Hua Yu Wee Seafood Restaurant

Hua Yu Wee Seafood Restaurant is a Chinese seafood and zi char restaurant at 462 Upper East Coast Road. Zi char means cooked-to-order dishes made for sharing at the table. The restaurant has been serving diners since the 1950s, and it is a good place to try chilli crab in an old-school setting.

It runs from a bungalow built in the 1920s, when this stretch of road sat close to the sea. Land reclamation later moved the coastline far away. Many seafood restaurants once lined Upper East Coast Road, and Hua Yu Wee is the last of that group still trading.

A piece of Bedok history

In 2016 the National Heritage Board listed the building as a landmark on its Bedok Heritage Trail. Look out for the original steps that once led down to the beach. They are a reminder of Bedok's seaside past.

Inside, the furniture, menus and staff uniforms have an old-school look that suits the building. It feels like a meal from an earlier Singapore.

What to order

Crab is the main event, and it comes in several styles. Most tables order one of these:

• Chilli crab: crab in a sweet, spicy and tangy tomato and chilli sauce.
• Black pepper crab: a drier style coated in cracked black pepper.
• Butter crab and salt and pepper baked crab for something different.

Beyond crab, the menu covers classic zi char dishes. Try the Feng Sha chicken. The bones are taken out and the chicken is marinated, then deep-fried until the skin turns crisp. A green chilli dip comes on the side. The coffee ribs are another good choice. Seafood choices include drunken prawns and deep-fried baby squid. For carbs, order the la la hor fun, flat rice noodles with clams, or silver fish fried rice. Finish with yam paste with gingko nuts, a warm, sweet Teochew-style dessert.

Crab and live seafood are usually sold by weight, so ask the staff for the price before you order.

The setting

There are two places to sit. The air-conditioned dining hall is inside the old bungalow. A larger open-air courtyard sits at the back, and it used to be right by the sea. The courtyard is the more relaxed choice on a cool evening, while the hall suits hot or rainy nights.

Good to know before you go

• Book ahead: call the restaurant to reserve, especially for a large group or a weekend dinner.
• Come in a group: dishes are made for sharing, so four or more people can try a wider spread.
• Plan your ride: the restaurant is in a residential stretch of the east, so a taxi or ride-hailing car is a simple way to get there.

Nearby

Make an evening of it with a walk at East Coast Park. For cheaper eats in the area, try Bedok 85 Fengshan Food Centre or East Coast Lagoon Food Village. For coffee in the daytime, there is Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Upper East Coast Road.

See more chilli crab and seafood restaurants, all restaurants in East Coast and Bedok, and our chilli crab and seafood guides.