Dancing Crab

Dancing Crab
200 Turf Club Road
#01-20 The Grandstand

1 Harbourfront Walk
#03-10 VivoCity

181 Orchard Road
#07-14 Orchard Central

73A Ayer Rajah Crescent
#01-29 JTC LaunchPad @ one-north

http://www.dancingcrab.com.sg/

Live Crab Combo With Zesty Garlic Butter (SGD $84.60)

Good Louisiana Seafood Joint

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 6
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $52 per person.


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The Dancing Crab was founded in April 2014 by celebrity Dick Lee and the grandsons of TungLok Group patriarch Tjioe Ji Nan (Zhou Ying Nan), Norman Hartono and Nathan Hartono (yes, the Nathan Hartono), with support from their uncle Andrew Tjioe. The American styled Dancing Crab restaurant is famed for their robust, country-style Cajun seafood and Creole cuisine, and still regularly draws queues to this day.

Ambience at Dancing Crab exudes a casual yet lively vibe. Styled after American diners, the warmly lit place is spacious, in colours of wood, white, black, and red, with sturdy and wide furnishings closely packed in the dining area. Live seafood tanks greet diners upon entry, akin to the brand's other Chinese Zi Char seafood places. Feels like the deck of a ship. I also like the convenient, accessible hand washing areas, and the idea of covering all tables with plastic tableclothes, making cleaning easy.

Service at Dancing Crab is mediocre. The mostly young staff scurry about, and while they carry out requests quickly, they're not observant or proactive. For example, instead of serving cutlery together with the dishes, you have to request for it. They'll bring it, then realise they forgot something else, causing them to go back and forth. Needs more foresight and planning. Product knowledge is rather lacking, but they're quick at clearing away empty / dirty tables when diners depart.

Food at Dancing Crab is focused on American Cajun and Creole cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Quality of ingredients is assured, as they leverage on the parent brand's seafood suppliers. Execution and taste of dishes is above average to good, and I must commend the kitchen for being consistent. Portions are designed for communal dining, and are fairly large. Prices are mid-range, budget about SGD $52 per person for a meal here.


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Dancing Crab Exterior

Dancing Crab Interior

Live Seafood Tanks

Counter

Maritime Decor

Welcome Aboard

Seating

Dancing Crab Outside

Dancing Crab Inside

Open Kitchen

Plush Booths

Giant Sofa, Crab Hat

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

The Ginger Ale (SGD $3.50) comes very diluted, light on taste. Not worth getting.

Ginger Ale (SGD $3.50)

The Beer Kirin Ichiban (SGD $12) is an American style pale lager, brewed by the Kirin Company in Tokyo, in the Kanto region of Japan. It has a clear, straw golden colour, with aromas of malt, grains, skunk, and lemon. The body is light, crisp, smooth, with lively carbonation, and tastes of bread, metal, grass, and cereal. Has a slight sweetness and slight bitterness. Very drinkable but light, and refreshing.

Beer Kirin Ichiban (SGD $12)

They also offered flavoured versions of Beer Kirin here! The Beer Kirin Watermelon (SGD $9) features watermelon juice, and is distinctly fruity sweet with a refreshing feel. The Beer Kirin Vanilla (SGD $9) has rich French vanilla within, and while it starts out amazing floral sweet herbal, it quickly feels cloying towards the end.

Beer Kirin Watermelon (SGD $9)

Beer Kirin Vanilla (SGD $9)

The Beer Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (SGD $15) is an American style brown ale, brewed by Rogue Ales brewery in Oregon, United States Of America. It has a deep tan brown colour, with aromas of white chocolate, maraschino cherries, vanilla, and barley malt. Body is medium creamy, smooth, and slightly bubbly, with tastes of caramel, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, and toffee. Has an earthy nutty sweet flavour, with a touch of artificial flatness. Finish is short and quick, belaying the stronger body. Easy drinking, will please most.

Beer Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (SGD $15)

The Moonshine (SGD $15) is a shot of clear, unaged whisky, distilled according to an authentic American recipe in Montana, United States Of America. The Moonshine, On The Rocks has a strong aroma of liquor, with a pleasant grain flavour and a slight burning sensation. Drunk more for the experience than as a thirst-quencher.

