Crab Corner Tasting Session

Crab Corner Tasting Session
1 Joo Koon Circle
#03-26 NTUC FairPrice Hub

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 10pm


http://crabcorner.com.sg/


This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from HungryGoWhere, Amobee, and Purple Taste.

Claypot Curry Laksa Fish Head (SGD $26.80)

Cantonese Roasts & Fresh Crabs

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 7
Budget about SGD $15 or $40 per person.


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Established in December 2014, Crab Corner is a casual Chinese Zi Char eatery, specialising in Chinese Cantonese roast meats and fresh seafood, particularly crabs. Located at the end of the island, in the Joo Koon area of Singapore, their delicious food and relatively affordable prices make Crab Corner worth a visit if you're in the area.

Crab Corner Signage

Crab Corner Exterior

Crab Corner Interior

Ambience at Crab Corner is casual comfortable. The brightly lit, open concept space looks clean and modern, neatly lined with comfortable cushioned chairs and large tables. A beautiful photo collage stretches across one wall, while the history and chef profile is inscribed upon the wallpaper. They also have 2 private rooms for dining.

Crab Photo Wall

Seating

Seating

Service at Crab Corner is personalised and friendly. As the place was relatively quiet on a weekday night, staff were able to accord us attention. This meant offering a change of plates during the course of our meal, and efficiently clearing away finished dishes. They were able to share briefly on the various menu items, though not as well as our host. They also proactively offer to top up drinks, or assist in getting us new drinks.

Private Room

Table Setting

Food at Crab Corner is Chinese Zi Char, with a focus on crabs and Chinese Cantonese roast meats. Generally, I find their signature roast meats to be very good, on par with most good quality restaurants. Delicious and well executed. The dim sum is good as well, hitting an above average mark. Portions are designed for communal dining. Prices are reasonable, comparable to most other heartland stalls. Budget about SGD $40 per person for a meal with seafood here. If dining on individual plates, expect to spend less than SGD $15 per person.

Meal Flat Lay

Dim Sum Layout

The Purple Lover (SGD $3.80) & Soya Bean Milk (SGD $2.60) are amongst the choices for beverages here. Priced slightly high, similar to most food courts. Decent quality.

Purple Lover (SGD $3.80) & Soya Bean Milk (SGD $2.60)

Our group was served 2 appetizers. The Braised Peanuts (SGD $1) has a nice soft tender texture, with a light salty nutty flavour. The Achar / Nonya Spicy Pickled Salad (SGD $1) was good, juicy and crunchy in texture, with bold and sharp sweet sour flavours.

Braised Peanuts (SGD $1)

Achar / Nonya Spicy Pickled Salad (SGD $1)

The Pipa Chicken (SGD $28) has a nicely crisp, salty savoury skin, with chicken meat that is tender and juicy. Served in its delicious meat juice, this differs from typical roast chicken because it uses different cooking techniques, such as glazing with malt sugar and water. As chicken is leaner than duck with less fat, this is also less succulent in nature. Good!

Pipa Chicken (SGD $28)

Pipa Chicken

Loved the Prawn Dumpling Har Gow (SGD $5.20). The dumpling skin is sticky and chewy, and nicely medium thin in texture. The fresh and juicy filling of prawn / shrimp is sweet savoury, piping hot, and comforting. Delicious, would order again. Highly recommended!

Prawn Dumpling Har Gow (SGD $5.20)

Prawn Dumpling Har Gow

Prawn Dumpling Har Gow

The Char Siew Bao (SGD $4.60) is best eaten hot, because by the time we got around to it, the dish had cooled slightly. The bun / bao is properly fluffy and soft, but the marinated pork meat within tends towards salty than sweet. Alright dish.

Char Siew Bao (SGD $4.60)

Char Siew Bao

The Siew Mai With Tobiko (SGD $5.20) is lovely. The pork and prawn / shrimp combination creates a juicy, succulent, sweet savoury flavour, with a nice bite. Felt the tobiko did little to add to this already tasty dish. Good!

