Mellben Seafood

Seafood restaurant · Shangri-la

Mellben Seafood

Seafood restaurant · Shangri-la

2

232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1222 St 22, Singapore 560232

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Mellben Seafood by null
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Mellben Seafood by null
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Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null
Mellben Seafood by null

Highlights

Signature crab bee hoon, butter crab, and fried mantou buns  

Featured on Michelin
Featured in Conde Nast Traveler

232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1222 St 22, Singapore 560232 Get directions

mellbensignature.sg
@mellbenseafoodamk

€€€

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232 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, #01-1222 St 22, Singapore 560232 Get directions

+65 6285 6762
mellbensignature.sg
@mellbenseafoodamk

€€€

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Last updated

Oct 7, 2025

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@michelinguide

"It may not be in the most convenient location but that doesn’t deter the crowds from descending on this open-air space. Nearly everyone is here for one thing: crab. The chef has 15 different ways to cook them, from black pepper crab to creamy butter crab and that, of course, includes the classic chilli crab. There’s also live seafood available, along with cze char dishes – and the claypot bee hoon soup is delicious." - Michelin Inspector

https://guide.michelin.com/en/singapore-region/singapore/restaurant/mellben-seafood-ang-mo-kio
View Postcard for Mellben Seafood Ang Mo Kio
@cntraveler

28 Best Restaurants in Singapore | Condé Nast Traveler

"Deep in the heartlands sits this casual restaurant under a block of government flats. You'll know it by the perpetual queue (it can push two hours on the weekends) that snakes out from the front into the neighboring carpark, and by the massive, bright red crab shells that adorn its walls. The star of the show here is the Crab Bee Hoon, fat, succulent whole crabs cooked in a claypot with a creamy, savory broth and served with thick rice noodles. Order the Fried Mantou (Chinese buns) to mop up the gravy once you're done with the noodles. Make sure you head to the right location, there are a few Mellben outlets around Singapore, some by members of the same family, some less legit. Menus tend to be similar but the Ang Mo Kio flagship is the one to head to for the best, most consistent food." - Annette Tan

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-restaurants-in-singapore
View Postcard for Mellben Seafood Ang Mo Kio

Rebecca Hoang

Google
I only recently discovered this restaurant and now I understand why it’s so popular. Every dish I ordered was absolutely worthy of a 5-star rating. The service was fast and efficient, making the experience even better. I had the stir fried kailan with garlic, creamy butter prawns, salted pork ribs, and black pepper crab. The crab was impressively large and packed with meat. I usually brace myself for black pepper crab to be overwhelmingly spicy, but this one was perfectly balanced. It was just the right amount of heat to bring out the flavors without overpowering the dish.

DanAGo

Google
First day in Singapore and went to Mellben for an early dinner to beat the crowd. There are 3 crab meals you need to try but we can only order 1 so we started things off with the popular Claypot Crab Bee Hoon soup. You can select the weight of the crab depending on availability. Got the Signature Deep Fried Homemade Beancurd and Scallops & Asparagus with XO Sauce for some greens. A cold bottle of beer seems right for the moment. You can get a glass of water for free but adding ice will cost you a little. The beancurd which measure 3x1x1 is huge and chunky with a crispy texture on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Its really good and a must try. The soup from the claypot carb is so rich and tasty, its almost a meal on its own. Probably good if paired with a cup of rice to soak up all the juice. Its one of the best crab meal I ever had in Singapore and I still haven't tried the spicy or butter crab meal yet. Payment is made at the counter after you're finish. Cash payment instead of card will get you additional discount. Digital payment not accepted here. Inside the restroom washing area is a picture wall of diners who FORGOT to pay and just walked away. Such a shame as this is such a great place to have a crab meal. Staff are so helpful and efficient so lets all play fair. As Mellben is located on the lower floor of an apartment residential block away from the Orchard strip... travelling here is a 20 to 30 minute taxi ride. Getting back is harder even if there's a bus route nearby. Best option is to book on a ride-sharing or taxi app. Truth be told.... after having this delicious crab meal everything is now downhill at this point. A queuing booth in front of the store tells you that despite its a big restaurant will lots of seating area... there's quite a wait during peak so try to come early and avoid the big crowd. If you have read my review up to this point.. Its a must-visit. Bring a couple of friends and order the Clay pot, Butter and Spicy Crab trifecta. A few bottles of cold beer and there you have... a very satisfying if not the best crab meal in town.

