Food

The Chinese Mitten Crab or the Hairy Crab is one of the top autumn delicacies in China. Hairy crab season starts from late September up to the beginning of early December. The crabs originated as a delicacy among the Shanghainese community but has gained popularity in Hong Kong, Singapore and other Chinese communities as well. Crabs caught from Yang Cheng Lake are the most prized. The crustaceans are noted for their golden roe, despite not possessing a particularly sizeable portion of meat. They are typically eaten with vinegar. 

The crabs are obviously alive year-round but the reason why they are an autumn delicacy is because the hairy crabs typically have their sexual awakening in late August and the autumn period is when they breed. It is during this time when the amount of golden roe inside their bodies will be at their peak.

Do note that the Chinese Hairy Crab is different from Japanese Hairy Crab or Horsehair Crab (Kegani).

In Singapore, hairy crab is popular especially in Chinese restaurants where each outlet would roll out its own version of a hairy crab menu. Among households that prepare their own meals, hairy crabs are very popular as well. This particular list shows you how you can have raw or live hairy crab delivered right to your doorstep – often with free delivery. I will also try to present restaurants’ hairy crab menus once they become available. This list is not arranged in any particular order so feel free to compare for the establishment that best suits your needs.

Should You Buy Male or Female Hairy Crabs ?

When purchasing these crustaceans, you may wonder whether to get male or female hairy crabs. Both male and female crabs are filled with roe but the texture and consistency differ. Female hairy crabs tend to have firmer roe – not too different from the texture of salted egg yolk – while male hairy crabs tend to have a creamier and delicate texture. To get the best of both worlds, it is advisable to buy a mix of both genders and most vendors below sell such bundles as well.

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Gaggan Anand, the man behind the eponymous Gaggan, has opened a new casual dining concept in Singapore called Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh in collaboration with The Proper Concepts Collective. This is the Singapore outpost of the said Mexican-Indian concept, with a similar restaurant in Bangkok. Craig Road is no stranger to trendy Indian concept restaurants, with Firangi Superstar just a few steps away. 

The food and drinks at Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh are examples of fantasy cuisine, with the story and inspiration of the dishes coming from a fictional cross-cultural couple of Mexican and Indian origin. 

The venue is a relatively small and narrow shophouse space that can sit up to 40 people, with a mix of table and bar seats. The space can feel a bit cramped, especially for the table seating. You may run out of space if you are ordering a number of dishes. The bar seats actually have more space but you’d have to sit side-by-side your dining companions.

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Entering Restaurant Jag for the first time, it wouldn’t occur to folks at the first instance that this is actually a Michelin-starred restaurant. The relatively cozy setting, free from snazzy interiors, looks more like one of those small family-run restaurants that one finds in Europe. Going strong since 2018, Restaurant Jag, which stands for “Jeremy Anant Gastronomy,” notably received its Michelin star within the first year of its opening. The focus here (and rightly so) is on the food which is similarly less theatrical than what one would find in other fine dining establishments in Singapore.

At Restaurant Jag, Chef Jeremy Gillon makes clever use of seasonal vegetables. The establishment has this distinct focus to the point that the theme of most courses have greens as the primary consideration before Chef Jeremy decides on the type of proteins to build in to complete the course. 

Indeed, even as someone who loves his vegetables, I have to admit there were quite a number of varieties here that I’ve never had before. The basket of fresh produce presented to us before the start of the meal as well as the herb jars at the end of the meal shows just how diverse the selection is. 

At Restaurant Jag, dietary restrictions are taken very seriously and I was quite impressed at how the servers were able to remember all my food limitations during the course of the meal. For those who don’t take meat, vegetarian set menus are also offered here.  

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Singapore’s National Day for 2022 comes close to a long weekend with just one working day in between. 9th August is a Tuesday this year which means you can take a day off on Monday and have a longer time celebrating. Compared to the last two years, there are more dine-in offers available though takeaways are expected to remain popular – especially with larger groups/families who prefer to dine in the comfort of home. Without further ado, here are some National Day dining promotions you can check out.

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Mad About Sucre stands in an area that has seen constant change in terms of tenant mix. Over the years, the shophouses surrounding Bukit Pasoh have evolved from clan associations and offices into hip bars, Michelin-starred restaurants and exclusive members-only clubs. Mad About Sucre, which has stood in the section near where Teo Hong Road melds into Bukit Pasoh since 2014, is probably the oldest surviving modern F&B establishment in the area – quite a feat when one considers that only 60% of smaller restaurants in Singapore ever make it past 5 years.

I had first known about Mad About Sucre since their first year of operations back in 2014 but I’ve never had a meal here prior to this visit. I have tried their pastries before which I remembered to be very good and I had also heard stellar reviews about their savory dishes so I was quite excited to drop by for dinner upon receiving an invitation to dine here.

At the time of my visit, Mad About Sucre was rolling out its summer menu. Despite supply chain challenges throughout much of the world, the restaurant still imports many of their ingredients. This includes their caviar which they still source from Ukraine despite the war. 

