JUMBO Seafood Has SG’s Most Famous Chilli Crab—But Does It Still Hold Up?

JUMBO Seafood has famous chilli crab in East Coast

Aside from chicken rice, the chilli crab is the most iconic Singaporean dish. Tourists visiting our little island are almost obliged to try it—unless, of course, they have a shellfish allergy. And when they do that, they’re usually trying it at JUMBO Seafood, whose version of chilli crab reached a level of stardom that led to six outlets in Singapore, seven in China, three in Vietnam and more. On size and reputation alone, one could argue that JUMBO offers our most famous chilli crab.

But popularity sometimes exceeds the actual quality of the dish. So we dropped by JUMBO’s East Coast outlet to see if their chilli crab, as well as other items, holds up to the outsized reputation the restaurant has.

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Food at JUMBO Seafood

Naturally, the first thing we had to savour was their Award-winning Chilli Crab (market price). Customers usually report spending over a hundred dollars for this glorious plate of crustacean, so be prepared to spend a hefty sum.

The Sri Lankan mud crab we got was sizeable, fresh, and most importantly plump, which means parts such as the claw yielded a good chunk of meat. Each mouthful had a substantial bite and a great juiciness, yielding the sweet, briny goodness of crab.

But of course, that was elevated by the tangy and sweet chilli sauce, with the iconic egg drop giving the sauce body and texture. It would be remiss of us not to enjoy it with the mantou, which soaked up the sauce nicely.

Despite the high price, the chilli crab we had was excellent and among the better renditions of chilli crab in Singapore. The quality of the crab is undeniable, and its execution is near spotless, too.

While our next dish didn’t quite reach the heights of the chilli crab, it was still solid zi char fare. I’m talking about these Mocha Pork Ribs (from $26++), which were fried till crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Of note was the mocha sauce, which had the fragrant yet bitter notes of coffee, and a sweet chocolatey finish. It might be a little too sweet for some that prefer their pork ribs to be more savoury-forward, but nevertheless, we found ourselves enjoying this dish.

We also tried the Crispy Fried Baby Squid (from $22++), which served as a decent appetiser thanks to its intense crispiness and sweet-savoury glaze. It’s far from the most noteworthy dish, however, and we’d only recommend it if you’re looking for a quick and immediate burst of flavour to get your appetite going.

We were really looking forward to a hearty dish to fill our stomachs, but sadly, the Supreme Seafood Fried Rice ($24++) turned out to be the most underwhelming item we tried.

Each spoonful was almost too clean-tasting, relying predominantly on that eggy flavour, and lacked wok hei aroma. While the prawns were fresh and juicy, this fried rice tasted almost too one-dimensional—it worked when accompanied by the other dishes, but a good fried rice should always stand on its own.

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Ambience at JUMBO Seafood

JUMBO’s East Coast outlet looks like your typical beachside Chinese restaurant, except with a whole lot of crab imagery. But it is incredibly spacious, with two storeys and even outdoor seating. You’ll be able to comfortably enjoy a feast with the whole family here.

JUMBO Seafood East Coast is a 15-minute walk from Siglap MRT Station.

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JUMBO Seafood still offers superb chilli crab, and anyone looking to enjoy the classic Singaporean dish can’t go too wrong with this restaurant. The other dishes are good, too, but don’t expect them to live up to the heights of their chilli crab.

For legit “typhoon shelter”-style stir-fried crab at Holland Village, read our Lo Hey HK Seafood review. For similar restaurants, read our best seafood restaurants in Singapore guide.

Address: 1206 East Coast Park, #01-07/08, East Coast Seafood Centre, Singapore 449883
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am to 3pm, 4:30pm to 1pm, Sat-Sun 11am to 11pm
Tel: 6442 3435
Website
JUMBO Seafood is not a halal-certified eatery.

Lo Hey HK Seafood Review: Legit “Typhoon Shelter”-Style Stir Fried Crab At Holland Village

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at JUMBO Seafood.