Recently, I accepted an invitation for an interview with a food blog and I was asked to name three dishes that are classic Singapore cuisine. Chilli crab just naturally came to my mind, so did the craving. So the husband and I headed to Jumbo at The Riverwalk for some crabbing business. The last time I came here was in 2011 while my last blog post on Jumbo was dated December 2010. A perfect time to revisit the restaurant again.
Scallop Wrapped in Yam Ring
This is one of my must-order dishes whenever I’m at Jumbo. The scallops are fresh and succulent. The yam rings are crispy on the outside. smooth and soft on the inside. The sweetness of the scallops and of the yam are a perfect harmony with each other. Though this may be fried, it doesn’t taste overly greasy at all. A wonderful starter to begin the meal with.
Homemade Beancurd
This is fried spinach tofu topped with a trio of mushrooms (enoki, shimeji & shiitake) in a oyster sauce flavoured gravy. The tofu reminds me of the same from Rabbit Brand Delicacies at Circular Road. It is fried to golden brown on the outside while the middle remains wobbly and soft. Except for the sauce which I find it a little too starchy, I love the different textures of the tofu, mushrooms and steamed broccoli.
Salted Egg Golden Prawns
I ordered this because it is the husband’s favourite. He loves anything with salted egg, be it a dry or wet version. The medium-size prawns are packed with a crunch and are really fresh. The sauce is creamy and buttery with the right amount of salted egg yolk. Overall it’s more on the sweet side and I would have loved this more if curry leaves are used to give it that extra aroma.
Fried Mantou Buns
I can never resist these fried mantous especially if we are having chilli or butter crabs. These are deep fried to a nice crisp with an even golden colour and it is moist and fluffy on the inside, perfect for soaking up flavoursome sauces.
Chilli Crab
Despite the chilli crab being an iconic Singaporean national dish and that Jumbo’s chilli crab is also an award-winning one, when celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay was in Singapore last year for a cook-off with our local hawkers, his version of chilli crab actually triumphed over Jumbo’s which I wasn’t too surprised to know of. Jumbo’s chilli crabs never taste the same every time I have it. Sometimes, the sauce can be terribly starchy that I just hate it. Other times, the sauce was of my desired consistency with the crabs being really fresh and meaty. Thank goodness, this time I hit the jackpot again.
The sauce is sweet, spicy and eggy, not overly starchy. The crab is big, meaty and succulent. This is how chilli crabs should be!
Overall verdict? Jumbo is still my preferred seafood restaurant to go to for chilli crabs even though there may be hits and misses. And what I like about this outlet at The Riverwalk is that we can always take a walk along Singapore River when we are done with dinner.
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant @ The Riverwalk
20 Upper Circular Road #B1-48
Tel: 6534 3435
Website
Operating hours:
12.00pm to 3.00pm, 6.00pm to 12.00am daily
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