Thursday, March 18, 2010

Singapore Day One: No Signboard, Geylang

Geylang is known as the red light district of Singapore. When I mentioned that I'd been told about the delicious crab and seafood dinners here, my local friend seemed a bit reluctant to take me there. As we walked out of the closest MRT station and onto a small side street, I noticed that all the small eateries were popluated by loud Singaporean men drinking towering beers - no wonder SWT said she was uncomfortable!


Luckily, the walk was short and after jay-walking across the busiest multi-lane road I've seen in a while, we reached No Signboard - lit by neon lights and decorated with red lanterns in celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year. I was surprised that we were given a seat so swiftly though admittedly, we had three people and it was relatively early. Our seats were also on the side away from the main area where I could see large round tables reserved. We would later realize that being set apart, we avoided the smoke and the loud cheers of the larger groups - being able to hear each other talk but still feeling the atmosphere of the night.


Having only three people on our table, with two of them being only girls, I was bracing myself for the disappointment of not being able to try a variety of dishes. Luckily, the waitress was extremely helpful - perhaps seeing the look of sadness on my face - suggesting that we could get all our dishes in the smallest sizes possible especially the two crabs we were ordering.

Chilli Crab 40SGD/kg

Complimentary Mantou

The first to arrive was the Chilli Crab which was served on an extremely large plate filled almost to the brim with the aromatic chilli sauce. With it, arrived the fried buns or mantou which could be dipped into the sauce in place of the rice. The flesh of the crab was really tender and juicy - for me the process was a bite of crab meat, dunk the bun in the sauce and pure heaven as a result!

Black Peppered Crab 40SGD/kg

The Black Peppered Crab was an entirely different story. The black pepper sauce was much stronger and the flesh tougher. By the end of it, my mouth was literally burning! It's the type of food that makes you so happy because it's dishing out the most amazing flavours for your taste buds but simultaenously putting you through the fiery spices. Putting up with a flaming mouth in the name of great taste? I was up for it!

Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli 16SGD for two

When the plate of Bullfrog with Dried Red Chilli was delivered to our table, all I could see was a mound of black garnished with loads of dried chilli. When you finally scrummage around and pick out the frog itself, the texture is almost like a tougher version of a fish - slighty chewy and beautifully flavoured. Definitely not the first time I've tried it, but definitely the first time I kept picking it out from the dish it was so yummy!

Deep Fried Baby Squid 10SGD

The Deep Fried Baby Squid came on long rather large plate and didn't look particulary appetizing. But since stepping foot onto Singapore soil, I've realized that some of the most delicious dishes have the ghastly appearances. This was certainly no exception. I'm really a fan of anything deep fried but this particular dish had a sweetness to it on top of the crunchy texture and wired perfectly to offset the spiciness in my mouth from the crab.

Fried Egg with Oyster 10SGD

This was a last minute find on the menu when I recalled that SK had recommended I try it. Relative to the rest of the meal, this was slightly less exciting but I do love my oysters and eggs so in combination, this little pancake-like treat of Fried Egg with Oyster was a great way to finish off the meal. It sure helped cool down my flaming mouth!

War on Crabs - The Finale


It was cheap - the cheapest seafood dinner I've ever had actually - and it was amazing. Fragrant, flavoursome seafood. Probably my most expensive meal I had all trip in Singapore but still so cheap it was amazing. This is definitely somethign everyone has to try when heading to Singapore. If you've read this whole review and you're curious as to why it's called No Signboard and why the photo about says The name u named, then just check out this link here. The history of the place is quite interesting. You'll notice that in the first photo it says Matter Road because that's where the first shop opened, in a hawker centre on that road. The branch we visited is actually on Geylang Road.

I'm back in Australia but I'm still salivating about this meal - go check it out!


No Signboard
414 Geylang Road
Geylang, Singapore 389392
PH: +65 6842 3415

6 comments:

  1. So much food! So much yummy goodness and always limited stomach space. Did the black peppered crab have a buttery taste about it? Never tried it myself but have heard that both black peppercorns and generous amounts of butter are involved in the cooking process.

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  2. What a feast! The bullfrog sounds interesting, I don't think I'd be able to stomach it though!

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  3. Ahh I really want to eat frog again, it's been far too long.

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  4. The one spot I ended up missing on my tour of duty...glad it lived up to its name.

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  5. Mmmm...soo much crab!

    You spoke too soon about the cheapest seafood dinner ever - I've got something up my sleeve to top your post =D

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  6. The picture of the chili crab is so good, its making me want to fork out my hard earned savings and fly over just to taste it. Yummo!

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