A seafood lover, especially those of the crustacean and mollusc variety–I’ve been wanting to visit Crab in da Bag for awhile now. A Southern Louisiana and Asian fusion seafood restaurant concept, they are known for boiled seafood, served casually in plastic bundles with homemade sauces. We decided to make our way down two weeks ago for a friend’s farewell dinner, just the perfect excuse for a seafood feast don’t you think?
We arrived right on time for our reservation to a relatively empty restaurant and were promptly greeted with enthusiastic shouts of “Ahoy! Welcome aboard!” Be a sport and return the greeting. Decoration was kept to a minimal white and navy blue theme with fish nets, oversized clownfish, and life buoys festooning the walls and ceiling. Tables are devoid of cutlery, and the only tools available are lobster shears, crab claw cracker, and a single plastic spoon. Pretty environmentally friendly, seeing they won’t have to do much washing. Bibs, to accessorize our necks with were also laid neatly on the plastic-lined tables. A box of tissues was thoughtfully provided.
We decided on Sweet Potato Fries priced at SGD7 and CiDB (Crab in Da Bag) Wings priced at SGD10 for starters. Since there were four of us we just HAD to order the Caboodle Boil (Titanic Pot) priced at SGD299. In case you’re wondering, a Caboodle Boil contains a boston lobster, two Sri Lankan crabs, king crab legs, yabbies, tiger prawns, venus clams, sausages, corn on the cob, potatoes, lemons, and onions all boiled in a classic blend of Louisiana herbs and spices. Unfortunately, there were no yabbies that day, so we were given squid instead. The Caboodle Boil is accompanied by three dips; Malaysian sambal, Louisiana garlic butter, and Thai green bird dip (my personal favorite!). If you’re a group of six and more–or simply can eat the equivalent amount–consider getting the Gigantic Pot. You’ll get all the above, with the addition of a South African lobster, cray fish and loligo squid.
It’s practically an event every time someone orders a Caboodle Boil. A ship’s bell is rung, and a chorus of, “Ahoy! Caboodle Boil!” rings out. A cabin boy (as the serve staff are affectionately called) lugs a huge metal pot of seafood, with steam streaming out the holes to an eagerly waiting table of diners and pours its contents on the table. You’ll be asked to assist in holding up the corners of your plastic sheet, lest some precious seafood falls on the floor.
Aside from the obvious experience you subject yourself to while dining at Crab in da Bag, the standard of the food’s actually good! Our starters, though not the main attraction were more than satisfactory, the seasoning on the chicken wings was spot on. The seafood was fresh, sweet, and succulent. It was definitely rewarding to pry every piece of flesh out of the tiniest crevice, dip it your preferred sauce and pop it into your mouth. However, we did feel the king crab legs were kind of salty. Upon hearing our feedback, the staff told us that it was because the legs are soaked in brine (to preserve their freshness) before they’re shipped to Singapore. He did say he’ll relay our feedback to the chef so they can find some way to remedy the issue.
All in all, we had a whole lot of fun during dinner. Because your hands are guaranteed to be dirty from all that messy eating, you’ll be forced to temporarily cut ties with your smartphone, and really concentrate on your food or engage in some good old conversation with your fellow dinners. It’s a refreshing feeling I promise you! All prices are as stated on the menu, so you won’t get any surprises when you pay the bill. Even though it’s kind of pricey (our bill came up to SGD387.25), I think a visit to Crab in da Bag at least once in your lifetime is a must. Just don’t visit on Mondays, as they’ll be closed. Advance reservations (you can do it online too!) are recommended to avoid any disappointment.
Crab in da Bag is located at:
Big Splash, Block D Unit #01-25
902 East Coast Parkway
Singapore 449874
Tel: (65) 6440 0083
Disclosure: Compensation was not provided by Crab in da Bag. The opinions expressed herein are those mine and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Crab in da Bag.