Siew Mai With Tobiko (SGD $5.20)

Siew Mai With Tobiko

Loved the Crispy Roasted Pork (SGD $11.80). The cubes of pork are beautifully executed, with a thin, crisp skin. The thin silver of fat lends moisture to the tender meat, and each bite has a soft chew, with good savoury sweet flavour. Highly recommended!

Crispy Roasted Pork (SGD $11.80)

Crispy Roasted Pork

Felt the Barbecued Pork Belly (SGD $18) was decently executed, largely because the cut of meat has a good ratio of fat to lean meat. Nice honey glaze, giving it a sweet salty flavour. An above average rendition. Worth ordering!

Barbecued Pork Belly (SGD $18)

Barbecued Pork Belly

The Claypot Curry Laksa Fish Head (SGD $26.80) has a large, clean-tasting fish head, with sweet, flaky fish meat. But the highlight for me was the robust lemak gravy, done in laksa style, with hints of herbs and spice. Rich and medium thick gravy, goes great on white rice. The soft stewed vegetables were good as well, a medley of brinjal / eggplant / aubergine, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and dried beancurd sheets. Unique, but it works.

Claypot Curry Laksa Fish Head (SGD $26.80)

Claypot Curry Laksa Fish Head

The Soy Sauce Chicken (SGD $12 / $16 / $28) was well executed, with tender, clean-tasting, succulent meat that comes clean off. Nice juicy chew, with a delicate salty sweet flavour. Looks so appetizing and lives up to expectations. The sauce here is the thin version. Worth ordering!

Soy Sauce Chicken (SGD $12 / $16 / $28)

Soy Sauce Chicken

The Roasted Duck (SGD $16 / $28 / $50) has differing textures throughout the meat, despite the small serving. The duck breast is tender, having a slight chew and a good salty savoury flavour, however, the skin is not crisp. The thigh meat is slightly firm, but the skin is crisp. This dish is not bad, but I'm confused with the contrast in textures.

Roasted Duck (SGD $16 / $28 / $50)

Roasted Duck

The Roasted Chicken (SGD $14 / $28) has golden brown, crisp skin. Served with a plum salt for dipping on the side. For a limited time only, this item is on promotion; Spend a minimum of SGD $30 during a visit, and enjoy this dish at only SGD $1.

Roasted Chicken (SGD $14 / $28)

Roasted Chicken

The Claypot Chili Crab (SGD $78 per kg) has a large, fresh, meaty crab, in a rich, eggy sweet spicy gravy. More sweet than savoury when compared to elsewhere. Also, texture of the gravy here is the thin version, making it easy to dip. Personally would have preferred it more spicy, but this should be palatable for most. I like that chef has pre-cracked the major parts of the crab, making it easier to eat. Staff will ask if you require plastic gloves or an apron for this.

Claypot Chili Crab (SGD $78 per kg)

Claypot Chili Crab

Of the 2, my personal favourite was the Claypot Black Pepper Crab (SGD $78 per kg). This has a large, fresh, meaty crab, coated in a bold and fiery black pepper gravy, with salty peppery spice notes. Realised the sauce hasn't cooked through to the crab meat, I can still taste the natural freshness beneath, yet it doesn't feel disjointed. As before, chef has pre-cracked the crab, and staff will offer plastic gloves or an apron to eat this.

Claypot Black Pepper Crab (SGD $78 per kg)

Claypot Black Pepper Crab

Claypot Black Pepper Crab

Felt the Mango Sago Pomelo (SGD $3.50) wasn't as good as expected. The milky broth has a generous portion of mango cubes, pomelo strips, and tapioca sago balls, but the flavour is intensely sweet. Too rich for me, I couldn't finish it.

Mango Sago Pomelo (SGD $3.50)

Mango Sago Pomelo

Personally, I find the dining experience at Crab Corner to be above average for a Chinese Zi Char place. The relaxed ambience, personalised service, and delicious Chinese Cantonese roast meats are memorable. Amongst their other food, the dim sum and seafood stand out. A visit to Crab Corner is recommended if you're in the area.


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