For most Singaporeans and Malaysians, seafood is something we grew up eating all the time. Unlike some of our friends who grew up in land-locked areas in other parts of the world, we are blessed to be living in a city with tons of fresh seafood that’s available just about any time of the year. If you’re planning a visit to Singapore soon, be sure to bookmark this guide to try out the island’s best seafood joints in the city.
The famous chilli crab, for instance, has seen everyone from local diners to international tourists flock to seafood restaurants all over the island for a taste, and the best establishments in Singapore all offer a different rendition of the iconic dish. The last decade has seen more ‘modern’ renditions of the iconic dish too, offering nouveau flavours that include salted egg yolk too.
Then there’s other hot favourite dishes like cereal prawns, freshly steamed fish, deep-fried baby squid, and everything in between. If you’re tired of steaks and burgers, and want something a little closer to home, or are simply hankering for a satisfying meal, we’ve got you covered. Oh, and gather as many family members and friends for this one – it’s going to be an oceanic feast like no other at these best seafood restaurants in Singapore.
(Hero and featured image credit: Melben Seafood)
Red House Seafood has made quite the name for itself since it first opened in 1976. Apart from sourcing fully traceable seafood, you won’t find the creatures on full display in tanks here either. To maintain the quality of the ingredients, the kitchen team controls and monitors the living conditions down at the micro-ecosystem level as a sign of respect and appreciation not just to guests to dine here, but to the produce as well. We particularly enjoyed the White Pepper Alaskan King Crab, a meaty dish with a nuanced, floral spice that comes from the white pepper-infused stock.
Long Beach Seafood Restaurant is best known for being the original creators of the Black Pepper Crab. Here, guests also enjoy servings of their Deep Fried Flat Noodles with La La King, a stir-fried hor fun dish with generous portions of clams and a fresh topping of fried hor fun. Dining with guests that aren’t a fan of seafood? The tender pork ribs are a must-try too.
(Image credit: @longbeachseafood via Instagram)
Palm Beach Seafood is perennially ranked amongst the city’s best offerings, and is not hard to see why. The King Prawn Soup is a comforting dish comprising vermicelli and tiger prawns that sit in a flavourful superior chicken stock made with evaporated milk, dried orange peel, Jin Hua ham, chilli oil, and lime juice. For a more unique take on the crowd-favourite crustacean, order the Crab Ala Singapura — it’s charcoal-grilled with melted mozzarella, aged parmesan cheese, creamy French butter, salt and pepper that’ll sit well with younger diners.
(Image credit: @palmbeachsg via Instagram)
Jumbo Seafood is almost synonymous with chilli crab here in Singapore. The household name prides itself on the classic rendition of this dish — sweet, savoury, and spicy all at once — that’s best had with a basket or two of crispy golden brown buns to lick up all of the sauce. The outlet at East Coast is popular for its alfresco dining situation complete with a cooling sea breeze on good days, and the Dempsey outlet, fashioned with a slightly more upscale interior is great for special occasions.
(Image credit: @jumboseafoodsg via Instagram)
The place: Yang Ming Seafood. The dish: Lobster Chee Cheong Fun. Think slippery sheets that form the base of the dish, before a moat of broth and lobster pile on top of it. A generous portion of fried shallots later and you’ll find yourself finishing the whole plate for dinner. Other dishes to try include the Andrew Lobster and Chicken in Pig Stomach.
(Image credit: @yangmingseafood via Instagram)
While Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong is less of a communal dining spot than the other locales on this list, we love the fact that the food here is truly from our own backyard. It’s Singapore’s first fish-farmer-owned restaurant, and they source seafood such as seabass, pearl grouper, golden pomfret, and green-lipped mussels from their own little offshore kelong (floating fish farms).
(Image credit: @scaledbyahhuakelong via Instagram)
Easties are no strangers to Hua Yu Wee. The award-winning restaurant has been occupying a 1920’s-style bungalow since the 1950s, with dishes that serve up nostalgic flavours with every bite. The hor fun and the black pepper mud crab is a must-have here. If you’re in the mood for chilli crab, do know that it leans a little spicier than sweet.
(Image credit: @huayuweeseafood via Instagram)
For a safe option when it comes to chilli crab and claypot crab bee hoon, head straight to Mellben Seafood. Not a fan of these two? Don’t worry, they have 13 more variations of the crustacean for you, from the ever-popular salted egg crab to laksa (only available at the Opal and Pasir Ris outlets) crab. The thick, eggy chilli crab sauce was more savoury-sweet than spicy, but diners can always adjust the level of spice here.
(Image credit: @mellbensignature_sg via Instagram)
Senior Writer
Jocelyn Tan is a travel, food and design writer who loves to explore lesser-known cities abroad and chat with locals about their favourite eats in town. When she’s not writing, she’s probably indulging in serial killer podcasts or reading one too many books on East Asian history.
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