8 Seafood Spots To Satisfy Your Chilli Crab Cravings

Chilli crab is a popular Singapore dish among locals and foreigners alike. Cooked in a sweet, spicy, and tangy sauce that is mostly made up of chilli and tomato, the juicy, tender crab meat is often served alongside mantou, which is a toasted fluffy bun, or rice.

The origins of this iconic dish can be traced back somewhere in the 1950s. A local street vendor created this dish using a combination of various cultural influencers, such as Indian, Malay, and Chinese. Traditionally, the crab dish is best eaten with mantou, which is a toasted fluffy bun. The mantou is able to absorb the delicious sauce, allowing you not to waste a single drop. 

It is vital to note that this is not a clean and neat dish. It will get messy as you crack the crab’s shell in order to get to the delicious meat. But if you can get pass the mess, you will be rewarded with a delicious and unforgettable meal. Nevertheless, if you are craving for chilli crab or want to know why it is such a popular dish, then here are 10 seafood spots serving some of the best chilli crabs that are guaranteed to satisfy your craving.

Note: This list is strictly not in order.

1. Mellben Seafood

Established in 1987, Mellben Seafood specialises in crabs. In fact, it is one of the first seafood restaurant that dedicates the majority of its business to crabs. They are known for being one of the best places for chilli crab, butter crab, and crab bee hoon soup. They have two branches, the main one in Ang Mo Kio, while the other is Tanjong Pagar Plaza. Apart from selling crabs, they also have other dishes and seafood options to choose from. The price of their chilli crab dish depends on the seasonal price.

Customer Reviews

Le Jia
Ad hoc walked in during weekdays, waitress was very polite and let us in in 15mins. Overall a good dining experience with family. my 5 year old is a big fan of their chili crab! 5 stars!

Ren S
Awesome chilli crab! Your goto neighbourhood fix for seafood. Cheaper than in town😅 Brought my visiting Japanese coworkers and local colleagues to have their first taste of 🇸🇬 Singapore’s chilli crab and bee Hoon crab soup. Great with beer too! Remember to check out the MONSTER Sri Lankan crabs to fit your party size! What a great way to also kick start the year of the dragon with Singapore’s Lou Hei! Huat ah! Opens 5pm. No crowd on a Thursday. Advisable to make a reservation in order not to wait too long. Smash the like button and follow below 👇 if you like this writeup.

Luyi
Hidden shop with good quality crabs and other delicious dishes

Website: https://www.mellbensignature.sg/mellben-seafood/
Contact:
6285 6762 (Ang Mo Kio)
6220 5512 (Tanjong Pagar)

Location:
Ang Mo Kio: 232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 St 22, #01-1222, Singapore 560232
Tanjong Pagar: 7 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #01-105, Singapore 081007

Opening Hours:
Ang Mo Kio: Monday – Sunday: 5 PM – 10:30 PM
Tanjong Pagar: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM – 02:15 PM, 5 PM – 10 PM

2. Alliance Seafood

Aliance Seafood is one of the many stalls at Newton Food Centre. Its chilli crab dish was awarded the Singapore Michelin Bib Gourmand. The seafood stall has been serving good chilli crabs in Singapore for more than three decades, maintaining its Bib Gourmand status for several years.

In fact, many customers who frequents Aliance Seafood always come back due to their plump and juicy crab meat, which are sold at market price, making them one of the most affordable chilli crabs. You can also find many other iconic local seafood dishes, such as sambal stingray and cereal prawns.

Customer Reviews

Sirinya Piyakit
This store located in Newton Circus hawkers where is very famous to tourist. Many shops have almost the same menu but this store got Michilin things. 1 crab weight almost 1 kg(~50S$), we ordered 1 chilli crab (famous Singapore menu) and 1 black pepper crab. It was quite good. My most favorite was the bun (we ordered 2 plates) dipped chilli sauce.

한정화
We were introduced to this place by Inside Singapore(Korean Singapore Trip Information Community).
This place gave me a really great experience. The food was delicious and the staff was friendly. Chili crab and fried rice are the best combination. The sauce is the best. It was nice to be able to buy and eat other foods nearby.

