Master Crab Seafood Restaurant, Singapore

I've always been a "crabby" person, unlike people I know whose laziness deters them from eating, I actually enjoy picking at it. Ever since moving to Singapore, I've been having odd cravings for crabs but fortunately I have a partner in crime (: 

Last month we had the all you can eat crab buffet at Plaza Brasserie and this month we decided to have salted egg yolk crabs. A quick search and Master Crab came up as the most recommended in Singapore. They have outlets all over the heartlands but Ghim Moh was the nearest to where we were, so Ghim Moh it was! 

I can't remember why, but we weren't so hungry that night - or maybe all we wanted was crab. No rice, no carbs of any kind, just crabs. Oh, but herbal soup was okay for the rainy night (; 

 Herbal frog ($18) 

I have this thing with frogs - I eat them, but I secretly feel squeamish deep inside. So usually I'll just have the soup, or the gravy it's cooked in. I used to love them when I was young, till one day I saw a display of a skinned frog with it's head still intact. Oh, the horror....

The soup was lovely here, the angelica root (dong guai) wasn't too overpowering. We ordered the small portion but the portions were generous we ended up taking half of it home.

Salted egg yolk crabs

The pièce de résistance! The gravy was so rich and felt so cholesterol laden (not that we're complaining) and it was so addictive. If anything, it was perhaps a little too sweet but I would gladly have this any day!

A thing to note is that they have crabs of 2 different sizes - small and big. If you're going for small, you would have to order a minimum of 2 crabs. For big, just 1. If you're thinking of having two flavours, you could go with 3 small crabs and they will split 1 and a half crabs each dish.

The bill came up to about $105 for just the 2 of us - exclusive of drinks and we didn't order rice or anything else. Not exactly cheap for a coffee shop style place, but business seems to be blooming for them. Everyone flocks here for the salted egg yolk crabs so that's saying something!

Master Crab Seafood Restaurant @ Ghim Moh
Block 19 Ghim Moh Road, #01-229
+65 63141868

Symmetry, Singapore

If you're looking for a place for a first date where you can slurp squid ink pasta and not let your date see your gorgeous black stained teeth, Symmetry is the place to go. Nestled right at the edge of Kampong Glam area - stone throw away from Arab Street and Bugis, it's a place which sets off this vibe which I can't quite put my finger on. Indie? Hippy? Rusic, yet charming. 

Window decorations

What I love about this place is that it serves up 3 different menus - brunch, lunch and dinner. I love that the menu is so inspiring, not any plain Jane. Cafe by day, bar and restaurant by night. We popped by on a Thursday evening for dinner and I must say I was surprised by how packed the place got by the end of the night. 

 Tomatoes ($21)

The most amazing tomato salad I've ever had to date. I don't even like tomatoes to start with. It's the kind of dish you wished you didn't have to share (; Heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese, basil, olive soil, honey & lemon emulsion...this makes tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese so yesterday.

Sometimes you wish that the chef didn't mess with the classics. At first thought - olive soil. Is that necessary? But it adds to the texture - crumbly and somewhat buttery. I would have this salad everyday.  Seriously, everyday.

Squid ($16)

Deep fried whole baby squid served with a squid ink black pepper aioli. Can't fault this, I'd imagine it'll go down a treat with ice cold beer!

Scallops ($32)

Perfectly seared scallops with squid, chorizo, mashed potato, piquillo pepper, kelp, almond and garlic. I had a dish somewhat similar once at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne and this gives him a run for his money. 

Risotto ($34)

In the menu, this dish is supposedly a duck leg and foie gras risotto. Little confession - we had connections (pays to know the chef) so he very kindly changed it to a foie gras and mushroom risotto for us. We would gladly have ordered the original had it not been for the food coma we all had earlier on in the day - oops! This was mind blowing. So many places don't get their risottos right. This was perfectly al dente and oozy - not a pile of gunk and starch on a plate. The foie gras seemed to be deep fried - crispy on the outside and buttery on the inside, reminded me of deep fried luncheon meat (does that turn you off?) The sautéed mushrooms added an earthiness making this so decadent you feel somewhat sinful after having it! 

Beef short ribs ($37)

58 hour braised ribs served with creamy mashed potato, water cress and a brown butter emulsion. If you've not had beef short ribs before, you're missing out on something big. BIG. When cooked right, it becomes a cut which is so delectable and flavourful, it soaks up everything it's braised in and breaks down to be this sticky and meaty piece of goodness.

Opening hours

I wouldn't say it's cheap, but for a somewhat more composed and decently executed menu, Symmetry gets my vote. Then again, we had the tip of exactly what to order, and what not to (;

Symmetry

9 Jalan Kubor, #01-01

+65 62919901