A Crab Story

On a hot and humid evening, we set foot upon this amazingly packed Chinese restaurant named Tak Fok in Desa Aman Puri. Five foot ways and parking bays along the restaurant have been converted into alfresco dining. Come what may these crowds are going to get a bite of the good food here…especially the crabs.

For foodies intending to grab a bite after reading this post, it’s recommended that you get there as early as 6pm and hopefully do not have to wait in line too long to book a table and place an order for the dishes you wish to eat. No advance booking will be entertained…it’s a first come, first served basis. This shows how serious Malaysian diners are…and the great lengths people go to…just to grab the best bite.

There are many creative ways to enjoy the crustaceans. These are a few that I have gotten a bite. There are probably more ways to enjoy crabs and I greatly welcome any reader feedback.

My all-time favourite is the salty-egg crabs. Slivers of salty-egg form thin crusts all over the crabs. Some restaurants add curry leaves to the dish which gives it the added aroma….gosh…my saliva is forming in my mouth even as I am typing away on this. Gotta eat crabs sometime soon :) Some people eat it on its own. Some like it with a bowl of rice. I prefer eating on its own. Definitely finger licking good with all the eggy crusts. Someone came up with this brilliant idea of cooking crabs with marmite. The wonderful thing about this dish is…you can lap up the marmite sauce with some Chinese style steamed buns known as "mantou" in Cantonese. Normally, the steamed buns are white, about the size of a slightly larger Kentucky Fried Chicken bun. This particular restaurant serves golden brown "mantous"….which were amazingly crunchy on the outside and really soft inside. I had two of those "mantous" with my crabs. It wasn’t enough for this small-framed but big appetite girl….hehhhehe. Someone once remarked that for someone this small-framed…I have a huge cc…as in car capacity or more apt, in my case, food capacity!
Now, say cheeseee... Cheese lovers will surely dig this delicious, creamy version which can be eaten on its own, dipped with the "mantous" or just with a bowl of rice. Finally, the ubiquitous sweet and sour. Most often, the sweet and sour crabs are not spicy. But some restaurants in Malaysia have included a tinge of spiciness with the addition of chilis. I prefer mine with chilis…it gives the dish more “oomph”! For me, this sweet and sour crab is best eaten with pieces of toasted bread. Yes, toasts. Forget about butter and jam. Try sweet and sour!I have gotten your appetite all worked up now haven't I? ;) Now, for the closing finale...tada!

All the plates literally cleaned and stacked up - a testament to the good food..hehhhhe.
What are some of the ways you enjoy crabs? Would love to hear a thought or two.