K WS
We ordered the chilli crab and bbq stingray. The food was delicious and they even offered to customize the flavor (we wanted more spicy). Great service, would come back again.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/allianceseafood27/
Contact: 9771 9209
Location: 500 Clemenceau Ave N, #01-27, Circus Food Centre, Singapore 229495
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 12 PM – 10 PM

3. New Ubin Seafood

New Ubin Seafood was originally from Pulau Ubin, an off-shore island off the coast of Singapore. They specialised in kampong-style seafood. Despite moving far away from the rustic kampong, they still retain that flavour in their dishes. They continue to keep the tradition alive by serving their customers authentic, sumptuous local cuisine in both of their outlets, keeping a family-friendly vibe.

Their chilli crab ranges from $65 to $95, depending on the weight of the crab.

Customer Reviews

Yunseong Lee
The food is not salty and seasoned. And above all, chili crab and meat are the best

David Lau
Great food. Lively ambience. More kampong style than jumbo seafood. Chili crab is great. Discounts offered with certain bank cards. Remember to take your cholesterol meds if you eat here!

Les Tan
We were very impressed by the quality of the dishes especially the Hokkien mee and chilli crab. The service staff especially Christina was very helpful. Highly recommended.

Website: https://newubinseafood.com/
Contact: 9740 6870 (WhatsApp)
Location: Chijmes: 30 Victoria Street, #02-01B/C, Singapore 187996
MYMCA Stevens: 60 Stevens Road, Singapore 257854
Opening Hours: Chijmes: Monday: 5:30 PM – 1 AM | Tuesday – Sunday: 11 AM – 3 PM, 5:30 PM – 1 AM
MYMCA Stevens: Monday – Sunday: 11 AM – 10 PM

4. Seafood Paradise

Seafood Paradise is Paradise Group’s first restaurant and serves one of the best seafood spreads in Singapore, including the famous chilli crab. They are known for its incredible affordability paired with its generous portions, making it highly suitable for large groups and families.

The unique selling point of their chilli crab rendition is that customers have the option to choose from four crabs: Alaskan king crab, Scotland snow crab, mud crab, and dungeness crab. Alongside the chilli crab are also two mantou options: steamed or deep-fried.

Customer Reviews

Yong-khiam Cheng
The restaurant was spacious and modern. The staff were attentive and came to us when we called them. We ordered the Singapore chilli crab, fried rice, fried fish and vegetable. It did not take too long for the food to be served. The Singapore chilli crab was nice, with its spicy gravy that coated the dish. The crab meat was firm and sweet. The dining experience was good.

Mei F
good: chilli crab and mantou, baby squid, pork neck, salted egg cuttlefish paste thing
not bad: braised ee fu noodles, har cheong gai, spinach garlic
service is efficient, crab comes with indiv washing bowls and aprons

Chin C
The waiters are friendly and attentive. The whole family loves the environment here which is very comfortable. The Chili crab here is my favorite, and the fried steamed buns are even more delicious. 👍🏻😋 I am very satisfied and happy eating here. 😘😘

Website: https://www.paradisegp.com/brand-seafood-paradise/
Contact:
6379 9410 (Clarke Quay)
6221 0159 (VivoCity)

Location:
Clarke Quay: 3A River Valley Road, Block A, #01-03, Singapore 179020
Vivo City: 1 Harbourfront Walk, Vivo City, #01-53, Singapore 098585

Opening Hours:
Clarke Quay: Sunday – Thursday: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM | Friday, Saturday, & PH: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM – 11:30 PM,
Vivo City: Monday – Friday: 11 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10 PM | Saturday, Sunday, & PH: 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM, 5:30PM – 10:30 PM

5. Tung Lok Seafood

Tung Lok aims to bring to the table the freshest seafood from all over Singapore. One of their customer favourites is their rendition of the famous chilli crab. They used tomato sauce and orange juice to create a delicious gravy that must be slurped up with mantou.
Similar to Seafood Paradise, custoemrs get the option to choose from three various live crab species: Tung Lok signature crab, Alaskan king crab, and Canadian dungeness crab, all of which are sold at market price.