Matthias Thul

Google
Crab in vermicelli soup was really good. The soup has a very intense flavor. We had two small veggie side dishes which were good but indeed very small. Recommend getting medium at least. Their service is pretty basic to say it nicely and the atmosphere is nothing special. We came on a Sunday at 17:00 and immediately got a table. The restaurant filled up towards 18:00.

Esther Lim

Google
Their White pepper crab and curry crab is a must try! The standard of food is just as good as I remembered trying it for the first time in my childhood years when they were back at Serangoon. The place is clean and well ventilated, staff are polite and helpful. 10 out of 10 will return when I need to satiate my crab cravings.

Chris

Google
Not been here for a long time, at least for more than 10 years. This visit was a total disappointment, as the food is no longer as tasty as before (very far off). Not sure if there is change of chef! The crab beehoon is blend and quite tasteless. The cereal prawns also quite tasteless. I don’t think I will be back again, as there are many good options around,

Travel Foodies

Google
Mellben Seafood serves up irresistible crabs—think super crunchy cereal prawns and rich, creamy crab bee hoon soup that’s absolutely comforting. Their chili crab is tangy, spicy, and packed with flavor, perfect for mopping up with mantou buns. If you want those big, meaty crabs, remember to pick yours early—these giants get snapped up fast!

Jiak Pa Liao

Google
Melben Seafood has long been our go-to whenever the crab cravings hit—and for good reason. This well-established gem has maintained its consistency over the years, serving up hearty, flavorful dishes that never disappoint. Two signatures we always come back for: the buttery crabs and crab bee hoon. The buttery sauce is luxuriously smooth with a nutty depth that clings beautifully to every bite. And the crab bee hoon? Comfort in a claypot—thick vermicelli steeped in a rich, umami-packed broth that warms the soul, especially on rainy days. If you’re after a no-fuss, satisfying crab feast, Melben delivers time and again.

T. Wayne

Google
Best 螃蟹米粉汤 and Butterscotch crab in SG accompanied with crispy fluffy mantous. Standard never drop even after a decade, but note waiting times can get long! Salted egg pork ribs and veges good as well!
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Wee Kiat F.

Yelp
Great selection of seafood. If you like crab, you won't go wrong here. Many varieties of crab and varied styles of cooked crab. Nice simple ambiance as well.
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Carolyn L.

Yelp
Two things to order - crab bee hoon soup in claypot - butter crab - ok maybe add fried buns (mantou) You can skip the rest. You are only here for the crabs, nothing but crabs. The bad is the long wait, averaging 1-2 hours, though it seemed like the wait is more 45-60 mins now. Even at 9pm on a Thursday night, the line was still there. It only disappeared at 930pm. You are warned. Make reservations though they do not take it during the 15 days of Chinese New Year. Now why the crabs? The crab bee hoon soup is just very tasty. The taste is similar to the fish bee hoon soup but this is sweeter and tastier. The butter crab is to die for. The butter cream is so tasty and perfect to dip the mantou in. We had 3 crabs for 5 persons and it was just nice.
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Daniel F.

Yelp
As everyone knows this is the best spot for crabs in Singapore. Well this was the only spot I visited due to the amount of time I had here. You can get crab cooked in different ways, but the most popular is the chili crab. And the fried mon taos seem to be popular and used to soak up the sauces. And don't be like me trying to muscle through some of the crab pieces. I ended up slicing my finger pretty bad. Ask for a cracker or something to get into it. We ordered way too much food, but my cousins wanted to try as much as we could since it was our last night. The food was bomb, but the price is super expensive. I think the total came out to about 350 USD for the 4 of us. We didnt make reservations but we only waited about 20 minutes for a table. Highly recommend you to try out if visiting Singapore. Just make sure you dont eat and jet, they have cameras and pictures of ppl who've done it before - lmao
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Tony P.