Moonshine (SGD $15)

Moonshine, On The Rocks

Gumbo is a type of stew, a fusion communal dish, and is the official dish of the state of Louisiana, in the United States Of America. It's often served at family gatherings, social events, festivals, and is even a central feature of Mardi Gras celebrations. Traditionally, Gumbo consists of a strongly flavoured stew stock, made with either okra / lady's finger, filé powder, or roux (all-purpose flour, and clarified butter), along with either meat or seafood, andouille sausage (smoked pork sausage), and the 'Louisiana Holy Trinity' of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers / capsicum, and onions. Cajun Gumbo usually has either chicken, duck, shrimp, crab, or oysters. Creole Gumbo usually includes tomatoes, and either shrimp, crab, or oysters. Both are served over white rice, with the stew spooned over.

The Seafood Gumbo (SGD $12) here differs vastly from the traditional version. It features smoked pork sausage, shrimp, and mussels, with the white rice already immersed within. Bold and warming notes of savoury sweet salty, with a rich, slightly creamy texture. Not as thick as the traditional version, and not as flavourful. The tomato taste is also more pronounced, instead of the seafood flavour. Still, it's a pretty decent stew, and I saw many people enjoying this.

Seafood Gumbo (SGD $12)

Seafood Gumbo

Loved the Crabby Corn Chowder (SGD $8 / $10), with its rich creamy smooth texture to the soup / broth, and bright flavours of earthy sweet corn and briny salty crab. Garnished with chunks of corn kernels and fresh chunks of deshelled crab meat, which lend a good contrast of texture, and enhances the flavour. Hearty and delicious soup / broth appetizer. Highly recommended!

Crabby Corn Chowder (SGD $8 / $10)

Crabby Corn Chowder

Crabby Corn Chowder

The Beer-Battered Mushrooms (SGD $8) have a light, boozy batter, slightly crisp in texture. Bite in, and the warm mushroom juice just squirts out, coating the palate in earthy savoury flavour. Better than I expected. Portion size is huge too.

Beer-Battered Mushrooms (SGD $8)

Beer-Battered Mushrooms

Decently executed Sweet Potato Fries (SGD $7) here. Warm, with a slightly crisp exterior, and a moist fluffy interior. Nicely delicate sweet potato flavour, earthy sweet and floral. Garnished with almonds, which lend a nutty aroma and a crunch to texture. Worth ordering!

Sweet Potato Fries (SGD $7)

Sweet Potato Fries

Absolutely loved the Fried Okra (SGD $8), which sounds like it could be healthy, but actually works as a decadent drinking snack. Tender slices of vegetal sweet okra / lady's fingers, coated in a thin, crisp, salty batter. Each bite releases a burst of warm juices, then the flavours gently coat the palate. So addictive. Highly recommended!

Fried Okra (SGD $8)

Fried Okra

The Creole Cornbread (SGD $5) here resembles the classic Southern American staple, with a large, dense, firm quick bread made from cornmeal, baking powder, eggs, and all-purpose flour. Served with whipped cream, this is primarily a savoury appetizer, meant to be paired with other food. My only complaint was the unexpected dry texture this had, though I suppose this is still rather typical, as it's traditionally supposed to be crumbed and eaten with milk, buttermilk, molasses, or honey. Not that great on its own though.

Creole Cornbread (SGD $5)

Creole Cornbread

Creole Cornbread

Love the Crab Cakes (SGD $18.50) because of its generous portion of deshelled crab meat, and its crisp, golden crumb batter. The luscious texture of the crab meat, cream, and spring onions, has a lovely delicate sweet savoury flavour, so delicious. In fact, I think the ranch dipping sauce, and wedges of lemon and lime, distracts from the natural flavours of the crab meat. I would recommend eating this on its own, without any sauce. Great value for money. Highly recommended!

Crab Cakes (SGD $18.50)

Crab Cakes

Crab Cakes

The Crab Rockefeller (SGD $13) is a classic Southern American appetizer. Here, a crab shell is lined with crab meat, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, and coated in a mix of milk, bread crumbs, and butter, then baked. The result; a golden brown crust, that when broken, releases a fragrant seafood aroma. The crab meat, spinach, and shiitake mushrooms are so tender and juicy, with flavours of vegetal earthy sweet salty. Completely unstoppable. Highly recommended!

Crab Rockefeller (SGD $13)

Crab Rockefeller

Crab Rockefeller

Jambalaya is a classic Louisiana seasoned rice casserole, a fusion dish of French and Spanish influences, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, Jambalaya consists of andouille sausage (smoked pork sausage), the 'Louisiana Holy Trinity' of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers / capsicum, and onions, several other types of meat or seafood (such as pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp), long grain white rice, chicken stock, and spices (such as bay leaf, thyme, oregano, or pepper). Sometimes, carrots, garlic, or chili is added. Creole Jambalaya usually includes tomatoes, while Cajun Jambalaya does not. Both are cooked via simmering on a low heat.