Customer Reviews

Bing Kristanto
I like the chilli crab here. The service team is good, friendly and make our experience very enjoyable. Have been coming here regularly

Ryan
Singapore’s famous chilli crab 🦀The service is very good, the environment is comfortable, and the taste is delicious 😋 Will recommend friends to come again

Winnie Wong
I always think of Tung Lok Seafood Jurong every time I have a party because it has convenient parking, a good environment and a lot of delicious food. Chili Crab, Irish Roast Duck, Honey Sauce Pork Ribs and Japanese Sashimi are my favorites. Irene and the rest of the staff are friendly.

Website: https://www.tunglokseafood.com/en/home
Contact:
6262 6996 (Jurong)
6022 0188 (Gardens By The Bay)
6834 4888 (Orchard Central)
6721 9118 (Park Regis)
6909 8933 (PLQ)

Location:
Jurong: 511 Upper Jurong Road, D’Arena, Singapore 638366
Gardens By The Bay: 18 Marina Gardens Drive, #01-10, Singapore 018953
Orchard Central: 181 Orchard Road, #11-05, Singapore 2338896
Park Regis: 23 Merchant Road, Lobby Level, Singapore 058268
PLQ: 10 Paya Lebar Rd, #03-09/10, Singapore 409057

Opening Hours:
Jurong: Monday – Saturday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM | Sunday & PH: 10 AM – 3 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM,
Gardens By The Bay: Monday – Friday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM | Saturday, Sunday, & PH: 11:30 AM – 5 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM,
Orchard Central: Monday – Saturday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM | Sunday & PH: 10:30 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM,
Park Regis: Monday – Friday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM | Saturday, Sunday, & PH: 11 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM,
PLQ: Monday –  Saturday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM | Sunday & PH: 10:30 AM – 3 PM, 6 PM – 10:30 PM

6. Red House Seafood

Red House Seafood is one of the best crab restaurant in Singapore that have been serving customers since the 70s. It is the go-to chilli crab restaurant for many locals and foreigners. Their food, including the chilli crab, is prepared Nanyang-style, a combination of Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cooking methods.

Red House Seafood has been using the same recipe that has been passed down for generations. They also offer different kind of live crabs that you can have it as chilli crabs: Sri Lankan mud crabs and Alaskan king crab. Do check with them on the price of their crab as it is seasonal. 

Customer Reviews

冷月
The king crab is delicious when made into chili crab. If you order four more steamed buns with dipping sauce, you can order half of one, which is enough for two people. The service is also very professional and friendly.

Suzen
Ever since started to eat their chilli crab at east coast park. Been following them to robertson quay. And then now at clarke quay. The last visit was their lunch buffet. It was so good & alot of variety. We missed out the bird nest tarts

Cheezo
Very, very, very delicious food! The chilli crab is what most people come here for and it was absolutely superb! The meat was cooked perfectly and the sauce goes very well with the mantou and fried rice. Other dishes were good too such as the steamed fish mixed seafood curry. If you’re lucky enough to sit by the window, you can get a beautiful view of the river while enjoying your meal.

Website: https://www.redhouseseafood.com/
Contact:
6735 7666 (Grand Copthorne)
6336 6080 (Esplanade)
6442 3112 (Clarke Quay)

Location:
Grand Copthorne: 392 Havelock Road, Level 2 Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Singapore 169663
Esplanade: 8 Raffles Ave, #01-14/16, Singapore 039802,
Clarke Quay: 3C River Valley Road, #01-02/03, The Cannery, Singapore 179022
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12 PM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM – 10 PM

7. Long Beach Seafood

Long Beach Seafood has been in the game since 1982, specialising in live seafood. They have been known to be the original creator of the Black Pepper Crab, another fan-favourite in terms of crab flavour. Their famous chilli crab is best enjoyed with their live XL mud crab or the air flown live dungeness crab. They take pride in using only live, fresh crabs and a secret family recipe sauce.

Customer Reviews

Ashley Liew
I’m usually not a huge seafood fan but at Long Beach @ Robertson Quay last night I definitely was a fan. Every single fish was high quality and sumptuous! Especially loved the chilli crab and fish. Service from all the staff was professional, friendly, and warm. Perfect for business or association functions too with private rooms available. Thank you 🙏🏻

Paul Young
Had an excellent evening here. Place was crowded and luckily I got space for walk in. Should book if possible. Chilli crab was of course excellent. The service was awesome as well – they can de-shell the crab ! Rest of food amazing

Dorothy Mok
Bamboo clams and chilli crab is a must get! Staffs were super attentive to our needs as well. Will definitely come again.

