Crab Ah! @ Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa & Spa

Pincers and Pints await you at Crab Ah! I am not referring to the all lobster Pince & Pints at Duxton. Instead I am bringing you to Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa & Spa. The waterfront area of the resort is converted into an al fresco dining facing the South China Sea offering a feast for two which includes succulent Sri Lankan crabs and an array of appetisers, side dishes, desserts and free flowing house wines and beer.

The picturesque views of the sunset on the coast, music from a live band and the surrounding sea breeze present a perfect evening for couples to wrap up a delightful dinner. If you are lucky, you may also spot peacocks running around the waterfront or sleeping up in the trees.

Crab Ah! is available every Friday from 630pm to 9pm at $138++ for two inclusive of free flowing house wines and beer.

Deep Fried White Bait 4/5

The dinner for two started with some delectable Deep Fried White Bait. Well seasoned and crispy, this is a perfect appetiser to go with the free flow wines or beer while waiting for the mains.

Salted Egg Yolk Crab 4.2/5

Chilli Crab 4.5/5

For the set dinner of two, diners get to have a choice of four different sauces. The four sauces available are the signature Chilli sauce, popular Salted Egg sauce, black pepper sauce and superior XO sauce. I got the chance to try two out of the four sauces. Both sauces were as good. The crab was also fresh, sweet and juicy complemented by the delicious sauces. Among the two sauces I tried, I would have to be a bit bias and go for more favourite salted egg.

Deep Fried Mantou Buns 4.2/5

Golden Deep Fried Mantou Buns are also served for diners to dip into the flavourful crab sauces of their choice.

Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetables 4.2/5

Shrimp Fried Rice 4.5/5

After digging into the luscious crustaceans and getting my finger messy, there were more dishes awaiting for us to savour. Both the Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetable and Shrimp Fried Rice looked kind of plain but that's only in appearance. The stir fried vegetable was crunchy and flavourful. Each mouthful of the fragrant shrimp fried rice was filled with wok hei aroma. Thumbs up!

Pandan Ice Cream 3/5 and Teh Tarik Ice Cream 4/5

Dessert is a choice of the Pandan or Teh Tarik Ice cream. I personally prefer the teh tarik ice cream over the pandan ice cream. I find the pandan ice cream tasted more like kaya, a bit too sweet.

Assortment of Kuehs 4/5

Besides ice cream, there are also a selection of different Kuehs for diners to have a taste of the local snacks. There is even a Do-It-Yourself Ice Kachang dessert counter.


Crab Ah!
Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa & Spa
Sentosa
101 Siloso Road
Singapore 098970
Tel: +65 63711020
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/singapore/rasasentosaresort/press-room/press-releases/pincers-and-pints-await-at-crabs-ah/
Nearest MRT: Harbour Front (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Fri: 630pm - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Harbour Front MRT station. Take Exit C or E. Walk to pick up point at exit of Lobby F in Vivocity (near JPot and Nyonya & Baba Restaurants). Wait for the complimentary shuttle bus service. The shuttle service is available every 20 minutes of the hour. Journey time about 20 minutes. [Map]

House of Seafood (螃蟹之家) @ The Punggol Settlement

The end of Punggol Road where Punggol Jetty is located has fond memories for me. This is where my parents used to bring me to have a feast for family gathering or special occasions during my childhood days. Many years have passed and the new development at the end of Punggol Road has taken shape. It has transformed into a beautiful waterfront for both food and leisure, perfect for a family day out. The idea location  has also seen many seafood restaurants opened along the coastal line at The Punggol Settlement. One such restaurants is the popular House of Seafood (螃蟹之家) popular for their black pepper crab.

Pan Fried Chicken Cutlet with Special Sauce 4.2/5

I probably would not have ordered the Pan Fried Chicken Cutlet with Special Sauce ($12/$16/$20) at a seafood restaurant if not for the recommendation of the staff. It was really an excellent recommendation. The chicken cutlet coated in a special sauce was so tender and succulent, getting praises around the table. Garnished with quail egg which is an interesting pairing, is a dish to try at House of Seafood.

Stir Fried Asparagus with XO Sauce 4/5

I always find that XO Sauce is a wonder sauce that goes well with almost any ingredients. The Stir Fried Asparagus ($12/$16/$20) beautifully coated with XO Sauce was sweet and crunchy. The XO sauce gave the dish the extra lift of spiciness and aroma that will be well received by the locals.