The Seafood Jambalaya (SGD $15 / $17) here breaks from tradition, as it doesn't include celery, bell peppers / capsicum, onions, and even most of the spices. It does however, feature tomatoes, long grain rice, chicken, and a smoked pork sausage, along with a medley of fresh seafood such as squid, white clams, blue mussels, and prawns. The flavour profile is vastly different, though it's still pretty tasty, much like an Asian fried rice, being more savoury salty spicy on the palate. The seafood is perfectly cooked, bouncy in texture with a delicate natural sweet flavour. Decent enough as a dish.

Seafood Jambalaya (SGD $15 / $17)

Seafood Jambalaya

Seafood Jambalaya

Seafood Jambalaya

The Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy With Spicy Cajun Fries (SGD $15) feature a side of crisp, Cajun spice dusted French Fries, along with a wedge of lemon. The Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy itself has a crisp outside fluffy inside toasted and buttered hotdog roll, stuffed with chilled coleslaw that lends a nice crunch, garnished with fresh bouncy deshelled shrimp / prawns, battered and dressed with gravy. Nice combination of savoury salty sweet against vegetal sweet here. While it strays from the traditional version, it's pretty tasty on its own. Carbohydrate heavy though. Worth ordering!

Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy With Spicy Cajun Fries (SGD $15)

Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy

Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy

Popcorn Shrimp Po’ Boy

The Barramundi Fish And Chips Set (SGD $22) is served with a fresh home made Coleslaw, which is crunchy with a vegetal sweet flavour. The Barramundi Fish And Chips features a medium thick, fresh fillet of barramundi fish, coated in a golden brown, crisp crumb batter, which crunching satisfiyingly. Lovely delicate savoury sweet flavour, and the sprinkle of lemon juice over helps cut through the greasy feeling. Good!

Barramundi Fish And Chips Set (SGD $22)

Coleslaw

Barramundi Fish And Chips

Barramundi Fish And Chips

The Live Crab Combo With Zesty Garlic Butter (SGD $84.60) is expensive, and I find it only offers average value for money. It features a bucket of fresh, live seafood, including 1 x 700g Sri Lankan crab, up to 350g of prawns, up to 300g of either white clams or blue mussels, several pieces of corn on the cob, and a large pork sausage which is thick, juicy, meaty, and savoury salty. All these are cooked in a sauce of your choice, we got the classic garlic butter sauce, which is enhanced with a sprinkle of lemon juice, and is so fragrant and tasty, but super oily. All the seafood was fresh, with good natural sweet savoury flavour. Portion size is good for 2 - 3 people, a bit of a stretch for 4 people. Part of the fun is tearing into this with your bare hands, in communal dining fashion with the seafood dumped onto the table.

Live Crab Combo With Zesty Garlic Butter (SGD $84.60)

Live Crab Combo With Zesty Garlic Butter

Live Crab Combo With Zesty Garlic Butter

The Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy & DIY Combo With Signature Spicy Sauce Set (SGD $137.40) is a great meal for sharing between 5 people. We got the DIY Combo With Signature Spicy Sauce, which has a choice of up to 300g of either white clams or blue mussels, both of which are small but meaty, with a fresh sweet taste; along with up to 350g of prawns, which are super fresh and juicy savoury sweet. The Signature Spicy Sauce has a bright spicy flavour with a short lingering burn. Served with Crisp Mantou and Steamed Corn on the side. The star is the Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy, a 1.3kg dungeness crab served in a bread bowl, coated in sweet spicy chili crab gravy and sweet pomelo chunks. The crab is meaty with a firm flaky texture, and a lovely fresh sweet flavour. Good!

Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy & DIY Combo With Signature Spicy Sauce Set (SGD $137.40)

Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy & DIY Combo With Signature Spicy Sauce Set

Crisp Mantou

Steamed Corn

DIY Combo With Signature Spicy Sauce

Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy

Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy

Dungeness Crab In Chili Crab Gravy

The Beignets (SGD $3 / $6) here resembles the typical version of those in the French quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Of America. A deep-fried choux pastry, fluffy and airy soft, generously coated with powdered sugar, served piping hot and fresh. Eaten as a dessert, or for breakfast. Expect a slight wait as these are prepared to order. Simple yet so tasty. Highly recommended!

Beignets (SGD $3 / $6)

Beignets

Beignets

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