No Signboard Seafood (Geylang)

No Signboard Seafood at 414 Geylang Road is a long-running seafood restaurant. It serves zi char, the Chinese-style cooked-to-order dishes that Singaporeans share around the table. It is best known for white pepper crab and chilli crab.

The Geylang restaurant has been open since 1981. The group once ran several outlets around Singapore, but this is the one that remains.

From hawker stall to Geylang restaurant

The story began in the 1970s. Mdm Ong Kim Hoi and her husband, Choo Ah Kaw, ran a seafood stall at Mattar Road Hawker Centre. The stall had no sign, so customers called it "No Signboard", and the name stuck.

In the early days, the stall sold only a few crabs a day. Word of mouth slowly spread the fame of its white pepper crab. Mdm Ong is often credited with creating the dish.

What to order

Crab is the main event, and there are two best-known styles:

• White pepper crab, cooked with crushed white pepper for a fragrant, peppery bite.
• Chilli crab, in a sauce scented with lemongrass, curry leaves and laksa leaves. You can ask for the spice level you prefer.

The rest of the menu is classic zi char. Look for cereal prawns, steamed bamboo clams (also called razor clams) with garlic and crispy baby squid. Other dishes include drunken prawns, Venus clams in pumpkin sauce and deep-fried marble goby. Yang Zhou fried rice or mee goreng rounds out the meal.

Crab is sold by weight. Ask the staff about sizes and the cost before you order.

The setting

The restaurant is large, with more than 40 tables. Some tables sit outside by the roadside. There is also an air-conditioned room, which is worth asking for on a humid night. The format suits groups who share several dishes, family-style.

Good to know before you go

• Booking is a good idea, especially if you want the air-conditioned room.
• Parking on site is limited, but valet parking is offered.
• Come with a group if you can. It is easier to try several dishes that way.

Nearby

Geylang is one of the city's best areas for late meals and local food. For more choices, try Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee or the zi char at JB Ah Meng. Hawker fans can head to Old Airport Road Food Centre or Geylang Serai Market.

See all restaurants in Geylang and Paya Lebar, browse chilli crab and seafood restaurants in Singapore, or read our chilli crab and seafood guides and late-night food guides.