Entering for the first time since their refurbishment, the space looks very much to me like an arts space with projectors across three sides of the multi-colored dining hall showcasing the blooming of different types of flowers. 

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Around a month back, I went up the 51st floor of CapitaSpring to check out the dining concepts that had newly opened there. Oumi, a modern Japanese Kappo restaurant, takes up half of the F&B space while Kaarla, the mod-Australian restaurant, takes up the other. I dined at Oumi during that instance so this month, I returned to check out Kaarla. 

Contrary to my initial assumption, the restaurant name “Kaarla” is not a homage to a particular person. It actually means “where the home fires burn” in the Australian aboriginal language. 

At Kaarla, the focus is on the cuisine from Australia’s coast. My host was quick to point out that a large majority of Australians live along the coast so it comes as no surprise that one gets to experience the bounties of both the land and sea at Kaarla.

For starters, we had the Damper (S$8 per piece). Damper is a thick homemade soda bread that is quintessential in Australian society. In Kaarla, the damper is left to ferment and aerate within the 1-Arden Food Forest (CapitaSpring’s rooftop garden) prior to serving. The collection of natural yeast in the air allows for a unique taste to the dough. The bread is doused in a native macadamia spread, lardo and lemon balm – allowing for a slightly nutty taste to juxtapose with the sourness.

For something more conventional, one can’t go wrong with oysters. The Australian Market Oyster (S$8 per piece) is shucked upon order and drizzled with a house-fermented fig lead and oyster plant vinegar. 

One benefit of having a rooftop garden of your own is that you get a great source of greens right at your doorstep. This is reflected in Kaarla’s menu. Many of the dishes (including the meats) feature a sprinkling or two of some of the day’s harvest. To sample the delights from the 1-Arden Food Forest in one plate, the Kaarla Closed Loop Salad (S$28) features over 20 different edible leaves and flowers from the outdoor garden. The picks vary according to what’s in season and can include the likes of Roselle leaves, fame flowe, marigold, Egyptian star and cat whiskers. The myriad of herbs certainly give varying textures when consumed especially when considered alongside the tiger nut curd dressing, and is a must-order here in my view for its uniqueness. 

Speaking of uniqueness, one can also sample some exotic dishes here. This being an Australian restaurant – I checked out the Salt Cured Kangaroo (S$32). My only prior exposure to kangaroo meat before this was through jerkies and I remember how tough those were so I was initially skeptical when this dish came. I am happy to report that the kangaroo meat here certainly dispelled any notions I had about the toughness. The meat here was brined, hung and smoked for 3 days each and thinly sliced which help to explain how they managed to attain such an unimaginable tenderness.

Among seafood options, the pickled Australian Blue Mussels (S$30) or Line Caught John Dory (S$62) are worthy options. The latter is noted for being topped with abalone and possessing a sauce made with the innards of the abalone.

The Free Range Pork (S$58) consists of a pork asado shortrib cut. It’s brined for 2 days then slow-cooked on a a wood-fire grill for 8 hours. The “asado” means you have the belly and loin attached to the rib. This is best eaten with the warm minya and riberry vinaigrette to truly appreciate the dish’ overarching flavor profile.

Another meat option is the Aged King Island Beef (S$210 per kg) which was already quite flavorful even without dipping it anywhere. 

Often relegated as a side dish, I found the Pumpkin (S$18) surprisingly noteworthy. It featured a burnt crust, miso made from pumpkin seeds and was topped with goat’s feta – evidently showing how much thought was put into perfecting the recipe for this dish. The combination of these ingredients created an umami flavor that one would not normally associate with the sweeter profile of pumpkin. Again, this shows Kaarla’s capabilities in preparing plant-based dishes.

I enjoyed the dessert selection at Kaarla because they make everything inhouse, even the ice cream which come in unique flavors. I was particularly fond of the Arden Grown Tigernut Ice Cream (S$25) as it had “many things going on at the same time.” By that, I mean the combination of tiger nut nougatine, calamansi jelly and poached oranges. There’s crispy and soft, sweet and sour all at the same time. The tiger nuts used for the ice cream and nougatine come from the 1-Arden Food Forest as well.

My other dinner companions were more inclined towards the Wood Fired Pineapple (S$22) and I can see why. The star here is the caramelized pineapple, served baked and with a sweet coat of syrup. In contrast, the shoyu ice cream that came with the dessert was too creamy for my liking.

There are a number of so-called “Australian” restaurants in Singapore but most of them focus on brunch / cafe or BBQ items which the Land Down Under is also known for. In contrast, Kaarla is a breath of fresh air because it seriously takes the Australian approach by heart by offering Aussie dishes that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in Singapore.

Kaarla
 88 Market St
#51-02, CapitaSpring
048948

+65 8518 3763

Opening Hours:

Lunch – Monday to Friday, 12PM to 2:30PM
Dinner – Monday to Saturday, 6PM to midnight