Catering to Every Gourmet’s Taste — Jumbo Seafood Brings Its Iconic Live Crab Dishes to Taiwan

▲ Jumbo Seafood brings its iconic live crab dishes to Taiwan.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

The renowned restaurant "Jumbo Seafood," ranked first among the Singapore Tourism Board's top 10 seafood restaurants, has made its debut in Taiwan,with its first Taiwanese outlet set to officially open on December 16th,located on the 3rd floor of A8, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi New World. In addition to its signature chili and black pepper crabs, Jumbo Seafood is also offering seven other crab dishes and ten renowned Singaporean dishes, so diners can enjoy them without flying to Singapore.


▲ Signature Chili Crab.

Jumbo Seafood specializes in serving live, freshly caught crabs prepared to order. On the left side of the restaurant entrance, you’ll find a 4.6-meter-long aquarium where customers can choose their preferred crabs or even king crabs before selecting their cooking method. Alongside the signature chili and black pepper crabs, there are also white pepper, salt and pepper, steamed with soy milk and egg white, crispy golden sand, creamed, stir-fried with ginger and scallions, clay pot with vermicelli, and silky creamed crab — totaling ten different live crab preparations. With options including fried, stir-fried, steamed, and more, every gourmet's preference is met.


▲ Black Pepper Crab.

The chili crab is a must-order dish at Jumbo Seafood. The key to its deliciousness lies in the sauce, which combines Southeast Asian spices such as chili, candle nut, and turmeric powder, with tomato-based sauce creating a flavor that’s spicy yet sweet and tangy. The specially made sauce is topped with bright red spicy oil and stir-fried together with the succulent crab, ensuring the crab is fully coated. To maintain the same taste as the flagship store in Singapore, Jumbo Seafood’s Kitchen Operations Director, Wong Chung Yuan, explained that aside from clearly defined SOPs for each dish, sauces and seasonings are all imported from Singapore to every branch — including the one in Taiwan.


▲ Crispy Golden Thread Crab.


▲ Clay Pot Vermicelli Crab.

As for the crabs used, Zeng Boxian, CEO of HeXing Catering — a joint venture between Jumbo Seafood and a Taiwanese partner — mentioned that both Taiwan and Singapore source their crabs from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Vietnam, mainly the large Sri Lankan crab variety known as "Da Sha Gong," all weighing over 1 kilogram, often larger than a human face.

Regarding pricing, Jumbo Seafood President, Ng Kin Meng, said that because the live crabs are imported from abroad, tariffs and other costs apply, making the price of live crab dishes slightly higher in Taiwan compared to Singapore. The price of live crab dishes at Jumbo Seafood Taiwan is based on daily market rates. While there is no fixed price, it is approximately TWD 2,980 per kilogram.


▲ Nyonya Fried Nile Tilapia.


▲ Mocha Ribs.

This time, Jumbo Seafood is also bringing ten iconic Singaporean dishes to Taiwan, namely: cereal prawns, Nyonya fried Nile tilapia, soy-braised cod, cheese mentaiko grilled prawns, minced meat scallops, steamed cod with pickled radish and chopped chili, honey pepper lamb chops, wok-fried beef fillet, Mocha ribs, and jade tofu. Among them, the Nyonya fried Nile tilapia involves separating the fish meat from the bones, then deep-frying until crispy — even the fish bones are edible. Prices range from TWD 288 to TWD 1,056.

Currently, Jumbo Seafood has five outlets in Singapore, five in mainland China, one in Vietnam, and this first Taiwanese location marks its 13th outlet. Looking ahead, Jumbo Seafood plans to expand to eight locations in Taiwan.

Address: 3F, A8, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi New World, No. 12, Songgao Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2720-7333