Yelp
The Grab driver told us that this is a smart choice for chilli crab because it is less expensive but better taste. Locals eat here when it is chilli crab mission. The walk in Q was scarily long, but we were able to order while in line. The food came out, and every single dish that we ordered was delicious.
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Kirstin H.

Yelp
This place has a bit of a cult following so make sure you come early or call for reservations. They do really good seafood and make a tasty chili, salted egg, or tanghoon crab. The razor clams are good too! The food is generally prepared Singaporean Chinese tze char style.
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Emily K.

Yelp
Finally visited Mellben after YEARS of everyone telling me that we should go. Firstly, make reservations. If not, you'll wait for a long time. Even with reservations, you have to wait! Secondly, know that this place is pricy. If you're having crabs, be prepared to drop a good dime here. Estimate about $90 for a medium crab--good for 2 or 3, I think. We got the butter crab and crab bee hoon. Crab bee hoon is the classic dish here and everyone gets it. It is very good. Add more soup and bee hoon; it is worth it. The butter crab is good too, and has a more heavy flavor and is also very creamy. Both were delicious. The crabs are fresh and the meat is plentiful and succulent. After all, you're paying good money for these crabs. The other side orders are good too. We got rojak chicken, tofu with pork floss and mushrooms, and salted egg pork ribs. The salted egg pork ribs were not very meaty, unfortunately. Come here for crabs. The crabs are so good. It would have been 5 stars if it weren't so pricey, were less touristy and had a better reservation/queue system.
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Ashar K.

Yelp
A local joint for Crab... Not your regular chilly crabs... My coworker took me there and we had Claypot crab which is bit soupy, butter crab and cereal shrimp... everything was great except the wait...yes we waited for an hour in line and then hour for food...we got there at 5:50 and left at 9. So be prepared to wait and food will be worth it.
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Michael W.

Yelp
Great seafood - chili crab, paper crab, fish,prawns,... they also serve meat, vegetable, and other dishes. We (a large group of more then 10) went, all of us enjoyed the meal. Rank very high as a local chili crab and seafood place. This is my 3rd visit.
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Lynn S.

Yelp
This is one of the place you had to go when you are craving for crabs. This is my 2nd visit here and I really love the way they cook the crabs here. This outlet which I went is located at Ang Mo Kio, it is just located right below a HDB. I went to this place on 2 separate occasion and it's always bustling with people. There's a huge carpark located infront of the restaurant and fret not there's plenty of car lot. But try to avoid popping by during dinner time as this is a residential area so car lot might be limited. We order quite a number of dish that night and it was a treat by a friend therefore I can't state the bill for the meal. 1) Signature Crab Beehoon Soup 5/5 This is a must to try, the broth make you go drooling and it's so flavourful as the beehoon and crab is cook together. I always ask for extra portion of soup as it's really very good. 2) Salted Egg yolk Crab 4/5 Anything cook with salted egg yolk is always so yummy. The crab is coated with salted egg yolk and the flavour just blend in so well which keep your finger locking good 3) Butter Crab 4/5 Oh my, the mantou really goes well with the butter sauce and the children keep dipping into the sauce with their mantou and crab. I think this really tells you how good it is. 4) Cereal Prawn 4/5 This is one of my all time favourite, love the fragrant smell of the cereal and Prawn. They just simply blend in and the Prawn is so crunchy. If you ever pop by here, pls order their signature crab beehoon soup. Trust me it's really very very good.
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Lynne N.

Yelp
We brought our overseas guests here on a rainy saturday evening. Have warned them about the snaky q as we did not make any reservations, but it wasnt that bad actually, perhaps because of the rain. We were seated down after about 15 mins & our food arrived 15 mins later. We had the crab with bee hoon soup, butter crab & chilli crab with fried mantous (dough). For drinks we had the fresh coconut ($5) each. Our guests love this place & declare it as the most delicious crab they have ever eaten in Sg. In their 1 week trip here, they have tried at least 5 different places for crabs. The place is full of tourists & locals. Price is stated clearly & size of the crabs. Check out the wall of fame in the restaurant. This place is not air conditioned. 5 of us shared 3 small crabs.
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Vince T.

