Remember Penang St. Buffet’s awesome Crab Madness Buffet in 2015? This year, they have upped the ante in this new expansion and instalment – East Vs. West Crab Buffet. 2016′s spread will see a total of 12 crab flavours, including one special crab bisque, all made with flavours inspired by both the Western and Eastern culture.
After the success of last year’s buffet, Penang St. Buffet at Causeway Point has even more options this year to excite – think Green Curry Crab, Balinese Crab, Carbonara Crab and even Parmesan Baked Crab! Our stomachs are already growling.
This halal crab-centric buffet will begin on 01 March 2016 and end on 08 My 2016, the weekend of Mother’s Day. We had first hand dips on the buffet, and here is what you can expect at the East Vs. West Crab Buffet. If you are crab-obsessed too, the only thing you have to do for yourself is to head down to Penang St. Buffet for this crabby feast!
EAST VS. WEST – 7 ASIAN-INSPIRED CRAB FLAVOURS AND 5 WESTERN-INSPIRED CRAB DISHES
Now let’s talk about the crabs. That’s what you are reading this post for, yes?
The whole buffet line is made up of 7 Asian-inspired crab dishes and 5 Western-inspired crab dishes. Most crabs in the spread come with a very lovely wok hei (fragrance from the wok) as well. The Asian flavours used in the crabs got us more than excited. From Thai flavours to Japanese touches, you can have both intensely spiced crabs as well as light options.
GREEN CURRY CRAB
The Green Curry Crab is one that got us hooked. If you are a fan of Thai green curry, this might actually surprise you. The sauce is more like a paste and thicker than your regular green curry, but that is exactly what we loved about it.
WOK FRIED CRAB BEEHOON
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is something to give up the world for. The Wok Fried Crab Beehoon tops our list as the best crab dish in the entire line!
Not like there was anything special about the crab, but you guys, the vermicelli was exceptional. The savoury taste of the seasoning was fantastic. Wok-fried with a good grasp of temperature, the vermicelli absorbed the seasoning and sweetness of the crab so well. The end result? A texture just right – neither too dry nor too wet. And guess what? We ate more vermicelli than crabs!
MISO CRAB
For those who enjoy a light-flavoured crab, you have the Miso Crab. This rendition is pretty much like a good, classic steamed crab – with the addition of a faint miso saltiness. Great for those who do not prefer intense flavours and just want to enjoy the fleshy, white meat that is close to nakedness.
KIMCHI CRAB
Kimchi is one of our favourite things on Earth and you bet we enjoyed the Kimchi Crab. The taste of the slightly tart kimchi and the spice of the sauce gave the overall bite a very unique experience. It is a first for us to hear of a pairing of kimchi and crab, and boy were we impressed.
BALINESE CRAB
For those who have a penchant for spicy food, this Balinese Crab will kick some ass. Prepared with authentic Indonesian sambal – which is very spicy – this flavour is not for the faint-hearted. The sambal packed a punch, and the added coconut on the inside of the crab gave the dish a burst of fragrance.
SALTED EGG YOLK CRAB
This is the only repeated flavour from last year’s spread, simply because it was just too popular! Yes, everyone loves a good salted egg yolk crab, and Penang St. Buffet sure nailed theirs.
Expect nothing short of an intense and thick salted egg yolk sauce that covers the sweet flesh so wondrously. Probably one of the best renditions we’ve ever tried!
ORIENTAL CRAB BISQUE
The Oriental Crab Bisque has a taste akin to those thick soup that we would expect from a typical Chinese banquet, and it brings forth a splendid familiarity. What we were really pleased about was the large chunks of crab meat, bringing out a full-bodied bisque that was robust in every spoonful.
CARBONARA CRAB
The Western flavours might come across as slightly intimidating and foreign, perhaps because most of us Singaporeans would be used to having crabs with spices or just plainly steamed.
There is a unique variation of a Carbonara Crab. Though creative, we didn’t feel too strongly for this.
HERB GARLIC CRAB
The Herb Garlic Crab was a better choice for us, as opposed to the Carbonara Crab. The garlic sure gave the crab an extra flavour boost.
ESPRESSO CRAB
As coffee lovers, the Espresso Crab hit the jackpot for us.
This interpretation by Penang St. Buffet is an intense one, with a thick and syrup-like sauce that we thought was a tad too sweet – but it worked well anyway and complemented the sweetness of the fresh crabs.
BAKED PARMESAN CRAB
We would never say no to baked cheese, especially not a Baked Parmesan Crab. This tastes exactly like how you would imagine it to be. Delicious baked cheese, sweet and plump crab meat; the marriage of sweet and salty in the form of a baked cheese crab is unrivalled.
PERI PERI CRAB
We were intrigued by the Peri Peri Crab drenched in homemade sauce. A little bit of spiciness, a little bit of sweetness, and just very slightly tart. The spice and flavourings in this one felt like a good fusion of Asian and Western flavours.
ABUNDANT COLD SEAFOOD SPREAD
Other than crabs, the buffet also comes with fresh cold seafood. This beautiful bed features the usual fresh seafood on ice. The range is extensive and it includes fresh scallops, salmon sashimi, lobsters, crab legs and more.
PENANG STREET FOOD
And what is a buffet at Penang St. Buffet without some Penang food? Damn, that was a mouthful, but hey! Be ready to be impressed by the spread they have to offer.
When we talk about Penang food, we think of Assam Laksa and Penang Hokkien Prawn Noodles. These will all be on rotation on top of the crab spread (albeit with a slight variation, e.g. crabs will be used in the preparation of the soup stock for the Penang Hokkien Noodles). Yes, we told you it would be a feast.
If you are a crab-lover, there is no doubt that this meal will be enjoyable and value-for-money for you. Imagine having delicious crab free-flow. No, this is not a dream, the East Vs. West Crab Buffet is a real thing.
For email reservations, contact [email protected]
Period: 01 March to 06 May 2016
Mon to Thu: S$59.90++ (Adult)/ S$19.90++ (Child)
Fri to Sun, PH & Eve of PH: S$63.90++ (Adult)/ S$20.90++ (Child)
Dinner Sessions:
Session 1: 4.45pm to 7.15pm
Session 2: 7.30pm to 10pm.
(10% discount applicable for all Session 1 reservations.)
Special Mother’s Day Weekend Buffet
Period: 07 May to 08 May 2016
East Vs West Crab Buffet will be available for both lunch and dinner service during the Mother’s Day weekend.
Lunch Sessions:
Session 1: 11am to 1.30pm
Session 2: 1.30pm to 4pm
Dinner Sessions:
Session 1: 4.45pm to 7.15pm
Session 2: 7.30pm to 10pm.
Penang St. Buffet
1 Woodlands Square, #05-12
Singapore 738099
Tel: +65 6894 7872
Nearest MRT Station: Woodlands
*All photos used in this post are for illustration purposes only. During the actual buffet runs, the crabs will be chopped up, cleaned and placed in communal pots over the counter. This is to facilitate easy and safe eating, and you can go for as many refills as you want. Any request for the crabs to be served whole will not be entertained due to hygiene reasons.
This post is brought to you by Penang St. Buffet.
Hi, I would like to make a reservation for six adults for the crab buffet held on Apr 10th, 4:45pm to 7:30pm.