We all have our love-hate relationship with crabs – love to eat but hate to peel and crack it. Some crab dishes come comfortably de-shelled, like peeled claws in superior stock, or frozen crab meat all ready to cook. Ever since the folks at Palm Beach in Upper East Coast area offered up the first plate of our Singapore style chilli crabs (a chilli sauce and tomato ketchup mix version), many crabby creations have entered menus on our shores. Each, a dynamite sensation, created with the fussy local palate in mind. We list five of our faves and not in order of merit.

First Grade Black Pepper Crabs at Eng Seng Restaurant. 241 Joo Chiat Place, Eng Seng Restaurant +65 6440 5560. 5pm to 10pm, Closed on Wednesdays

This one almost needs no introduction. The corner coffee shop turns into a no-frills seafood cze cha joint at night and a line forms from 5.30pm for seats, even earlier on weekends. The ugly black sauce that coats the crabs does not fool anyone. The intense buttery, sweet, umami and peppery flavour permeates and it is not uncommon to see diners licking on the crab sauce before tearing into the sweet flesh with wild aplomb. These days, they use a smaller Sri Lanka crabs as “ all the big ones bought are by Taiwanese and mainland Chinese”, says the grumpy manager (who by the way, is an icon there)

Crab Bee Hoon soup at Tian Jin Hai. 16,Upper Serangoon Road, 12pm to 11pm daily. Tel 9021 9396.

Chef Ah Heng began with his seafood stall specialising in sambal choot choot under the Whitley Flyover hawker centre almost 30 years ago. He was also the chef that introduced the famous but short lived stir fried giant conch at Ulu Pandan. It was eventually banned as it was an endangered species. Today one of his specialties, apart from his famous steamed sharks head, is crab bee hoon. His edge is the use of a superior stock laced with Chinese wine. He uses a harder to cook but easier to like, thin , instead of thick beehoon. The Sri Lanka Crabs he uses are a bit smaller these days (due to prevalent supply problems), but, the sweetness and freshness sits so well with the bee hoon and stock.

Soft Shell crab at Geylang Claypot Rice. 639 Geylang Road (junction of Lorong 33), 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-11.30pm close Mondays. Tel: 67443619.

They may have you wait up to 40 minutes for an order of their über popular claypot rice, but they’ll send out platters of their seductive side dishes 10 minutes after order. One very popular side order , and a lesser known secret is their fried soft shell crabs, which they do with chillies, salt and pepper, a light dry sambal and crispy curry leaves. It is addictive and very easy to eat – softly crispy, lightly spicy, juicy and sweet inside. Dunk it in their tangy chilli sauce (almost needless) and it’s another sensation altogether.

White Pepper Crab at Mattar Road Seafood. Blk 51, Old Airport Road Food Centre, #01-63. 3pm-11pm. Closed on Tues and Wed. Tel 64472798.

They were voted by Makansutra and the Singapore Tourism Board as a Hawker Legend. Although his peer, No Signboard Seafood, which once had a stall nearby when they began decades ago at Mattar Road, had gone upscale with many branches, they remain a humble hawker stall here. He takes two days off just to make the sense-numbing sambal for this famous chilli crabs. His other, as popular signature dish is the white pepper crabs. The wok hei fired mix of white pepper, coupled with hints of oyster sauce, salt and wine with sweet strips of scallions, sits and coats the crabs so well. US-based Mexican food specialist, celebrity and Masterchef Rick Bayless calls it the best dish he has ever had in his life.

Cold Crabs at Lee Do and Singapura.

Lee Do Restaurant, 61, Ubi Ave 2, #01-13. 11.30pm-2.30pm, 5.30pm-11pm daily. Tel 6742 2181

Singapura Resataurant, Blk 9, Selegie Road #01-31. 11am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm. Tel 6336 3255.

These two Foochow restaurants are actually related by blood – the owners are siblings. Their father was the chef who iconized this dish and the kids moved on to set up their own respective eateries with the same recipe. Basically, it a ginger steamed “double decker” Sri Lanka crabs – the ones which are thicker and laden with more roe and eggs. The chill it after steaming and it comes chopped into conveniently bite-sized portions with a tangy chicken rice style chilli sauce. Somehow, the coldness encourages the sweetness of the crustacean and when dipped in the chilli sauce, it just seals the deal.