Wholly Crab

Wholly Crab
18 Marina Gardens Drive
#01-17 Satay By The Bay

348 Bedok Road
#02-10 Simpang Bedok Market Place

https://www.facebook.com/WhollyCrabSg/

Crabs In Kung Pao Sauce (SGD $28 / 500g)

Louisiana Style Seafood, Asian Style Sauces

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $20 per person.


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Opened by MediaCorp actress Felicia Chin in May 2015, Wholly Crab is a seafood eatery specialising in American / Louisiana style seafood boil, where a big bucket of steamed seafood is dumped onto a table for sharing. The difference is in their sauces offered, a variety of Singaporean and Asian flavours that sets it apart from other eateries. The pun-ny name Wholly Crab refers to, in the actress's own words, "a whole crab, or wholeness, like full of love, full of everything", although I imagine some other meanings which shouldn't be repeated in polite company.

Ambience at Wholly Crab is laid-back casual. Both outlets are located in a shared hawker space, as such, much of the ambient lighting, decor, atmosphere, and furniture depends on the location you're at. There usually is ample free seating available, which is modern and decently comfortable, and the general atmosphere is usually bustling. Both outlets are brightly lit and clean, with clear menu displays, though they don't display their seafood openly for hygiene reasons. While you could order takeaway, I find it best to actually dine here on the spot, as their food is best consumed freshly cooked.

Service at Wholly Crab is largely self-service, with ordering, payment, and collection of orders done over the counter. Slightly more service is provided at the 1st outlet at Satay By The Bay, as staff will serve orders to your table. Otherwise, the only engagement with staff occurs when placing your order, or if you interact with them at the stall. I find them knowledgable on the menu, able to describe dishes, as well as make recommendations on the various types of sauces available. I do wish however, that they would provide serviettes or disposable gloves, which is essential when using your hands to eat seafood coated in sauce!

Food at Wholly Crab is all about seafood, focusing on shellfish and crustaceans. Presentation is in the classic seafood boil style, a heap of seafood poured onto the table for communal dining. But taste is largely Asian inspired, with a variety of sauces to coat the seafood, very similar to Chinese style Zi Char in taste. I like that the seafood is fresh and clean-tasting, with portion sizes being medium to large for individuals. Prices at Wholly Crab are very affordable, much lower than prices elsewhere, yet the seafood is of good quality! Budget about SGD $20 per person for a meal, which I feel is reasonable and wallet-friendly.


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Wholly Crab Facade

Wholly Crab Seafood Bar

Wholly Crab Menu

Wholly Crab Menu Promotion

Wholly Crab Menu Small Bites

Buzzer

They don't sell drinks at all, but the 2nd outlet at Simpang Bedok Market Place has a tie-up with another stall located here, to offer Beer Sapporo Premium (SGD $5.50) as part of a set meal.

Beer Sapporo Premium (SGD $5.50)

What I like about the Truffle Fries (SGD $10) is their piping hot, soft and fluffy texture. The medium thickness allows for good potato flavour in each bite, and the truffle oil is not overpowering as it's used as a scent for the fries. Pretty good side dish.

Truffle Fries (SGD $10)

The Mushroom Soup (SGD $3.90) is quite terrible. Overly thick, gloopy, tastes like it came from a can, bland and uninspired. I initially thought it was a sauce, only realised it's meant to be a soup later on. Skip this.

Mushroom Soup (SGD $3.90)

As part of the 2nd outlet opening promotion, a set meal of Set Bucket Clams (SGD $15.90), and Set Bucket Mussels (SGD $15.90), was launched. Each individual bucket is served with a pack of truffle fries and a beer, at a special promotional price!

Set Bucket Clams (SGD $15.90)

Set Bucket Mussels (SGD $15.90)

The Clams In Original Sauce (SGD $18 / 500g) has a generous portion of fresh, savoury sweet, shell-on clams, served along with soft roasted potatoes, caramelised onions, fragrant garlic cloves, and tender corn kernels. The original sauce, A.K.A. au-naturel, while slightly oily at the bottom of the bucket, allows the rustic, natural taste of each ingredient to shine through.

