Tucked within the island of Sentosa and next to the Underwater World, ironically is a seafood restaurant called The Boxing Crab. (Maybe that's why their seafood are all so fresh hahaha!)
Puffed on the fragrant lemongrass-infused 'Otah Otah Cigar' to kickstart the feast.
Hidden underneath these fat juicy clams are strands of hot glass noodles, which is made even more piquant with heaps of minced garlic. Upon my first mouthful, my initial thoughts of sharing got erased instantly and I ended up cleaning everything.
Being a fan of spice and sauces, I was definitely delighted when I saw three variations of chilli sauces - sambal bajak, sambal matah, and red chilli in sweet soy sauce served with the perfectly grilled squid, Balinese style.
Like the squid, this red snapper is charoal grilled but somehow, the sweetness and moisture of fish meat is lost.
The spiciness level is well-controlled in this
Mee Goreng - friendly to families and children yet tangy enough to whet appetites.
And for something as exciting as lobster, just look at the amount of molten cheese on top..
..finished with trickles of the
buerre blanc (butter sauce). How can a cream / cheese lover not go insane?
The restaurant is not named after crabs for nothing. There are three main types of crabs to choose from - Sri Lanka, swimmer, flower, accompanied with a dozen of cooking methods from the traditional Chinese to innovative Western and Balinese styles.
I was torn by choices. Instead of going for the signature "boxing crab" (chilli crab wrapped in lotus leaves), I got something else that caught my eye.
The "
ang moh" version of chilli crab. However, I regretted almost instantly when I saw how little the meat was. I concluded two things:
1) I should have stuck to my Asian roots.
2) Snow crabs taste best unflavoured.
Akin to chilli crabs, black pepper crabs is a top hit among Singaporeans. This 'Caramelized Spices' way of cooking is an interesting spin-off from our classic black pepper, if not better. The mish-mash of a gazillion spices reaches deep into the fresh husky crab meat, making it so flavoursome that even the shell seemed palatable.
Moving to something wetter, another marquee dish is here to please.
The savoury pumpkin-based broth makes a great home to the crabs and dip for soft steamed buns.
Food in The Boxing Crab are hidden gems waiting to be uncovered. The only issue I see here is the location, but then again, Singaporeans have no trouble traveling at all to just BOX their tastebuds away!
| Food: | ★ ★ ★ ★ |
| Ambience: | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ |
| Value: | ★ ★ ★ |
| Service: | ★ ★ ★ |
The Boxing Crab
80 Siloso Road, S(098969)
(+65) 6274 7760
Mon - Sun: 11am - 11pm
www.foodjunction.com
0 mouthfuls
Make a "nom" sound