I love to participate in my office chatter of 'do you know where you can get the best (fill in food item here)'. Malaysia is a country that is food-centric and a common greeting includes 'have you eaten yet' after which someone might invite you to a kopitiam/hawker stall or into their home for a light snack.
Recently someone tempted me with a line that began, 'do you know where I've had the best chili crab?' I knew I was going to need to have an opinion on this as well and find out for myself. I love seafood and since it is a staple in the Malaysian cuisine, I find it best to dine the way Malaysians do and eat at open-air restaurants where the fish is fresh and the presented in a simple but tasty way.
Having been to Singapore, I know there is a lot of talk around chili crab- who has the best, who has the freshest, who is the most creative, etc. I like my chili crab with little fried buns and a cold Tiger beer to wash it down. Everything else is optional.
A recent trip took me to
Mei Keng Fatt seafood, a KL institution, when friends told me that their friends said this was the BEST in town. We tried chili crab and black pepper crab. The chili crab was amazingly fresh (read: Live in the containers in the back), the sauce perfect for dipping the bun and the beer served nice and cold. Overall it was a gooey, messy crab experience.
I am itching to give Fatty Crab, another institution in PJ, a try very soon so I can compare the two. With recent outposts in various locations around NYC, I have to know what this is all about and make my own decision on the 'best' crab in town. Sounds like it's time for a dinner outing very soon!
Mei Keng Fatt Seafood
1, Lorong Awan 6, Kuala Ampang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Fatty Crab
2 Jalan SS 24/13 Taman Megah, 47301 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor
