Order The standard laksa, served with cockles and thin rice noodles cut short so you can eat with just a spoon
East Coast laksa institution that defeated Gordon Ramsay in a 2011 cook-off. Nancy Koh's coconut-prawn broth has drawn queues at the flagship since the 1990s.
Order Chilli crab with fried mantou buns to scoop the sauce
The canonical Singapore address for chilli crab since 1987. Tomato-egg sauce with Sri Lankan mud crabs; long queues every evening at East Coast.
Order Crab bee hoon: rich, garlicky broth soaked into rice vermicelli with whole crabs
Bib Gourmand zi char that put crab bee hoon on the global food map. No menu; tell owner Danny Lee what you want. Budget S$80 to S$150 per person.
Order Charcoal fried kway teow, Salted egg yolk crab, Tofu with egg
A no-frills Geylang zi char restaurant known for its exceptional wok hei and crowd-pleasing plates of seafood, tofu and vegetables. J.B. Ah Meng draws a loyal local following for the charcoal-fried noodles, sambal prawns and salted egg yolk crab. Arrive early as tables fill quickly at peak times.
Order White pepper crab: the dish the founder created, fragrant with fresh white pepper and wok heat
Originator of white pepper crab, started in the 1970s by Ong Kim Hoi. The Geylang original retains the most atmosphere and the definitive version.
Order Black pepper crab: the sauce is the spiciest and most aromatic version of the style in the city
East Coast flagship for black pepper crab; sauce spicier and more pungent than most rivals. Open-air, sea-facing setting on East Coast Parkway.