La La 3/5

The La La ($12/$16/$22) has its hits and misses. The broth that cooked the la la was lackluster but the freshness of the shellfish with its sweet and plump flesh redeemed the dish.

Crispy Beancurd with Chef Special Sauce 3/5

The Crispy Beancurd with Chef Special Sauce ($15/$20/$25) was crispy on the exterior and silky smooth inside. The presentation topped with pork floss looked somewhat like the Addias logo to our amusement. The so called chef special sauce is non other than a familiar Thai sweet spicy sauce which was a bit old school in my opinion.

Pork Ribs with Special Sauce 3.5/5

The Pork Ribs with Special Sauce ($15/$20/$25) received mixed opinions around the table. I actually quite like the flavour of the special sauce enhancing the enjoying in tearing the meat off from the bone.

Mee Goreng 3.5/5

Fried White Bee Hoon with XO Sauce 4.2/5

Moving on to the noodle dishes, I tried the Mee Goreng ($8/$12/$16) and Fried White Bee Hoon with Xo Sauce. I thought both were very well executed. For the mee goreng I have always preferred the Chinese style wetter version and I managed to get my satisfaction at House of Seafood. The Fried White Bee Hoon with XO sauce was really outstanding with its wok hei aromatic complemented by a superior stock.

Black Pepper Crab 3.8/5

Salted Egg Crab 4/5

Next up is the crowning of the dinner with the Black Pepper Crab (market price) and Salted Egg Crab (market price). Voted the best Black Pepper Crab in Singapore, the crustacean did come with a peppery kick. However the black pepper sauce was too pasty for my liking. The Salted Egg Crab fares better with its finger licking good creamy salted egg sauce. How I wish there were some fried mantou to wipe clean the plate.

During my visit which is a Saturday evening, the restaurant is packed. Singaporean loves of seafood and the location although far but along the waterfront proves to be a winning formula similar to East Coast Seafood Village. The Punggol Settlement probably will be the next seafood village of the North East.


House of Seafood
The Punggol Settlement
3 Punggol Point Road
#01-01/02
Singapore 828694
Tel: +65 64669000
Website: http://www.houseofseafood.com.sg/
Nearest MRT: Punggol (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 5pm - 11pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Punggol MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to Punggol temporary Bus Interchange (Stop ID 65009). Take bus number 84. Alight 6 stops later. Journey time about 25 minutes. [Map]

Ah Hoi's Kitchen @ Traders Hotel

Fans of Ah Hoi's Kitchen will be rejoiced as Sou Chef Lam Loon Tuck and his culinary team at Traders Hotel Ah Hoi's Kitchen have added 12 new Sri Lankan crabs dishes using different ingredients and cooking methods. The promotional crab menus, each featuring four new crab dishes will be rotated every three weeks. The different cooking styles of crabs will cater to a wide range of palates and age groups.

Crab Beehoon 3.8/5

We were given a glimpse to some of the new crab creations at Ah Hoi's Kitchen starting with the Crab Beehoon. Crab Beehoon is usually the wet version where the essence is being soaked up by the beehoon. The crab beehoon here is the dry version where it is wok fried with crab, sun dried shrimps and Tianjin cabbage in a superior stock. The result is a plate of fragrant wok hei beehoon with stir fried crab. While this is a good dish, I could not taste the crab essence in the beehoon.

Salted Egg Crab 4.2/5

The Salted Egg Crab is definitely a winner for me and it is also gaining popularity with the local palate. Cooked in a salted egg yolk sauce with chilli padi, curry leave and kaffir lime to further lift the flavour. The beautiful play of flavours complemented the sweetness of the crab meat. An excellent execution.

Prickly Piquant Crab 4/5

For those that is looking for a more spicy kick of the crustacean, you can take the challenge in the Prickly Piquant Crab. The crab is wok fried with sichuan pepper, pickled garlic and citrus salt kicking up a numbness on top of the sweetness from the crab meat. One word, shiok!

Steamed Crab 4.5/5

Among the four crab dishes I tried, the Steamed Crab is my favourite. Steamed to perfection with old ginger and Hua Diao Jiu, it allows the natural sweetness of the crab to shine.

