Many Singaporeans have fond memories of eating chilli crabs and cockles at its Upper East Coast Road premises, not far from the old Bedok Road, as recently as the early ‘ 80s.
2009, Beatrice Donofrio, 1000+ Indigenous Tasty Cusine of 23 Asian Countries-Comes with Food for Thought, page 565:
Chili Crabs or Lobster: This is a popular dish amongst Singaporeans. It is also a common feature in the menus of famous seafood restaurants (along East Coast and Punggol).
2013, unknown author, Expat Edna, [blog entry]
Considered an unofficial national dish of Singapore, chilli crabs are far messier than the black pepper variation thanks to the thick sweet-and-savory, tomato-based sauce in which it’s slathered.