Yelp
Mellben is located under a HDB block in Ang Mo Kio but because this restaurant been featured in some travel magazine this restaurant always pack with tourist. So my suggestion will be make an effort to call and make a reservation 1 day before. They are famous for their crab, the most famous dish will be the crab beehoon (rice noodles) soup. So you will see almost each table will have this dish. The soup are very nice have a strong taste of crab freshness, if you want more soup you may request for a bowl or two, but they charge for each bowl or soup. I also recommend that you try the butter and salted egg crab. You might want to skip the chili crab, personally I find it don't taste as good as lots of other restaurant in Singapore. The only problem I have with this restaurant is no Aircon, so get ready to sweat when enjoy those yummylious crab.
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B H.

Yelp
Not used to the reservation system here in Singapore, or maybe it is just this restaurant. Very confusing and disorganized. Apparently once you are here for your reserved seat, while waiting in line outside, you can and should start going thru the menus and begin ordering. But keep in mind, this the restaurant is open to the court yard. The 4 star is for the crab dishes. Other dishes are nothing special. The 3 style rib, are not bad, meat are tender falls off the bone. Services is 3 or less stars. We found an old lady as our server. She is nice, but doesn't speak much English. Other that seems to speak better English is always in a rush.
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Aris L.

Yelp
I went there for dinner with my family. I love their crab with the chilli sauce and claypot crab the bee hoon soup..taste so good. The place was quite hot because there is no air conditioner and u can get sweaty. The cereal prawn is also good!! During the weekend or dinner time the queue can take up from 30 minutes to 1 hour. CONCLUSION = RECOMMENDED!!!
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Christina N.

Yelp
Best crab bee hoon and butter crab in Singapore!! Having been away from Singapore for long periods at a time, this is one place I always crave for. The crab bee hoon is super flavorful with the broth having a strong sweetness from the crab. The butter crab is heavenly and always leaves me licking my fingers. The wait here is VERY long, even on rainy weekdays so definitely do come early. The place is pretty hard to get to via MRT so you gotta drive or cab or bus here. You still have to wait for about an hour for take out because they cook your order on the spot and it takes about an hour for the crab bee hoon to be ready! Trust me, the wait is worth it.
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Jameela F.

Yelp
I thought this was the perfect place to experience Singaporean cuisine as a tourist. It is further away from touristy areas, tucked away in a residential neighborhood. We got the chili crab and fried fish in a spicy sauce, both at market price. That day, the crab was $90 and the fish was $65. It was well worth it. Everything was delicious. My husband and I were both pleased, and our bellies were full.
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Bonnie C.

Yelp
Apparently this is where all the locals go! Great seafood! It's not a fancy restaurant, there's no AC, but the food is delicious. We had all things seafood! Cereal prawn, kang kong, two crabs (one salted egg-yum! and the crab beehoon with the soup noodles). Get here early, or expect a long queue! Everything is freshly cooked so it takes a little while as well for your food to be served.
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Ally T.

Yelp
Mellben Mellben Mellben... How can anyone not like the seafood and their signature Crab Soup Bee Hoon?!?!?!?! The soup is just right in flavor and with the huge crab soaked in it, it's truly heavenly. Of course other must try dishes include their deep fried prawns cooked with oatmeal, chilli crab (you can ask for less spicy for those who cant take the heat, like me!) and fried dough fritters. For a good seafood indulgence, please make your way here. Do remember make reservation if you don't wanna wait too long in the queue! Oh oh, something that I thought was hilarious yet cool. If you head to the loo at the restaurant, don't forget to check out the photos that they have put up of various people who tried their luck in getting a "free meal". All victims have their faces caught on tape and their pictures are plastered all over the sink area. How shameful!! Tsk tsk tsk.
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Jennie L.