Satay 4.5/5

Grilled Platter of Seafood and Meat 4.2/5

Beside the new crab dishes, Ah Hoi's Kitchen offers many other local dishes in the menu. In the evening, there is even a barbecued section where guests can savour the different barbecued seafood and meats that is accompanied with Asian dips such as sambal chilli, chinchalok with calamansi and honey mustard.

Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo 4/5

Wrapped up the dinner on a sweet note with a selection of delicious Asian desserts at Ah Hoi's Kitchen such as Chendol, Snow Fungus with Lotus Seed & Gingko Nut, Goreng Pisang with Ice Cream, Mango Pudding, Ice Jelly with Fruit Cocktail etc.

I applauded the 12 new crab dishes creation at Ah Hoi's Kitchen. Unfortunately I only got to try 4 of them. The other crab dishes I did not get to try are Crab Congee, Crab Noodle, Mumtaz Crab, Udang Geragau Crab, Crab Almondine, Crab Tau Cheo, Crab in Coconut Juice and Crab Kaffir Lime. I understand that the hotel has changed a new crab supplier and the quality definitely stood out in all the crab dishes I tried. The crab menus are priced accordingly to weight. For crabs weighting up to one kilogram, they are priced at $7.20 per 100 grams while more than one kilo are priced at $9,20 per 100 grams.


Ah Hoi's Kitchen
Traders Hotel
1A Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249716
Tel: +65 68314373
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tradershotelsingapore
Website: http://www.tradershotels.com/singapore
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 230pm, 630pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop along Orchard Boulevard, opposite Orchard Parksuites (Stop ID B09022). Take bus number 7, 77, 106, 111, 123 or 174. Alight 3 stops later. Cross the overhead bridge. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk towards Wheelock Place via ION. Exit Wheelock Place and turn left towards Liat Tower. Continue onwards to Forum Shopping Mall. Walk further down to Orchard Parade Hotel. Turn left onto Tanglin Road. Continue walking down to the end of Tanglin Road to Tanglin Mall. Turn left on Tanglin Mall onto Grange Road and walk to destination. Journey time about 23 minutes. [Map]

Plaza Brasserie @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road

A shout out to the crab lovers out there! The Crab Feast is back at PARKROYAL on Beach Road, Plaza Brasserie from 5 June to 31 August 2013. I have already heard many good words that this year's crab feast is much better than last year. Can't wait to get my fingers dirty digging in to the sumptuous Crab Feast under the culinary direction and creation of Executive Chef Jackson.

Chilli Crab 4/5

Salted Egg Crab 4.5/5

Black Pepper Crab 4.2/5

Besides the ever popular Chilli Crab, Salted Egg Crab and Black Pepper Crab, guests can look forward  to savouring Chef Jackson's new recipes. For this year crab feast, Chef Jackson has introduced Steamed Crab with Tang Gui, Baked Crab, Nonya Curry Crab, Butter Crab, Stir Fried Crab with Egg Yolk and XO Crab.

Steamed Crab with Tang Gui 4.5/5

Among the new crab recipes, my favourite was the Steamed Crab with Tang Gui and Curry Crab. The Steamed Crab with Tang Gui retained the natural sweetness of the crab with a mild herbal Tang Hui taste that complemented the sweetness of the crab.

Curry Crab 4.2/5

I am a big fan of curry and I applauded the Curry Crab version by Chef Jackson. The medley of spices and aroma of the curry left me craving for more of the gravy and I swear I could have wiped the plate clean with my bread if not that I need to reserve my stomach for the other delectable crabs.

Crab Nonya Style 4/5

Baked Crab 3.5/5

Not enough of the crabs? Not to worry, a range of appertizers such as Dijon Crab Cakes with Coriander Paste, Bread Crab Claw, Mini Crab Meat Samosas, Olive & Potato Crabmeat Balls with Pesto, Crabmeat Paste are available in the sumptuous buffet spread. Even the Noodle Live station offers a selection of Curry Noodle, Mee Poh Noodles or Laksa with Soft Shell Crab. On top of the crab feast buffet spread, guests can also enjoy eclectic spread of hot varieties and desserts.