Clams In Original Sauce (SGD $18 / 500g)

Clams In Original Sauce

Clams In Original Sauce

The Mussels In Original Sauce (SGD $18 / 500g) has a generous portion of fresh, savoury sweet, shell-on mussels, medium in size but meaty! Served along with soft roasted potatoes, caramelised onions, fragrant garlic cloves, and tender corn kernels. Again, the original sauce, while slightly oily, allows the rustic, natural taste of each ingredient to shine through.

Mussels In Original Sauce (SGD $18 / 500g)

Mussels In Original Sauce

Mussels In Original Sauce

The Crabs In Kung Pao Sauce (SGD $28 / 500g) has a good portion of crab, mostly the legs and pincers, and the crab meat is fresh, sweet, and tasty. The kung pao sauce is outstanding, savoury, tangy, and sweet, with a slightly spicy heat. Pairs really well with the crab, making it so yummy! Wallet-friendly for the quality too! However, I wish they provided shell cracking utensils, as it's very messy to constantly bite through the crab shell to crack it.

Crabs In Kung Pao Sauce (SGD $28 / 500g)

Crabs In Kung Pao Sauce

While the Crabs In Marmite Sauce (SGD $28 / 500g) uses that same fresh and meaty Sri Lankan crab with succulent meat, the marmite sauce leaves a lot to be improved. Possibly the weakest, most bland sauce on the menu, it was too watery to stick to the crab, and we ended up tasting very little of the actual sauce. Fortunately, the crab is sweet and tasty enough on its own, but it kind of defeats the point of having a marmite sauce. Order another sauce instead.

Crabs In Marmite Sauce (SGD $28 / 500g)

Crabs In Marmite Sauce

The small but well executed Crispy Fish (SGD $5) fillets use john dory fish, and has a crisp batter coat that crunches satisfiyingly. While it's slightly oily on the outside, the inside is tender and moist, with a sweet, clean taste. Good enough to eat on its own, even without the accompanying tartar sauce and chili sauce!

Crispy Fish (SGD $5)

Crispy Fish

Crispy Fish

Super unhealthy, but tasty at the same time, the Taiwanese Pork Sausage (SGD $5) is deep fried, and served bar snack style. Portion is rather generous, and sharing is recommended... seriously, because eating it all by yourself is crazy. Goes great with beer! So bad, yet so good.

Taiwanese Pork Sausage (SGD $5)

The Squid Meat Balls (SGD $5) are well executed, with a crisp, light exterior, and a moist, chewy, bouncy interior. Decent taste, but poor value for money, as it's something easily done at home, even though it makes a good bar snack.

Squid Meat Balls (SGD $5)

Squid Meat Balls

I like the Nori Tempura Soft Shell Crab (SGD $12), with its crisp, light texture, and savoury salty taste. Topped with a generous amount of katsuobushi (bonito flakes), which lends a fragrant aroma. But I thought they could have put less sauce.

Nori Tempura Soft Shell Crab (SGD $12)

Tried the Love Bucket In Chili Kicap Sauce (SGD $60), which is sufficient for 2 - 4 people to share. Loved the sweet and slightly spicy dark sauce, which complements the sweetness of the seafood, and I'm glad it's not too thick in texture. The fresh seafood consists of 1 crab, 400g prawns, 250g clams, 250g mussels, along with corn on the cob, onions, potatoes, and chicken sausages, plus a choice of 1 side dish. The entire dish is brought to the table in a bucket, then dumped onto a plastic and paper wrap that was provided to cover the table. Perfect for hands-on, communal dining!

Love Bucket In Chili Kicap Sauce (SGD $60)

Love Bucket In Chili Kicap Sauce

Love Bucket In Chili Kicap Sauce

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