Singapore's famous "Chilli crab". A Singapore-born menu of large crabs sprinkled with sweet and spicy chili sauce. When you go to Singapore, there are many shops from tourists to locals, so you can't decide where to go!

In such a case, we will only listen to the opinions of the local people. The En-eating editorial department compared the bright red chilli crabs at the two restaurants recommended by the local guide. Actually, I (the author) who had the first experience with the chilli crab. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of taste you can meet!


◆ What is a chilli crab?

Chilli crab is made by sprinkling sauces containing chili, tomato (ketchup), eggs, vinegar, etc. on crabs such as doumangani, Sri Lankan club, and mud club. Is it a crab version of shrimp chili? Its history is relatively short, and it was invented in the 1950s. At first, the sauce was just a combination of chili and tomato sauce, but it gradually became the current format.

When eating, use a utensil to break the shell and add plenty of sauce to your body. Enjoy the remaining sauce by dipping it in a mantou. My hands get very dirty, but don't worry about it. The best part is to eat vigorously while making your hands sticky. Save finger balls and hand towels until the end. Even if you use it on the way, it will get dirty again ...

Now, I would like to introduce two chilli crabs that I visited and recommended by local guides. By the way, this time I was interviewing alone, so there are no photos in the middle of eating. I gave priority to camera protection ... I'm sorry!

◆ LONG BEACH Seafood Restaurant

The first is LONG BEACH Seafood Restaurant. It is a famous seafood restaurant that is said to have originated from "Black Pepper Crab" seasoned with black pepper, and is listed in many tourist guides. I visited a store in an area called East Court between the city and the airport.

The large aquarium inside the store contains various types of crabs. They say that they will cook by specifying the size and type from these. I had booked a course meal, so I waited for the food to arrive while looking at the crabs.


The first chilli crab in my life. A sweet and sour scent comes from the steaming crab on a large plate. Looking over the plate, a whole large crab floats in the sea of red sauce. The "sea" looks like red oyster soup, like melted eggs in sweet chili sauce.


First, lick the sauce. It wasn't as spicy as it looked, and I had the impression that it contained beaten eggs in a rich tomato sauce. You can feel the richness and mellowness, probably because of the eggs. The texture was fluffy and light, contrary to its thick appearance. It's a red and spicy sauce, but it's "soft" and mellow, and I want to lick it all the time. If you eat plenty of crab meat with plenty of sauce, it will be irresistible.

The mantou was a fried type that was tightly packed and heavy. Dip a slightly sweet mantou in a spicy sauce and pakuri. It may be more delicious if you soak it until it's soaked. Locally, it is said that the sauce is sprinkled on fried rice and eaten in an ankake fried rice style.

By the time I finished eating, my hands were so sticky that I couldn't see any shadows. However, I licked all the sauce on my fingers (sorry for being bad manners). By the way, the daughter of the local guide (in her twenties) was so fond of chilli crab that she devised a clean way to eat and a way to wash her hands without leaving any odor. I really wanted you to teach me ...!

◆ Dragon Phoenix

The second is the Chinese restaurant "Dragon Phoenix" in NOVO HOTEL, which stands in the place where Hotel New Otani used to be. A famous Chinese restaurant opened by Chef Hooi, one of the four heavenly kings of the Singapore restaurant world.

The specialty is dim sum, but the chilli crab is also famous. In the special kitchen, I was waiting for the ingredients such as crabs to be cooked. The big big crab is like a prestigious restaurant. By the way, the kitchen was so busy that the wedding was held on that day, so I couldn't shoot the cooking scene ... sorry.


By the way, the chilli crab that arrived was for a large number of people, so two crabs were served. The sauce is slightly redder than Long Beach and has less eggs.


The sauce is more sour than the long beach chilli crab, and although it is rich, it has a refreshing aftertaste. According to the local guide, this sourness is the point of the shop, and the balance of sweetness, sourness and spices is very good. It's not too sharp, not too mild, and you can eat it quickly. Of course, the crab meat that is tightly packed is also excellent.

And above all, what impressed me was the quality of the mantou. This is also a fried type, but it is not heavy, and the flavor and sweetness of wheat spreads softly, just like when you ate a croissant. I had a strong image that mantou was hard to eat because it was squeaky, but the impression changed significantly. Not to mention the compatibility with the sauce.

◆ What is the point of taste?

As a result of eating and comparing the two chilli crabs, I felt that there was a difference in "sourness" among the seasonings of the sauce. You can enjoy both mild taste with low acidity and strong taste with acidity. Also, I was surprised at the difference in mantou. The fluffiness, fried food, and compatibility with the sauce seem to be unique to each store. Next time I'll eat a chilli crab at another restaurant ...!

By the way, it seems that the two chilli crabs I ate this time had less chili than the seasoning for the locals. When you know that you are a tourist, it seems that the spiciness is modest. This may be the reason why I thought "it's not as hot as it looks". If you want to try the "local taste", it seems better to tell it when you make a reservation or order.