Would a makan trip to Seremban be complete without trying their famous Baked Crabs? I guess not. Since this is a local specialty, for sure there are a couple of restaurants that prepares this dish to cater to the demand. But through the recommendation of the locals we chose to eat at Kedai Makanan Seremban seafood restaurant. It is also the most famous one in town after being featured in countless media.
Although the dish is called 芙蓉烧蟹 (‘Fu Yong Siu Hai’) in Cantonese and translates to Grilled/BBQ Crab, the crabs are not barbecued at all. In fact they are deep fried and then coated with some special sticky sweet sauce. So if you are coming here expecting the the crabs to be grilled/baked/BBQ-ed then you will be surprised, heh. Actually I feel weird that I am calling it ‘Baked Crabs’ when it is supposed to be ‘Fried Crabs’ lol. But I am sticking to it anyway in respect to its Chinese name.
I believe there are people out there who do not like to have their crabs deep fried because the flesh tends to be dry and stick to the shells. Well, I am one of them. Luckily the chef is experienced and the crabs were fresh, plus he did not overcook them. So the amount of meat that got stuck at the shells is minimal and mostly at the legs. As you can see, the chunk of meat at the crab’s claw is still perfect and juicy. FYI it costs RM70 for two crabs (1 large and 1 medium) weighing a total of 1.4kg.
As for the taste, they crabs were just OK and it certainly did not meet my high expectations – I just feel that I satisfied my curiosity towards this dish that I have been longing to try. Personally I think the sticky sauce tastes too sweet yet somehow it does not do much to add any flavor to the crabs, which bears the question: What’s the point?
A bowl of dipping sauce comes with the crabs which seems (vaguely) like a mixture of butter, mayonaise, lime, garlic and chopped cili padi. Tried a bit of it, didn’t like it at all hence it remained untouched for the rest of the meal.
The Kung Pao Mantis Shrimp here is surprisingly cheap and tasty, only RM10 for a healthy portion like this! Moreover, the mantis shrimps are the meaty and a lot more expensive type, which makes it a steal for the price. I would have ordered multiple plates of it if only I knew the price earlier.
Kam Heong La La is also RM10 only for a plate like this, very affordable.
Our damage in total: RM92.20 inclusive of drinks.
Overall this restaurant serves decent seafood at reasonable prices despite being famous and all. Although the ‘Siu Hai’ failed to impress, I would probably still return for the crabs cooked in different style and the mantis shrimps (it costs a bomb in KL!) if I ever plan another trip to Seremban again.
Kedai Makanan SerembanNo 3720-3724, Jalan Tuanku Munawir,
70000 Seremban, N.S.
Tel : 06-7641 260
GPS Coordinates: N2 43.977 E101 56.058
wow rm10 for mantis prawns is a steal!!! that’s like 3 AUD…
I’m a Serembanian, honestly I don’t find the baked crabs tasty at all, which is why I seldom visit the place. But I agreed with you that other dishes there are WAY better than the famous baked crabs LOL…
Yeah, i find that too. and the most ridiculous part is that only two crabs for RM 70. and not so meaty ones.
Those days…the crabs were ‘siu’ (grilled)..that’s y they called it siu hai..but these days, to cut short the cooking time..they usually fried them, which is faster in dt way…& that sticky sauce is ‘marmite’. I’m from Seremban…& honestly I feel that its really overpriced. Probably due to the high demand. ^^
When u take vacation in TAiping u should try the crabs there, only RM 23- 30 at most. It is near Kamunting.
Can u pls give the name & location of the outlet??
THX>
Next time I go Taiping I try to get the name of the shop. Last time when I was there, I m not the one who drove. :P
Hi Raymond,
could you provide the name of the shop selling crab in kamunting?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Eric
I miss their big big baked crab! And, cannot have too much.. causing high cholesterol.. Haha
Really cheap Lala and Mantis Prawn. Haven’t really tried any Seremban Baked Crabs before but definitely will give it a try.
Omg the crabs just looks too yummy @.@!!
Probably so that you can lick your fingers after the feast, and taste the lingering sweetness thereafter? Or maybe …. that’s just for decorative purposes.
Mantis prawn and the Kam Heong Lala is very affordable. The portion is quite big too.
Just looking at this post makes my mouth watery and it looks so yummy. I wonder how the sauce taste? is it chilly?
I’m craving while looking the photo..I want to try this chilly sauce..I love eating crab yummy..Thanks for sharing the photo..
Everything looks perfect. What I like about their menu are the spices and sauce. You really took great shots of the menu there since now I am really craving for them.
just came back from the above mentioned restaurant. basically the crab taste like crap, we was given “second grade” crabs. those where the meat inside is much smaller compare to the shell and the meat were “soggy” and not the usual meaty and tangy texture.
we had the mantis prawn with slated egg adn i would say so far it is one of the worse mantis prawn dish i ever had. all i could taste is the smell of the flour.
also had the hokkien mee and “sing chow mai”. and with no exception, the hokkien mee is disappointing as the rest of the dish. the only consolation we had was the sing chow mai which taste good.
in a nutshell, i will not be looking forward for a second trip to this place.
OMG again, I am willing to drive to Seremban just to eat the crab!
You picture make me hungry!! : ))
The crab not fresh at all…. Not to recommend..
I and my wife went there……not 炒蟹,is 臭蟹 。。。。。really disgusting.since we waiting an hour for tis such crab……i wont go again same tat u all…..
I was in the restaurant now. Just finished eating. Ordered 1 kg baked crab, the recommended kung pou mantis prawn and a vege.
The mantis prawn is a big letdown. Full of flour and can hardly bite. Too thick and hard. The crab is nothing special. 2 pcs (1 small and 1 even smaller) i wonder whether got 700gm or not. The taste is ok but nothing special.
I came from klang and in setia alam, soon kee restaurant crab has the same taste and better environment.
Such a letdown to me. Dont expect to return
Taste so so only and overpriced