Jumbo Seafood, Dempsey
My family loves eating crabs. We grew up having a crabs-centric feast every weekend. So, it wasn't that big of a surprise that Pops wanted to go eat crabs for his birthday this year. We settled on Jumbo @ Dempsey so we could adjourn elsewhere for dessert and drinks after.
As with most other Jumbo outlets, reservations are a must. Otherwise, be prepared to be turned away or wait. A very long time. The restaurant is a bustling hive of activity, with boisterous diners all trying to talk above each other. Still, this is one of my favourite Jumbo outlets. Less cramped than the east coast seafood centre one and less touristy than the Riverwalk outlet.
Service is extremely speedy and dishes arrived in quick succession (all the better for a higher turnover, I suspect). The food was, as usual, generally consistent and delicious, with nary a wrong step. For Pops, it was a truly satisfying way to round off turning 53.
The Scallops wrapped in Yam Ring ($14) is one of their signature dishes and you'll do well to order them. The mashed yam ring lends a muted sweetness to the succulent bouncy scallops while the crisp flaky flour coating provides texture.
The Homemade Beancurd ($14) with a trio of Japanese mushrooms, shimeiji, enoki and shitake, perched upon a layer of poached spinach was more rustic version of those found in Imperial Treasure and Tung Lok Signatures. We liked the smooth beancurd and silky oyster sauce-based gravy. A fairly well-balanced dish.
The Deshelled Prawns Fried with Cereal ($20) were a hit with my brothers. They loved the crisp fried oats, a little sweet and a little spicy enlivened by fried curry leaves and cut chilli padi. The prawns were huge, crunchy and (thank goodness deshelled so no fumbling around to remove the shells) sweet.
The Donut with Seafood Paste ($8) is a childhood favourite of my brothers. A coarse, textured prawn and fish mince is stuffed into the hollows of the strips of "you tiao" and coated with sesame seeds for that extra oomph.
Ah, the piece de resistance, Jumbo's Chilli Crabs ($52) are one of the best around (some swear by the slightly sweet and more eggy rendition at Long Beach or the spicier and more garlicky version at No Signboard, but really, it's all a matter of preference). Only male crabs are served here, and I like it this way. Male crabs tend to be fleshier and sweeter, and I'm not that huge a fan of that bright orange crab roe of female crabs anyway. Deep Fried Buns ($0.50) are practically mandatory to soak up the thick, luscious gravy made chunky by oodles of egg drops and a sprinkling of chopped nuts.
To round off the meal, we had the Supreme Seafood Fried Rice ($12) choc-a-bloc with diced prawns, fish and scallops, and further chunked up with barbecued pork, egg and shredded lettuce. Nice wok hei and each grain of rice was evenly coated with oil and flavour.
Jumbo Seafood
Blk 11 #01-13 Dempsey Road
Dempsey Hill
Tel: 6479 3435
Open Mondays to Fridays from 12noon to 3pm for lunch and 6pm to 12midnight for dinner;
Weekends and PH from 12noon to 3pm for lunch and 5.30pm to 12midnight for dinner
Website: www.jumboseafood.com.sg
As with most other Jumbo outlets, reservations are a must. Otherwise, be prepared to be turned away or wait. A very long time. The restaurant is a bustling hive of activity, with boisterous diners all trying to talk above each other. Still, this is one of my favourite Jumbo outlets. Less cramped than the east coast seafood centre one and less touristy than the Riverwalk outlet.
Service is extremely speedy and dishes arrived in quick succession (all the better for a higher turnover, I suspect). The food was, as usual, generally consistent and delicious, with nary a wrong step. For Pops, it was a truly satisfying way to round off turning 53.
The Scallops wrapped in Yam Ring ($14) is one of their signature dishes and you'll do well to order them. The mashed yam ring lends a muted sweetness to the succulent bouncy scallops while the crisp flaky flour coating provides texture.
The Homemade Beancurd ($14) with a trio of Japanese mushrooms, shimeiji, enoki and shitake, perched upon a layer of poached spinach was more rustic version of those found in Imperial Treasure and Tung Lok Signatures. We liked the smooth beancurd and silky oyster sauce-based gravy. A fairly well-balanced dish.
The Deshelled Prawns Fried with Cereal ($20) were a hit with my brothers. They loved the crisp fried oats, a little sweet and a little spicy enlivened by fried curry leaves and cut chilli padi. The prawns were huge, crunchy and (thank goodness deshelled so no fumbling around to remove the shells) sweet.
The Donut with Seafood Paste ($8) is a childhood favourite of my brothers. A coarse, textured prawn and fish mince is stuffed into the hollows of the strips of "you tiao" and coated with sesame seeds for that extra oomph.
Ah, the piece de resistance, Jumbo's Chilli Crabs ($52) are one of the best around (some swear by the slightly sweet and more eggy rendition at Long Beach or the spicier and more garlicky version at No Signboard, but really, it's all a matter of preference). Only male crabs are served here, and I like it this way. Male crabs tend to be fleshier and sweeter, and I'm not that huge a fan of that bright orange crab roe of female crabs anyway. Deep Fried Buns ($0.50) are practically mandatory to soak up the thick, luscious gravy made chunky by oodles of egg drops and a sprinkling of chopped nuts.
To round off the meal, we had the Supreme Seafood Fried Rice ($12) choc-a-bloc with diced prawns, fish and scallops, and further chunked up with barbecued pork, egg and shredded lettuce. Nice wok hei and each grain of rice was evenly coated with oil and flavour.
Jumbo Seafood
Blk 11 #01-13 Dempsey Road
Dempsey Hill
Tel: 6479 3435
Open Mondays to Fridays from 12noon to 3pm for lunch and 6pm to 12midnight for dinner;
Weekends and PH from 12noon to 3pm for lunch and 5.30pm to 12midnight for dinner
Website: www.jumboseafood.com.sg
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