Whether you are a local or a tourist, among the must-try Singaporean dishes are the chilli and black pepper crabs. Unless, of course, you are allergic to seafood or shellfish. The chilli crab isn’t just spicy but has the savoury sweetness that goes well with fried or steamed mantou. For something peppery with a complex depth of spicy-savoury flavour, the black pepper crab checks all the boxes — a deep-fried crab coated in thick, black pepper sauce. Below is our list of the 8 places to get your chilli and black pepper crabs in Singapore.
1) JUMBO Seafood
Over 35 years and still counting, JUMBO Seafood’s flagship at East Coast Seafood Centre and other outlets such as ION Orchard and Dempsey Hill, isn’t just a seafood restaurant. It is an institution renowned for its signature chilli and black pepper crabs that attract many loyal customers and newcomers. Using live crabs such as Mud Crabs and Alaskan Crabs, the chef will have them cooked according to your preferred style. Their chilli crab, for example, offers a symphony of spicy-savoury tastes with assorted spices and other ingredients. Not to mention the seafood sweetness of the juicy and meaty crab that goes well with the thick, fiery gravy coated in this crustacean.
Address: Click here
2) G7 Frog Porridge & Live Seafood
The highlight of this Geylang seafood restaurant may have been its famous frog porridge. But if you are here craving some delicious crabs, G7 delivers the goods. Try their irresistibly spicy and succulent chilli crab and don’t forget to pair it with a plate of pillowy mantou to dip in the gravy. Their black pepper crab comes highly recommended too, offering a bold and smoky flavour of black pepper goodness.
Address: 163 Geylang Road, Lorong 3 Geylang, Singapore 389239.
3) Keng Eng Kee Seafood
The spicy-savoury richness of Keng Eng Kee’s chilli and black pepper crabs made the dish taste heavenly, where the former pairs well with steamed mantou. Besides, it’s hard to leave the robust chilli gravy sitting all alone not to be used as a dipping sauce. Apart from their bestselling chilli and black pepper crabs, you may also want to order their creamy salted egg crab. You can locate Keng Eng Kee Seafood at Bukit Merah, SAFRA Tampines and SAFRA Punggol.
Address:
(Bukit Merah) 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-136, Singapore 150124.
(SAFRA Tampines) 1/A Tampines Street 92, Singapore 528882.
(SAFRA Punggol) 9 Sentul Cres, #02-01, Singapore 828654.
4) Long Beach
A visit to the Long Beach restaurant wouldn’t be complete without ordering their signature black pepper crab. After all, they are the ones who started this original menu creation. The crab is deep-fried before coating it with rich, spicy-savoury black pepper sauce. The complex flavour profile of the black pepper goodness matches the freshness of the crab, coupled with the juicy meat on the inside. The spotlight also goes to their fiery chilli crab that you must whip the thick gravy squeaky clean on the plate with fried mantou. You can choose live Dungeness or XL mud crabs for either cooking style.
Address: Click here
5) Eng Seng First Grade Seafood Restaurant
One of the must-order seafood dishes at Eng Seng First Grade Seafood Restaurant is the signature black pepper crab. A large, fresh crab coated with the robust black pepper sauce, all savoury and peppery that goes well with steaming white rice. This restaurant also offers other cooking styles for the crab dishes including steam, chilli and tomato but it was the black pepper crab that excels the most.
Address: 247 Joo Chiat Place, Singapore 427935.
6) HolyCrab
Indulge in the succulent goodness of the fresh Sri Lankan crab at HolyCrab. And to top that, they only offer the best-quality, antibiotics-free crab possible. You can have the chef cook it in a different style, namely black pepper or salted egg. Their Singapore Chilli Crab is worth ordering — a combination of fresh and juicy crab slathered in thick, spicy-savoury and sweet sauce with eggs and nuts. Best paired with their mantou.
Address: Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore, 13 Stamford Road, #01-85, Singapore 178905.
7) Hua Yu Wee Seafood Restaurant
Hua Yu Wee’s illustrious history stretches way back to the 1950s with its speciality in the zi char dishes. Not to be left out is their chilli and black pepper crabs. The former offers both freshness and sweetness of the crab meat that pairs well with the mildly spicy sauce. The added ketchup makes it more palatable for those who can’t really take the heat. Prices are varied according to the weight of the crab (800 g or above 1.1 kg).
Address: 462 Upper East Coast Road, Bedok, Singapore 466508.
8) 8 Crabs
Looking to enjoy a delectable chilli crab in the comfort of your home? 8 Crab made its mark as “the only crab delivery service in Singapore using Grade AAA premium Sri Lankan wild-caught crabs”. Many customers who ordered from them praised the size and freshness of the crab. The 8 Crab’s signature chilli crab packs the spicy-sweet flavour that makes it all the more appetising. Don’t forget to pair your chilli crab with the nice, deep-fried mantou to dip in the chilli gravy.
Address: 80 Playfair Road #02-19, Lobby B Kapo Factory Building, Singapore 367998.