Yelp
Get ready to get your fingers dirty for some delicious seafood! This is a great place, but a bit out of the way from the MRT Stations. You would have to take the Red North South Line to Ang Mo Kio, and either have a long walk or hail a taxicab. But, the location is prime because of the large space. Be prepared to wait though. There are usually long lines here, and a group of 10 of us had to queue for about 45-55 minutes. Pick up a menu, and prepare to order while waiting in line so the wait for your food will not take as long once you are seated. We ordered 2 small chili crabs, 2 small butter crabs, 1 medium Signature Crab Soup Bee Hoon (Noodle Soup), Jia Mantao (Fried Buns - which are great for dipping in the chili or butter sauce), and stirred fried vegetables. This was the perfect amount for 10 of us! Having tried a lot of seafood from all over the world from Maine Lobster to Scandinavian Salmon to Hawker Centres across Singapore, this has definitely been one of the freshest and most tasty seafood experiences I have had. We ended up pay about $33 Singaporean dollars per person, which is not bad at all! The wait is long, but it is worth it!
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Adrianna T.

Yelp
Mellben used to be one of my favourite crab places. I still like it, although the prices have gone up substantially as they got more famous. Where they used to be one stall in a kopitiam, they are now the entire kopitiam (which got revamped to look more restaurant-like, adorned with decorated crab shells on the walls.. quite cute). The prices are significantly more expensive now. The crab bee hoon soup is still excellent, rich and delicious as always. The creamy butter crab still has the tasty sauce that few other stalls can replicate. I also like the Playboy Chicken (feng liu ji) which is what people here would usually call Thai-style lemon chicken, except it's better and comes with a beautiful sauce. I still like it, but it's become harder to justify coming back here as often as I used to, just because of how expensive it has become.
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Henry W.

Yelp
Amazing chili crab along with many servings of lightly fried man tou buns.. wow come here hungry b/c this is one super filling meal destined to choke your arteries and douse any appetite. The crab is sitting in this richly appointed sauce full of flavor and bits of crab. You dip the deep fried mantou in the sauce and bask in all its glory while in the next move you are deftly picking delicate crab meat out of the hunking claw in front of you. Cave man foodie-ness in all its glory. =)
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Agnes C.

Yelp
*4.5 stars* Love this place! About a 15 min walk from Ang Mo Kio mrt but worth the trek. Officially my go-to place when I have out-of-town visitors that need to try some chili crab. The crabs are so meaty here and I learned to request for the male ones because the claws are bigger! For those who think it's a hassle to eat crab and don't usually think it's worth the effort, this place will change your mind =) I've also tried their famous crab bee hoon that comes in a claypot and actually like this better so if you have enough people, try both flavors. Making reservations is also highly recommended.
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Mark H.

Yelp
Went here for dinner with my wife and long time friend. We made a booking and confirmed it by phone. When we arrived we had to order out in the street area, we had a 10 month old with us but hey who cares. The English is poor on everyone, in fact they speak better English in mainland China. The food was just ok. For the price I expected a lot better. Razor clams were cold, rice poorly cooked. We spent around $290 best thing going for this place is the cheap beer!
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Melissa Y.

Yelp
Delicious creamy butter crabs! It was worth the 1 hour wait... With 4 drinks and 2 plates of fried mantou(each plate had 10 mantous) and a crab bee hoon, it cost us $144. Split by 4 people it wasn't too bad and we were bloated!!! I couldn't eat anymore! There was so much crab roe!! It was delicious!!! But so high in cholesterol! :( otherwise I would've eaten it all!! The butter crab sauce is perfect for dipping the mantou in! I was tempted to ask if they just sell me the sauce! Would totally just eat the sauce with plain white rice! The crab bee hoon though it was supposed to be bee hoon portions for 2 people, 4 of us barely managed to finish it. We were a party of 3 girls and 1 guy. The soup is delicious, although I could sense a great deal of MSG in the soup! But still worth the wait!! We came at 7pm and waited an hour for a table. We came on a Tuesday night!
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Marcus H.

