8 Crabs

8 Crabs is a crab and seafood restaurant and delivery service in Singapore. It cooks wild-caught crabs from Sri Lanka in classic local sauces, along with zi char dishes. The dine-in restaurant is on the second floor of Kapo Factory Building at 80 Playfair Road, near Tai Seng.

The business began as an importer of seafood from Sri Lanka, bringing in wild crabs, prawns, grouper and sea cucumber. Today it cooks for delivery from several kitchens around Singapore, and delivery is still a big part of the business. The Playfair Road restaurant lets you eat the same food straight from the kitchen.

What to order

Crab is the main event. 8 Crabs uses wild Sri Lankan crabs, which it sells as grade AAA and flies in every day. The company says these wild crabs are larger and carry more meat than farmed ones. You pick a sauce for each crab:

• Chilli crab: Singapore's best-known crab dish, in a sweet and spicy sauce
• Black pepper: a drier, peppery style
• Salted egg: a rich sauce made with salted egg yolk

Add a plate of fried mantou, small Chinese buns, to mop up the chilli crab sauce. Another signature is Seafood in a Bag, a saucy mix of seafood. It also comes in a non-spicy garlic butter version. Boston lobster, prawn paste chicken and other zi char dishes fill out the menu.

At the time of writing, the restaurant also takes pre-orders for live fish, at least three days ahead. Choices such as soon hock, red or black grouper and sea bass can be steamed Hong Kong or Teochew style. They can also be cooked with ginger and spring onion, deep-fried, or served in a spicy sauce.

The setting

The restaurant sits inside an industrial building, so expect a simple, practical dining room rather than a waterfront view. The focus is on the food. Tables seat groups of two, four, six, eight or up to twelve people.

Good to know before you go

• The restaurant opens for dinner only.
• Book a table on the 8 Crabs website. Tables are held for 15 minutes after your booking time.
• For same-day bookings or groups larger than twelve, message the restaurant on WhatsApp.
• You can order crabs for delivery, or collect them yourself from the restaurant.
• Crab is messy to eat, so wear something you do not mind getting sauce on.

Getting there

Look for unit #02-19 in Kapo Factory Building, and use Lobby B. The restaurant says it is a short walk from Tai Seng MRT station on the Circle Line.

Nearby

If you are exploring the east, Old Airport Road Food Centre is one of Singapore's best-known hawker centres. Geylang Serai Market is a good stop for Malay food. For more crab, read our chilli crab and seafood guides or browse other chilli crab and seafood restaurants. You can also see all restaurants in Geylang and Paya Lebar.