Thursday 24 September 2015

Long Ji ( 龍 記 ) - Ultimate Crab Bee Hoon



Crab Bee Hoon is one of the dish that LD and I totally have a soft spot for. About 8 years ago, we were head over heals with the version cooked Ming Kee in Macpherson (Click here for Ming Kee review). Unlike the signature soup version by Melben, the version that we like is more has less soupy, but robust and filled with Wok Hei.

Long Ji Crab Bee Hoon

Dunno how, LD found this new place Long Ji and we fell in love with their Crab Bee Hoon (Long Ji Bee Hoon Crab $55/kg). From the look, it will not win the prettiest crab dish contest, however, who cares as long as it tasted fantastic. The broth / gravy is robust and packs with the freshness and sweetness of the crabs. The bee hoon is covered with Wok Hei, slightly al dente yet manage to soak up the beautiful gravy. For this dish, it is important to use female crab, as the roe adds flavour to this dish together with fried shallots and pork lard. The crabs are good in size and fresh. So definitely worthy to be the signature dish of Long Ji.

Long Ji Crab Bee Hoon - Check out the Roe


For this dish, Chef Mac Kong (who can be mistaken for a member of Taiwanese Boy Band) will only use one crab for each servings. So if you ordered 2 crabs, you will get 2 servings of Crab Bee Hoon. At our last visit, we ordered 2 crabs and end up have to packed one of the dish. To my surprise, it even tasted better the next day. The Chef also gave us some extra broth and packed them in different container. What a great service!!

Black Pepper Crab

If this version of the crab dish is not to your liking, you can try their Black Pepper Crab. Using the male Sri Langkan crab, stir fried and coated with Malaysia version of black pepper crab. It has a nice black pepper aroma to it, but not as spicy as the Singapore version. We still prefer the Crab Bee Hoon way of cooking.

Fermented Pork Belly

Fermented Pork Belly

To accompany the crabs, we suggest you also try their Fermented Pork Belly ($20 / medium). Crispy, well seasoned and moist internally, and provide you with a good porkgasm experience. Of course if you prefer the chicken version, their Shrimp Paste Chicken ($10 / small) is also pretty good, however we found the seasoning did not penetrate beyond the skin. So the meat can be a bit lacklustre compare to the pork.

Shrimp Paste Chicken

For Fish Head Curry Lovers, their Curry Fish Head ($25) is an absolute mind blower. They use chilli padi in the curry, it will literally blow you head off. The curry gravy was thick, robust and well absorbed into the fish. If you are looking for a “rice thief” dish here, this is definitely the one. (Sorry, Chubby Botak Koala forgot to take photo of the Curry Fish Head)

Crispy Fried Baby Squid in Rojak Sauce ($12). This a good dish to open up your appetite. The squid is deep fried till crispy, and the rojak sauce is not overly sweet, unlike the regular caramel sauce. Not only a good starter, but a good dish to go with your beer.

Crispy Fried Baby Squid in Rojak Sauce

Romaine Lettuce Stir Fried with Fermented Beancurd ($8 / small). A good vegetable dish, with a touch of Cantonese cooking of the fermented beancurd. Panfried Salted Egg Pork Ribs ($15 / small) might be a dish you want to avoid. We find the meat over-tenderised, it does not tasted like pork. Though we are a fan of salted egg dishes, but this might not be right dish.

Romaine Lettuce Stir Fried with Fermented Beancurd
Panfried Salted Egg Pork Ribs 

Service here is friendly, but don't expect restaurant standard. As Chef Mac Kong and cooked almost each of the dish personally, be prepare for the food to come at a slower pace. Called ahead to book the crabs, and reservation is recommended everyday. Expect a longer waiting time on the weekend and they only accept cash payment only.

Overall, we personally found a new place to enjoy our Crab Bee Hoon dish. Totally delicious and value for money. There are some hits and misses, however if you are not sure, you can ask the chef for recommendation. We have been there a few times this year and we will probably visit it some more before the end of the year. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8/10 (9.25/10 for the crab bee hoon)
Value: 8.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 6.5/10
Budget per Person: $11 - $25; $26 - $50

Long Ji
251 - 253 Outram Road
Singapore 169049

T: +65 9790 5682
OH: 17.00 – 22.45 Daily (Closed on Alt Tue)
(New Home)

57 Eng Hoon Street
#01-72 Singapore 160057
T: +65 9790 5682 (Better called to book your crabs)



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