Mellben Seafood needs little introduction actually, having appeared on various print, online and blog reviews, and with most of them heaping much praise on its famous crab dishes. There's two Mellben outlets, one at Toa Payoh and the other at Ang Mo Kio, and this blog post is a write-up on the latter. All I can tell you is, I'm getting all hungry just typing this and looking at the pictures of the delicious crabs.
Sambal Fried Rice
First of course, we ordered a few other dishes to get dinner going. The Sambal Fried Rice was actually quite good, better than what we had expected, though it did mean much more carbohydrates filling our tummies early on into the meal. It was not overly spicy and had a healthy portion of shrimps to chew on.
Crispy Beancurd
The Crispy Beancurd was quite a misnomer in itself, because it wasn't crispy to begin with. Mixed reviews on this all around the table, but as for me I didn't like this that much because it was all just starch and paste.
Cereal Prawns
The Cereal Prawns were definitely tasty, but admittedly quite typical as well. The tiny chilli padis added a little zest to the sweet, buttered cereals, while the few curry leaves gave it all a slightly more distinct flavour. Me, I was happy just sitting there and eating spoonful after spoonful of the cereals.
Chilli Crabs
Ahh, my favourite of the night surely, and Mellben does do a really fantastic job at it. Three pictures right there to jolt your Chilli Crab cravings to no end! The thick gravy was adequately spicy (my friend Stella did mention that she prefers it even spicier) and was quite addictive. Most importantly, the crabs were very fresh, thanks I'm sure to their high daily turnover. Very good stuff.
Butter Crabs
I can't say the same for the Butter Crabs, but this is really a personal preference since my friends actually liked the buttered ones more. Perhaps it had something to do with the way the crabs were arranged and the way they were staring at me throughout dinner. Taste-wise, I suppose it was just a bit too buttery and salty for my own liking. I wish we had room for black pepper crabs, but that just means a return visit is on the cards!
Fried Man Tou Buns
Of course, lap it all up with some mini deep-fried man tou buns :)
Service
Contrary to some reviews, service here was alright, just not the most friendly. I guess with crowds every night they are really just focused on clearing tables, taking orders and making room for new customers. Go on weekday nights, I went on a Monday and only had to wait for ten minutes.
Price
About $180 for all.
Place
Blk 232 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, #01-1222.
Pictures taken with the Canon EOS 500D.