Yelp
Utterly absolutely amazing. I'm hard pressed to think of a better place to get a crab fix. This place was so highly adorned by my fellow crab-worshipping friends, yet I was an unbeliever for the longest time - for this I repent!!! We shared a huge butter crab, chilli crab and a bowl of crab bee hoon (with a whole crab in it of course). Everything was absolutely stunning. The least overwhelming one was probably the chilli crab, mostly because this is a taste you could get from your Jumbos and Long Beaches and the chilli sauce isn't particularly special. The butter crab, on the other hand, was soooo to die for. It was tastefully sweet, and perfectly buttery. Think about the best butter prawns you've had in your life, and think of that taste in a bottle. Now open that bottle and pour that insane goodness all over this beautifully fat steamed crab, throw on some curry leaves and you've got a plate of perfection before you. I confess to underestimating the power of the crab bee hoon. When my friends proposed to order that, I was going all "huh, noodles at a crab place - really?" But how incredibly wrong I was. The broth was sooo sedap and rich with the fragrance of the crab cooked in it. It is also very milky and makes a perfect accompaniment to the noodles, or just as a soup on its own. It's so good that it makes the crab in it a little underwhelming. It was ultimately still really good steamed crab, but I spent most of my time slurping the soup with noodles and digging into the butter crab instead. One warning though: be ready to queue for so so long. Bring a stool, bring a fan, bring a book, bring a friend. We went really early at 530pm and were fortunate to only have to wait in line for about 40 minutes, but a friend of mine once spent 3 hours in line on a weekday night, so...brace yourself!
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Chia L.

Yelp
Friends recommended this place. They don't take reservations so the early arrival in evening could ease the pain of waiting in the long line. We had salty egg crab and crab noodle soup. The salty egg crab is deep fried and coated with salty egg sauce, it's a genius combination if you love the nuance taste of salty egg. Crab noodle soup is amazingly delicious, when drinking the soup it is like thousands of crabs dancing in the mouth. Although the crab is a little bit "skinny" - not too much meat inside, its flavor still captures my taste buds.
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Ancy N.

Yelp
Ok, as most things go, they used to be better. Now they have done some renovation and looks like a real restaurant rather than a tze-char restaurant on a HDB void deck. Good or bad, it depends on your preference. I only come for the crab beehoon soup and it is still the best around. It is like the best sliced fish beehoon that you have tried, only that it's made with crab. so it's sweeter and thicker. Yums. We typically cleaned the entire claypot. Have not tried any other crab dishes here. Not sure if it is that common or only common here, but they post photos of customers who leave without paying. I guess as a form of public shaming? Weird...kind of...

Han W.

Yelp
Happiest memory with my Japanese friends. Chili crab, cereal prawns are all very good and fresh. The ribs are also tasty. They enjoyed here. おいしい!
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Yenny L.

Yelp
Just based on the butter crab dish itself, I would come back countless times. The other dish that I would order is crab bathed in creamy less buttery soup with some udon like noodles. The only two things I don't like is that one rude person who took my order and sounded like I owed him a great amount of money and the waiting time. But who am I kidding here? Everywhere with good food needs to wait. So the next time I go, I hope that that guy won't be there to take my order. Current medium (which is the large) crab over at Mellbenn is about $80 per crab. Tell me where else would have tasty butter crab and I will hunt it down.
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Joshua R.

Yelp
Looooooooove the chilli and butter crab!!!! Even the nai bai was good with garlic. Been here 3-4 times now. I hardly try the other dishes other than the crab. Haha. Maybe the only reason to give this place a second thought is the high prices. But ... I definitely would return again soon. Haha Oh. Do go early to queue. No prior reservations are allowed. And the queue can stretch pretty far.
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Ming Loong T.

Yelp
My family comes here often for chili crab and black pepper crab. I was impressed by how clean the crabs were, and how great they tasted. I am adverse to briny flavors, and cannot stand crab and lobster normally, but this place does crab RIGHT. I haven't been able to find a restaurant anywhere in the US that emulates this restaurant. My only gripe with this place is the customer service. It's not the best, and that really isn't acceptable. Our chrysanthemum tea had dead flies in it. It was like the box was infested with dead fruit flies and they just brewed the tea anyhow. My cousin and my aunties raised hell, and it was quite possibly the funniest moment I've ever seen. This being said, they first tried to deny it, and then they brought us fresh tea. Regardless of this, they didn't do anything else to make up for their folly. No discount, no service of extra food, not even a genuine and heartfelt apology. The food is fantastic, but is it really worth putting up with lackluster customer service? You'll have to decide.
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Xander C.

