Lunch at the relatively new Agua restaurant in Galleria Plaza on West Bay Road is a calming and tasty affair.
 
Tables are spread far enough apart to ensure diners’ privacy and there is a lulled quality to the venue, unlike some of the more frenetic and rushed lunchtime experiences in other restaurants.
 
And most importantly, the food did not disappoint.
 
My colleague and I both opted for the lobster bisque for starters when we visited recently. The soup had just the right amount of creaminess and earthiness expected from a good bisque. While we might have appreciated a couple of more chunks of lobster in the soup, the bite-sized pieces were fresh and delectable.
 
Being in the mood for seafood, I chose the grilled salmon from the Fish from the Grill selection on the menu. Other options were mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna, calamari, shrimp and a mixed grill.
 
You get a choice of starches – mashed potatoes, fries or rice, and sauces – piccata, salmoriglio, creamy portobello or beurre blanc. I chose the salmoriglio, an Italian sauce of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano.
 
The salmon, which looked on the skimpy side at first, proved the perfect size for lunch. It was cooked to perfection, and the slightly acidic sauce was the ideal accompaniment to the fleshy fish.
 
My dining companion chose the arugula salad with walnuts, blue cheese, Bosch pears, blueberries and sugar cane emulsion, which she declared was delicious.
 
Unlike some salads that are overpowered by the dressing, the ingredients and the flavouring were perfectly balanced.
 
There is a strong Peruvian influence to the cuisine in Agua, as evidenced on the menu by the selection of ceviches and tiraditos, which are citrus-marinated seafood dishes.
 
We couldn’t resist the mix and match ceviches on offer. You can order a minimum of three of the four choices of ceviches or just order a large serving of your favourite.
 
We went for the Clasico ceviche; the Nikkey with tuna, kirin sauce, sesame oil and seeds, green onions, soy sauce, ginger pickle, nomi and lemon juice; and Yango with salmon, red onion, red pepper, cilantro, makrut lime, citrus and sambai chilli.
 
Each individual spoon costs $3 or $11 for a serving.
 
Being able to sample the individual versions makes opting for cerviche for your main course on your next visit easier. I’m definitely getting the Clasico with wahoo marinated in Leche de Tigre – a standard in most Peruvian kitchens that includes lime juice, celery, garlic, ginger, red onion, ají limo, and cilantro.
 
Agua is open 11.30am to 1am and food is served all day. The restaurant is also open on Sundays for dinner only and serves food until midnight.  WH