Sumptuous Crab Feast at PARKROYAL on Beach Road
Date: 5 June to 31 August 2013
Dinner (Mon-Thu): Adult $55 Child $33
Dinner (Fri-Sun): Adult $58 Child $35

Price are subjected to 10% service charge and 7% Goods and Services Tax


Plaza Brasserie
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199590
Tel: +65 65055710
Website: http://parkroyalhotels.com
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Follow the overhead walkway all the way to The Concourse building. Take the exit down to Nicoll Highway and walk towards Parkroyal Serviced Residences. Cut through towards Parkroyal Hotel. Journey time about 8 minutes.

Plaza Brasserie @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road

Buffet and seafood lover out there! Plaza Brasserie @ PARKROYAL on Beach Road is bringing back its popular Best of Asia Seafood Fiesta from 8 March 2013 to 31 May 2013.

At the Seafood on Ice section, one can relish on popular appertisers such as Tiger Prawns, Black Mussels, Australian Queen Scallops, Fresh Oysters and Flower Crabs.

Green Curry Crab

Salted Egg Yolk Crab

Black Pepper Crab

Soft Shell Crab

Singapore loves seafood especially crabs. The Best of Asia Seafood Fiesta will not be complete without them. Relish in a vast varieties of crab selections such as Stir Fried Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Black Pepper Crab, Green Curry Grab, Chilli Crab.

Vietnamese White Clams with Thai Chilli Sauce

Southern Bay Clams with Black Bean Sauce

Something new that I have not tried at Plaza Brasserie is the Vietnamese White Clams with Thai Chilli Sauce and Southern Bay Clams with Black Bean Sauce. I actually liked the big fat southern bay clams with black bean sauce while most of the diners at my group preferred the sweet chilli vietnamese white clams.

Sambal Prawn

The Sambal Prawn was fresh and coated with a nice balanced of savoury and spicy sambal chilli.

Steamed Seabass with Nonya Sauce

Steamed on a huge lotus leaf, the Steamed Seabass with Nonya Sauce was fresh and moist. The beautiful seabass was further flavoured by the subtle nonya sauce.

Sambal Stingray

A little twist to the usual Sambal Stingray, I mistaken it as Otah initially. The sambal was not too overpowering and its an interesting way to enjoy this hawker dish which we are accustomed to.

Baked Salmon

Fish lover be excited with the huge selection of choices.  Besides the Baked Salmon, Steamed Seabass in Nonya Sauce, Sambal Stingray and Sashimi, you can get the freshest catch of Red Garoupa and Seabass steamed in either Hong Kong or Thai cooking style from Mondays to Thursdays.

Penang Char Kway Teow

I was quite surprised or rather more excited to find hawker food in the buffet spread in addition to the eclectic selection of seafood. A must try is the Penang Char Kway Teow that I will go back for more helping.

Fried Oyster

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Laksa

You can also find many of the local favourites such as Fried Oyster, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Laksa. How appropriate the theme Best of Asia Seafood Fiesta. I get to enjoy a luxurious varieties of seafood dishes and a delectable selection of hawker fare.

Best of Asia Seafood Fiesta at Plaza Brasserie
Date: 8 March to 26 May 2013
Dinner (Mon-Thu): Adult $53 Child $32
Dinner (Fri-Sun): Adult $58 Child $35

*Mon-Thu: Diners enjoy steamed Red Groupa and Seabass
*Fri-Sun: Teppanyaki Seafood live station

Easter Celebrations
Date: 29 March to 31 May 2013
Lunch (Sun): Adult $62 Child $38
Dinner (Fri-Sun): Adult $58 Child $35

Mother's Day
Date: 11 May to 12 May 2013
Lunch (Sun): Adult $62 Child $38
Dinner (Sat-Sun): Adult $62 Child $38

Prices are subjected to 10% service charge and 7% Goods and Services Tax

Plaza Brasserie
PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road
Singapore 199590
Tel: +65 65055710
Website: http://parkroyalhotels.com
Nearest MRT: Nicoll Highway (CC Line)

Direction:
1) Alight at Nicoll Highway MRT station. Take Exit A. Follow the overhead walkway all the way to The Concourse building. Turn left down Nicoll Highway and walk towards Parkroyal Serviced Residences. Cut through towards Parkroyal Hotel. Journey time about 8 minutes.