Yelp
crab crab crab. i love crab. that is why i love melben. it soothes the inner crab cravings. crab bee hoon, butter crab, chili crab, its ALL good. this is THE place to go if you have some way of transporting yourself out into the Heartland.
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Elmi D.

Yelp
This is probably one of the more reputable crab and seafood place here in Singapore. As much as they're pricey and far off the heartlands, the value for quality of food that you get here is very much worth it.
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Joseph T.

Yelp
After being on my list of places to check out for ages, a few of us went down to Mellben AMK to try their famous crab bee hoon on Mothers Day 2012. Firstly, the queue is always large, others here seem to think you can get through quickly at certain hours, but not anywhere near dinner. We arrived at 7:15pm, were seated at 8:30pm and the food arrived after 9pm. But when it does arrive, it is well worth the wait. The menu does not have prices listed, which is terrible, so prices may be slightly off. The first to arrive was the tofu combination ($7.80) which was a dozen or so fried tofu squares, some broccoli, two shelled prawns and two scallops. Quite average. Next up was the famous fried crab bee hoon ($55). We were lucky to get a female crab with lots of roe, and the whole dish is out of this world awesome. Not an incredibly secret list of ingredients, it should be easy to replicate this at home. Finally, the last dish was butter crab ($55) which I would never have ordered normally, except I read the comments on HGW and honestly believe in the wisdom of crowds. Very awesome dish, the sauce was thick, buttery, had a hint of chili and went perfect with the crab. So the positives were to be expected, the crabs are fantastic, and well worth the trek to AMK. Their are a few suggestions I have: * put prices on the menus. Yes, I know seafood is at market price, but even the veges on the menu are not priced. It is great that service charge + GST are included, but everyone should do this. * the tofu combination is below par * take credit cards and lose the whole no 100% guarantee crap - no-one advertises their terrible customer service
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Audrey L.

Yelp
The crab bee hoon soup was pretty bomb. Wish they had cracked more of the crab shell for us though. Also cereal prawns are a must order. Black pepper crab was pretty large and legit. No wait at all since we got there a few minutes after they opened at 5pm. Interesting that they have a policy that states meat is not guaranteed in the crab -- what?! So what am I paying $70-100 for then?! Luckily we had meat in our crab. Price was not as bad as I was expecting. Only $37pp for a table of 7 and we were pretty stuffed.
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Christine L.

Yelp
When my colleagues discovered that I'm a crab lover, they whisked me away to Mellben over the weekend. It was at a kopitiam in one of the HDB estates in Ang Mo Kio; the environment was bustling and filled with hungry customers. The Mellben signboard hung high and proud on top of the shop. There was no price list for us to reference, it was just talking to the person who took orders and praying it all won't be too wallet-busting. The range for crabs is generally $50 - $60, depending on market price. We had the chili crab with the fried buns for dips. The gravy was sweet with generous pools of eggs, the claws were full of juicy crab meat, but other than that, it wasn't very memorable, especially for the money that was spent. Crabs are already good to begin with and I've tasted better ones elsewhere. Be prepared for long queues during peak periods.
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Ei C.

Yelp
Crab beehoon, butter crab, and a bunch of mantous are all you need for an evening of delicious indulgence. The food is as legendary as the long wait times for a table (if you come later than 5pm). There was a time when they allowed you to call for a take away order, which lets you skip those ridiculous hour long waits. Not sure if they allow that anymore?
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Equine O.

Yelp
I love the food here. This is where you can get one of the best seafood in the heartlands, at heartland prices (or close). Chilli crab, pepper crab, etc... but the most amazing dish that I like is the Cream crab! Of course their signature crab bee hoon is fantastic here too. The only drawback is the wait times. You have to wait around 1-2 hours, depending on which date and time you go. We went during dinner on a Saturday, and my poor friend had to stand in a long snaking line for almost 2 hours. Will I return? Yes!
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Rob C.

