@mellbensignature_sg prides themselves on their crabs, specifically their chili crab. So naturally my dad & I gravitated to the nearest Mellben restaurant to get our chili crab cravings fixed, and we happily ordered two standard sized ones, priced at $98++ per crab if I remember correctly.⠀
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The chili gravy was absolutely exquisite, possibly the best chili crab gravy I’ve ever had the good fortune to slurp down. Calling it a chili is a bit misleading, as it’s mostly tomato sauce mixed with chilies, eggs and vinegar. As you might expect from the description, the chili crab sauce is terrifically tomato-y, blending savoury, sweet & slightly sour perfectly into a tremendously thick sauce that’s speckled by copious amounts of egg mixed in. It’s slightly spicy from the chili added in, but the mild spice didn’t deter us from mopping up that glorious gravy with the deep fried mantous & rice.⠀
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Unfortunately, it was painfully obvious that the crab was overcooked. The crab meat had lost some of its suppleness and moisture, and it clung tight to the shell. Sure, the Sri Lankan crab was meaty and fresh, but sadly the otherwise spectacular chili crab was marred by the chef extracting the crab two minutes too late from the wok.⠀
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Sure, I still enjoyed this chili crab because of the sauce, but the overcooked crab clawed away at the satisfaction of getting our chili crab cravings satiated.