlic butter sauce at $9.80.

“We import canned snails exclusively from France and we have our own garlic butter batter recipe.” says a staff at TFS Bistro.

Upon arrival of the dish, the strong savoury aroma rises and floods the air. It was almost mouth-watering.

Although I appreciated the presentation, they could really ease off a little on the saltiness of the batter. Instead of complimenting the snail meat, it was so overpowering that the batter became the focus of the dish. The pastry bowl was however, the redeeming factor. Its neutral taste and crispiness offsets the saltiness and gave a real good contrast to the mushy texture of the escargots. The shell-less presentation also makes for easy consumption.

Mariner’s Corner

Tucked away in the inconspicuous Maritime House, you will find one of the best (and affordable) escargot dishes. Mariner’s Corner, a cozy eatery with 30 years of history serves their escargots with crispy garlic bread on the side.

Glistening with pride, the escargots are presented in a shallow garlic-butter broth, with the meat eaten from the shell.

“Our snails are imported from France and they come without shells. But we buy them separately as it looks better when it is served.” says Jeremy Say, the young boss of the eatery.

“We are a family-run business and we count on our regulars. The only way is to have our food affordably priced.” Jeremy added, when asked about how Mariner’s Corner prices their escargot dish.

The inside of the shell is coated with butter before the cooked snails are put in place. The snail meat is tender and batter not overtly salty. The garlic bread on the other hand, made an interesting pair with the snails. It was good that the garlic spread was minimal, together with the dark escargot meat, it was an epic savoury combo. But do moderate your intake of the butter broth in the shell though. A little makes good taste, but anything more it will be a tad too salty.

Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe

At $5.80 for a ½ dozen of piping hot shell-less snails, Saizeriya Ristorante E Caffe, an Italian-Japanese joint, aims to capture the hearts of their patrons with a heavy garlic mix. The garlic flavour was slightly overpowering, but the meat’s rubbery texture remains. It may be a little bit too salty for some, so consider scraping away some garlic bits and broth.

So, it seems like snails are gradually taking its place in local culinary scene. But will they be welcomed with open arms?

Daryl Ong, a 23-year-old undergrad cannot wait for more economical escargot options to open up.

“I like escargots and it still isn’t readily available here. I am only a student, so I can’t go to high-end restaurants as often as I like. I am glad there are more economical options now.” He says.

Timothy Lee, an IT technician on the other hand, begs to differ.

“I don’t like the idea of eating snails. It’s weird. But I guess if they are kept under $10, I might try it one day.” says the 24-year-old.

*Prices not inclusive of GST & Service Charge