This Singapore’s national seafood dish, created in the 50s has a complex sauce redolent with sambal, eggs, stock and hints of vinegar and smoothened by a touch of starch. It is spicy, sweet, umami laden, tomato paste, tangy and savoury all at once. The sweet crabs sitting in the sauce is to be devoured by hand, with a bib ideally. A pincer plier is often provided to crack into the flesh. Breads like mantou are provided and dipping it in the sauce and savouring is a highlight of this dish.
Chilli Crab
Keng Eng Kee Seafood
124 Bukit Merah Ln 1 #01-136 (Map) http://www.kek.com.sg/ 11.30am – 2pm, 5pm – 10pm Daily
This family, originally from Ipoh, Malaysia, now calls Singapore home and they gave this land a slice of their culinary delights. Among the many cze cha dishes they are famed for (see cze cha listing), folks just cannot get enough of their chilli crabs. If you don't call way ahead, the crabs would have been booked by other diners. They use their own-made sambal and tomato sauce to wok-toss the crabs with and it comes very bold, rich, eggy and spicy enough with just a very light touch of tang. They use huge Sri Lanka crabs and supplies are limited these days, so good luck. Dip the steamed, not fried, mantou in the sauce for that great finishing touch to this meal.
Roland Restaurant 89 Marine Parade Central #06-750 (Map) https://www.rolandrestaurant.com.sg/ 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm Daily
History shows they were the first to create Chilli Crabs in Singapore way back in the post- war era, when the matriarch and her husband sold seafood by the seashore of Upper East Coast where an army camp now stands. Their version was inspired by the spice loving community in the East and the owner then simply heeded the advice of customers and added tomato chilli sauce to the steamed crabs and tossed it in the wok. The rest is history. Today they also offer the "newer" sambal laced versions but if you like, ask them for the "original" recipe version.
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