Crabs Night @ Kim's Place Seafood Restaurant

A shared post about The Star Vista's Complete Food and Restaurant Guide on Facebook somehow garnered 78 comments which eventually turned into not a Star Vista's visit, but a crab outing with my friends lol! So here we are, at Kim's Place Seafood Restaurant located at Joo Chiat Place, which is famous not only for their Crabs Specialties but for their Fried Hokkein Prawn Mee as well.

Cravings must be satisfied and these two crabs were the sacrificial crustaceans of the night. Poor crabs, they came all the way from Sri Lanka, only to end up in our tummies. Well, at least they are worth S$45 per kg each before their time is up.

Chilli Crabs (1.4kg / S$63+) is no doubt one of the iconic dishes of Singapore and a must-order for any crab feast outing. There's just something addictive about the sweet and spicy gravy that had us clamouring for more.

My favorite part has to be the pincers! Who can resist the plump, succulent flesh in every mouthful? Covered by the semi-thick gravy which has just the right balance of chilli and tomato, sweet and savory, the level of spiciness is just nice for me. This is one dish which I don't mind messing up my hands with. Challenging myself to suck the last bit of flesh out of its pincers and legs, slurping and licking the gravy from my fingers! Pure joy!

Fried Mantou (chinese bun) (S$3+) is the quintessential consort to chilli crabs. Dunk the warm, crispy yet with a soft interior mantou into the chilli crab gravy, pop it into your mouth and you'd understand why :D

Next up is the Black Pepper Crab (1.5kg / S$67.50+) which is served in a hot pot. The crab is steamed first before being married with the fragrant peppery sauce. This results in a birth of a delightful dish where the flesh still retains its moisture wonderfully. I also like that the sauce is not too dry, but it somehow seems to get spicier with each taste. Hot!

We were astounded by the Fried Hokkein Prawn Mee (S$16+) when it was brought to our table. It was the biggest plate that all of us has ever since seen in one serving! Topped with prawns, squids and generous amount of pork lard, the noodles here is the dryer version, quite unlike the slurpy versions which is served at most places. One of my friend felt that the noodles were a tad soggy, perhaps due to being stir-fried for too long. The beansprouts hater in me is glad that the beansprouts to noodles ratio is much lower too. Sambal chilli and calamansi further enhanced the taste of this flavorful dish.

Greens of the evening came in form of Stir Fried Potato Leaves in Sambal Chilli (S$12+). The texture is just nice with the right note of tenderness without being too mushy.

 

 

A glass of Homemade Barley with Gingko Nuts (S$2+) is perfect for cooling us down after the varying hotness of each dish we've ordered.

Here we are! Happily enjoying our crabs! Other than the Chilli and Black Pepper Crabs we ordered, Kim's Place is also famous for their innovative crab creations like Cheese Crabs, Dried Curry Crabs, even Nam Lu Chilli Crabs! There are more than 15 ways which you can enjoy the crabs here. An extensive menu of zhi-char (chinese style stir-fry) dishes are also available.

I would love to order the Salted Egg Crab too, but my friends' appetite are rather small. No prize for guessing correctly that the PinkyPiggu is still hungry after this meal. Haha yes, and supper at a dessert place followed straight after :p

Overall it was an enjoyable dinner. We did not have to wait too long for our orders to be served, service staff were quick with their recommendations and prompt in little things like changing plates for us halfway through our meal.

The founder of Kim's Place, Mr Tan Kue Kim, actually started out in 1965 in Jalan Kayu, where he masterminded the fine art of frying hokkein mee, before moving on to establish his own seafood restaurant. His son, Mr Yong Tan, now runs the place while the senior Tan is still frying hokkein mee at the outlet in Bedok South!

I'd like to mention that there is no service charge at Kim's Place. Regulars can sign up for a free membership card where you get 10% discount for future visits. You may also wanna check out the monthly wine & dine event.

Writing about crabs now is making me crave for crabs!

Well, this is the season for..... Hairy Crabs!!!

In a true-blue Singaporean Hokkein (not mee) style... "Mai Dan Liao" !!! (don't wait already) :D


Kim's Place Seafood Restaurant
Address: 43 Joo Chiat Place (Junction of Tembeling Road), Singapore 427767
Contact: +65 6742 1119
Website:  http://www.kimsplaceseafood.com
Opening Hours: 11am - 3am