Singapore Photos Series 4: Chili Crab!

This entry assumes you’ve already caught up on Singapore Photo Series 3: Tea Ceremony!

“KENNETH!!” some of my readers have responded.  “WHERE are the ceremony and reception pics from the S&S wedding?”  Patience, friends, patience.  I’m getting there!  I mean, how many other things could possibly happen between the tea ceremony and the church ceremony, right?

Well, first, there’s The Chili Crab Experience.  After this, I PROMISE that I’ll post up some of the ceremony pics.  Really.

WARNING: The following post contains scenes of graphic violence.  Crabs-as-pets lovers beware.  You have been warned.

So here I was, on my last day in Singapore, wondering how it was possible that I’ve been to this fair country twice now, and still managed to miss trying the famous chili crab, the national dish of Singapore.  I mean, really, is there such an abundance of good food here that I can’t even find time in my schedule to fit in ONE chili crab meal?

My excellent hosts Waiyan and Larissa finally heard my desperate cries for help and decided to take me to the crabs before I left Singapore again emptyhanded.  Yay!  Here we are at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant right after church.  In Hong Kong, Jumbo Seafood is actually a floating restaurant on the water, but this Singaporean one is a landlubber’s version.  We went to the early service to beat the lunch rush.  Don’t let the calm background in this photo fool you.  It was a total madhouse merely minutes after this.

As soon as the food landed, I got right to work.  I don’t actually eat crab very much, so I knew I would have quite a tasty challenge ahead of me.  Here, I am using all of my (super)human strength to wrench off the bottom pincer, which seemed like the most logical thing to do when faced with a set of menacing pincers.  Larissa let me struggle with it for a while as she laughed and took photos, and then Waiyan showed me afterward why this struggle was utterly unnecessary.  I’m just grateful that my ultra-stain-magnet of a shirt didn’t get a taste of the chili crab’s succulent juices.  Where’s a bib when you need one?

Okay, yeah… I don’t know what they put in the chili sauce that would throw me into such a blind fit of ravenous rage, but that crab just didn’t stand a chance.  For those of you who are prone to be haunted by disturbing images of food, sorry, you were warned.  Now, who’s ready for some wedding photos?  =]

Now, move on to Singapore Photo Series 5: Wedding Ceremony!