Website: https://longbeachseafood.com.sg/
Contact:
6323 2222 ( Dempsey)
6448 3636 (UDMC)
6566 9933 (IMM)
6336 3636 (Robertson Quay)

Location:
Dempsey: 25 Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249670,
UDMC: 1202 East Coast Parkway, #01-04, East Coast Seafood Centre, Singapore 449881,
IMM: 2 Jurong East St 21, #03-07, Singapore 609601
Robertson Quay: 60 Robertson Quay, #01-14, The Quayside, Singapore 238252

Opening Hours:
Dempsey: Monday – Friday: 11 AM – 3 PM, 5 PM – 11 PM | Satuday, Sunday, & PH: 11 AM – 11 PM,
UDMC: Monday – Friday: 11 AM – 3 PM,  5 PM – 11 PM | Saturday: 11 AM – 11:30 PM | Sunday & PH: 11 AM – 11 PM,
IMM: Monday – Friday: 11 AM – 3 PM, 5 PM – 10:30 PM | Saturday, Sunday, & PH: 11 AM – 10:30 PM, Robertson Quay: Sunday – Thursday & PH: 11 AM – 11 PM | Friday & Saturday: 11 AM – 11:30 PM

8. JUMBO Seafood

JUMBO Seafood is one of the most well-known and best places for chilli crab in Singapore. They have been around since 1987 and offers three different types of live crab to be used for the dish. The unique selling point of their chilli crab is that its recipe is a combination of Indian and Malay spices, and Chinese fermented bean paste to create a symphony of sourness and spiciness.

Apart from their chilli crab, their other dishes are also popular, such as live Boston lobster braised in superior broth, scallops wrapped in yam ring, and beef fillet with black pepper sauce.

Customer Reviews

Laurence Emata
Truly a gem of Singapore cuisine, their chilli crab taste superb!

Sinhae Kang (Jasmine)
The Riverside branch was fully booked, so I made a reservation at this branch across the bridge. Two people ate a small bowl of shrimp fried rice and chili crab, and there was so much rice that we were full. The crab is so juicy and the sauce tastes a bit like red pepper paste, but it has a sweet and savory flavor that makes me keep eating it. I think it’s a place worth visiting at least once in Singapore. I recommend it👍🏻 141.96S$ The price is not cheap.It was crazy because there was a group meeting to celebrate the birthday of the CEO of a company, so it was very noisy, but the lively atmosphere felt fun.

Sarah Zhou
Chilli crab is very nice! Not too spicy, it matches very well with the deep fried mantou. Service is very nice too. Definitely will come back again. Highly recommend!

Website: https://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/en/home
Contact:
6442 3435 (East Coast)
9819 5456 (Riverside Point)
9819 6021 (Dempsey Hill)
9819 6134 (Ion Orchard)
9819 6175 (Jewel Changi Airport)
9739 4619 (The Riverwalk)

Location:
East Coast Seafood Centre: 1206 East Coast Parkway, #01-07/08, Singapore 449883
Riverside Point: 30 Merchant Rd, #01-01/02, Singapore 058282,
Dempsey Hill: 11 Dempsey Rd, #01-16, Singapore 249673,
Ion Orchard: 2 Orchard Turn, #04-09/10, Singapore 2238801
Jewel Changi Airport: 78 Airport Boulevard, #03-202/203/204, Singapore 819666
The Riverwalk: 20 Upper Circular Rd, #B1-48, Singapore 058416

Opening Hours:
East Coast Seafood Centre: Monday – Friday: 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 4:30 PM – 11 PM | Saturday, Sunday, and PH: 11 AM – 11 PM,
Riverside Point: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM – 11 PM,
Dempsey Hill: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM,
Ion Orchard: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Jewel Changi Airport: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM – 10 PM,
The Riverwalk: Monday – Sunday: 11:30 AM- 11 PM

Conclusion

It is clear that while these 8 seafood places sell chilli crab, each of them has their take on the iconic dish. However, one thing we know is that they serve some of the best chilli crabs you can find in Singapore. So, the next time you find yourself craving for chilli crab, do not hesitate to head down to any of these spot to satisfy that craving!