12 Best Restaurants in East Coast Park, Katong, and Joo Chait, Singapore

This atmospheric East Coast Seafood Centre staple is the perfect place to crack into a chilli or black pepper Sri Lankan crab, a glorious, delicious mess of a dish that's a true Singaporean specialty—be sure to order it with sides of fried buns to sop up the sauce. Prices are by the kilogram; some crabs are large enough to feed up to four people, but smaller ones for two are also available.

Slow-food champion Sam Wong runs this private dining experience from his vintage-furnished terrace house, at the back of which sits his wildly untamed fruit and vegetable garden. You’ll have to book months ahead for a table, but the wait for his painstakingly made food—like a signature roast duck that undergoes three days of preparation and features homemade spices—is worth it. The price is per head for an eight- to ten-course meal.

It may be rough around the edges, it's in the red-light district of Geylang, and the cost of a full meal would make some fine-dining establishments blush, but there's good reason why the late food magnate Anthony Bourdain named Sin Huat one of the "10 places to eat before you die." Chef Danny's rich, gooey, briny, magnificent crab (or prawn) bee hoon (vermicelli-like rice noodles) is a stunning dish. Pair it with on-the-shell scallops slathered in black bean sauce and a plate of kailan (fresh greens) with garlic for a meal to remember.

The Peranakan-style cuisine here is delicious and fiery, so be sure to specify exactly how tongue tingling you'd like your order to be. Signature dishes include bakwan kepiting (minced crab and pork soup), assam fish head (in spicy gravy), ayam sio (chicken with coriander), and udang masak nenas (prawns cooked with tamarind and pineapple). Save room for dessert.