Yelp
my mouth still waters thinking about this chili crab temple. had 4 types including bee hoon which had an amazing milky broth, black pepper, and butter shared among four. the mantou are perfect for soaking up the chili crab sauce. "finger licking good" should be applied here! and bring some extra packs of napkins. back again for more crab -- choose large for the chili crab, medium bee hoon for 4. also had the shrimp in curry sauce, lemongrass, very nice. add some veggies
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Kevin W.

Yelp
Chili crab was big and good. I preferred the crab in the light soup that this place specialized in. The chili stuff overpowers the natural flavors of the crab. The crabs are huge - from Sri Lanka. Expect to wait to be seated.
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Mac K.

Yelp
The best buttered and pepper crab i have tasted in singapore. Bit pricey but all worth-it.

Enoch H.

Yelp
Got there at 6pm and first dish arrived at 745pm. Great food nonetheless, the crab pot with rice noodle was just brilliant. Less heavy compare to the pepper crab or curry crab. Butter shrimp was delicious as well, and the lime juice helped to cool down in the heat. The let down was the long queue and long wait even after getting the table.
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Sharon L.

Yelp
One of my favorite places for crabs! Their food is always so good whenever I go. And it's amazing how long the queue is!! The downside is they don't take reservation but luckily the queue moves quite fast. I just hope they are not going to get more expensive than they already are.
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Joshua L.

Yelp
Terrible. Awful service. Very rude staff. The food used to be nicer but standards have dropped over the last 5 years. The service standards have dropped to an all time low.
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Keira H.

Yelp
This is my favorite haunt for crabs. Simply because they have the best crabs in town! Unfortunately, the rest of the food items are just a-okay, so I usually only eat crabs when I'm here. One of those places that again has long lines. Doesn't matter if you'd made a reservations, you still have to queue up to some extent. The good thing is that it is worth the wait. My absolute favorite is the butter crab. The sauce is sweet, savory and a little spicy all at the same time. And the crabs are so sweet and meaty! :) I've never tried the salted egg yolk flavor but it looks good as well. The chili crab is pretty good, and the crab vermicelli soup is very good as well.

Eoin T.

Yelp
I've been to this restaurant before and the food is good. However this review is about the service. I called ahead of time because I know how busy they can get and was told there was no need to reserve. when we tarrived it turns out they have a problem with the kitchen and the wait was going to be 2 hours. This was very disappointing, especially since I had called ahead of time to find out the situation and meant we were out of pocket by S$30 because of the taxi fare to get to the restaurant.
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Hazem E.

Yelp
Far from everything. If you go there for Chilli Crabs that's all you're going to do there. It's walking distance from nowhere and quite a cab ride from the Orchard St. area. Employees barely speak English for those out of towners. Make sure you plan your ride back and forth from the restaurant because it's not exactly in a populated area where there is tons of active cab activity although it is right off of a bus station. However, if you're visiting the area for the first time and you are unfamiliar with the public transportation system this may not be the best place to go for a first dinner. The yelp listing said it closed at 11 when I went on 1/20/13 but they really close at 10pm so I didn't actually get a chance to try their food. But be warned this place is as casual as it gets. All seating is covered outdoor. Don't expect an ounce of elegance. Wouldn't go for a date but for an authentic experience it may be worth it.

Ray N.

Yelp
This place has to be one of the hidden secrets of Singapore. It's tucked inside an HDB housing estate; even some of my Singaporean friends who live in the area didn't know about it until I told them. The crab bee hoon was simply fantastic. The crab was extremely fresh and meaty, and the soup very very savory. In addition to the crab bee hoon, the stirfry dishes are really good too; with crispy vegetables and tender meats just like how they are supposed to be. The one hour wait was well worth it. The price was reasonable for the quality and quantity of the food; definitely better in every way compared with the boat quay tourist traps. This is a place for people who truly know how to appreciate good food and experience life in another culture. It is not for those who look for Hard rock cafes everywhere they go. If you are going there from the CBD, try taking the 851 bus. It's not as speedy as the MRT but you'll get to see a lot more. Life is about experiencing different cultures, the food, the people, and the daily lives. Give this place a try and skip the chains!