Chilli crab

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Chili crab

Chili crab is a famous seafood dish served in Singapore. It is made with hard-shell crabs, and cooked in a thick gravy with a tomato chili base. It is a favourite at seafood restaurants in Singapore.

[edit] History (or Urban Legend)

The creation of Singapore's Chili Crab is claimed by the founder of Roland Restaurant.

The introduction on their web site goes as follows (editorial liberty exercised for typos, length and clarity)...

The Year 1956, founder of chili crab, Mr. Lim Choon Ngee (and his wife Mdm Cher Yam Tian) started their seafood restaurant along the Kallang River with just a couple of kerosene lamps, wooden tables and stools. Seafood was cooked by using open charcoal fire during that time. As the number of seafood lovers grew, the restaurant then relocated themselves to Bedok Beach along Upper East Coast Road.

Mr. Lim served not only the finest quality food, but also the most generous helpings of food. His specialties were, of course his creation, the Chili Crab accompanied by local Crusty French Loaf for sauce dipping, Black Sauce Prawns, Sambal Mussel, Fried Crispy Baby Squid, Teochew-Style Steam Fish and not forgetting Cockles dip with Home-Made Mum's Chili Sauce, prepared by his wife.

Mr. Lim Seafood Restaurant soon earned a reputation purely by word of mouth. Up till today, the food consistently earns the highest praise.

In 1985, Mr. and Mrs. Lim together with the family decided to immigrate to Christchurch, New Zealand, selling off part of his restaurant shares and leaving the remaining shares to his son, Mr. Roland Lim.

[edit] Current Status

The Chili Crab is currently celebrated as the unofficial national dish of Singapore, much as Sushi and Sashimi are known as such for Japan. Various festivals like the Singapore Chili Crab Festival that takes place on a weekend in the first 2 weeks of August each year in Williamsburg, Brooklyn attest to that.

Nowadays, the dish also has many incarnations: some are packed with fresh spices like galangal, ginger, and turmeric, some are sweet-sour and rosy with tomato, others are ribboned with beaten egg, and still others carry the sting of chilli oil. All are meant to be attacked with gusto – and a nutcracker to tackle thick shells, plus a few slices of French bread or mantou (Chinese buns) to help you soak up every last drop of delicious sauce.