If there’s one dish you absolutely have to try when in Singapore, it’s the chilli crab. This is a must for your Singapore itinerary.
The dish:
Chilli crab is a dish in which stir-fried crab is drenched in a sweet, savoury, and spicy tomato-based sauce. It usually comes with steam or deep-fried buns (also known as mantous). You basically use these buns to mop up the delicious sauce throughout and at the end.
Where to eat it:
The most popular place to try this dish at is Jumbo Seafood. The restaurant is at Boat Quay and is located by the riverside, overlooking the amazing Singapore River. The outdoor seating area is perfect for evening winter nights – perfect temperature and perfect ambience and perfect views – of Singapore’s old port, the numerous modern skyscrapers, the river, the boats and just for people watching. You can also dine inside of course. It’s a bit away from the city centre, so keep that mind when choosing when to dine. We went there late and getting a taxi back was a bit tricky.
Our thoughts:
The chilli crab we tried at Jumbo wasn’t chilli at all actually. And from what we hear their version is less chillier than their counterparts. However, the quality of the dish was evident. And their known to be one of the best. We’re not regular crab eaters, so when we got presented a whole crab and tools to dissect it, we weren’t fully comfortable. One of the waiters did kindly come and help us (regularly lol). It’s a messy and time consuming affair and if you aren’t an expert crab meat dissector, I personally don’t think it’s worth the effort. It was a fun experience though. When in Singapore it’s definitely one to tick off your list. Alternatively, you can also try the black pepper crab – which is a more peppery version.
Fun fact:
It’s no. 35 on CNN’s top 50 foods in the world. So you have to try it right?
Getting there
Google Maps Location: click here
