HolyCrab - 1st Mar 2019
Holycrab is located at Tan Quee Lan Street
My parents-in-law were in town and had a craving for crab however my wife and I had booked Jumbo a few days later to entertain some of our friends from Australia so we preferred not to eat Jumbo twice within a span of 3 days. In fact my wife was worried that having crab a few days apart would be too much but I was quick to point out that I knew this place that did crabs which were very different to the usual chilli crab and pepper crab.
We met at HolyCrab on a Friday evening. When I got there, my wife and parents-in-law were enjoying a home made Makgeolli at Joo Bar which is the restaurant beside HolyCrab. Joo Bar is the first and only bar in Singapore brewing their own Makgeolli and the drink tastes deliciously fresh and almost like it doesn’t contain alcohol. Dangerous!
We hopped over to HolyCrab which shares a common owner as Joo Bar. The other owner of HolyCrab is also the chef, Elton Seah, who warmly welcomed us when we arrived. You will not be able to miss him as he dresses in the most colourful chef’s uniform in Singapore. This time it was bright orange with a hounds tooth designed pants. While I was ordering, Chef Elton brought out the live crab to show me the size and it also proved a great photo opportunity for the kids.
hooked-on-mee succumb-to-mee
We got served the noodles first so that the kids could start eating. Hooked-on-mee was the chef’s version of hokkien mee that came with a good amount of fresh prawns, squid, pork meat and pork crackling/lard. The noodles had a good amount of wok hei and the stock was very flavourful. Eaten with the accompanying sambal, this would rival some of the best hokkien mees in Singapore. The next dish was succumb-to-mee which is charred vermicelli served in a rich clam and crab broth. The kids really enjoyed this and it was gone in no time. I really liked both noodles and wouldn’t be able to decide which I like better!
Green Mamba Orgasmic
For the crab, I ordered the Green Mamba which is inspired by the Singapore chilli crab. Instead of the usual red chilli sauce though, Chef Elton uses green chilli with a blend of fresh Asian herbs like Cilantro and all I can say is that it is really good. You can choose the spice level and medium spiciness which I ordered is perfect for me. The green dish didn’t look appetising but get past the looks and you will enjoy just putting spoonfuls of the sauce in your mouth. Of course, the steamed crab meat with the sauce would be better. Another crab dish I really enjoy is Orgasmic. I guess the name says it all. The sauce is brown salted egg yolk in a light butter sauce infused with chilli and curry leaves. Rich, spicy and comforting, simply Orgasmic when you put spoonfuls of the sauce in your mouth. My parents-in-law enjoyed this more although I preferred the green chilli.
holycow
I also ordered the HolyCow which is a bone-in Wagyu prime rib. Chef Elton chars the outside of the beef very well and puts a nice layer of black peppercorns which does not make it too peppery but gives the beef a nice crust. Also, he lets in on his secret ingredient, maple syrup, which gives the beef more sweetness and a slight complexity. We managed to finish the tender strips of beef even though we were so full!
HolyCrab is a small restaurant with only 24 seats so it is always better to book beforehand. It is really worth the trip to try something different than the usual Singapore chilli crab. Even though the prices are on the higher side, the quality of the dishes and the freshness of the ingredients definitely make up for it.
~ Andre Huber
Executive Director
HolyCrab is located at 2 Tan Quee Lan Street Singapore 188092
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