JUMBO Seafood - East Coast — Restaurant in Singapore

The Jumbo – A Quintessential Singaporean Seafood Affair East Coast Seafood Centre, Singapore

The Occasion: When a dear friend of over 35 years makes a whirlwind visit to Singapore for just one night, dinner needs to be more than memorable — it must be iconic. After a swift drop-off at a nearby hotel, we headed straight to one of Singapore’s enduring culinary institutions: Jumbo Seafood at East Coast Park. A venue that has stood the test of time, it remains a much-loved flagship of the brand, which today spans the island — and beyond — as a symbol of Singapore’s rich seafood heritage.

The Company: Our gathering brought together long-time friends from Australia (en route to Europe), and former colleagues from the halcyon Raffles Hotel days — a table rich in camaraderie, memory, and good taste. The night flowed with laughter, nostalgia, and, of course, a well-judged parade of seafood classics. A few chilled Coronas eased us into the evening, followed by two bottles of Champagne that kept the atmosphere buoyant and celebratory.

The Service: Unobtrusively efficient and warmly hospitable — a testament to Jumbo’s consistency. Orders were taken smoothly and dishes arrived with precision.

The Meal:

Salted Egg Prawns Golden and glistening, the shelled fried prawns were beautifully crisp, the salted egg sauce clinging to each curve with just the right hint of heat. A textural delight — crunchy yet tender. Rating: 8/10

Black Pepper Crab A personal favourite, though on this occasion the rendition was slightly restrained. The crab (approximately 800g) was fresh and expertly cooked — moist and flavourful — though the black pepper lacked the boldness I usually crave. A touch more fire and oil would have elevated it. Rating: 7/10

Steamed Soon Hock (Marbled Goby), Cantonese Style A non-negotiable in any serious Chinese seafood spread. The fish arrived steaming, delicately dressed in soy and crowned with aromatic hot oil just before service. The flesh was textbook-perfect — firm yet yielding, subtly sweet, and altogether exquisite. Rating: 9/10

Sambal Kang Kong (Water Spinach) While our first choice of Kai Lan was unavailable, the Kang Kong more than redeemed the vegetable course. Stir-fried with sambal, it retained a lively crunch and packed a satisfying umami kick. A quintessential local dish done right. Rating: 9/10

Chilli Crab with Fried Mantou Singapore’s culinary ambassador — and rightly so. The crab was once again perfectly executed, with the meat yielding effortlessly from its shell. The sauce was flavourful and rich, though I remain in the minority that always desires more chilli in my chilli crab. Mercifully, there was no trace of the cloying ketchup many kitchens fall back on. The fried mantou were pillowy and golden, ideal for mopping up every last drop. Rating: 8/10

The Epilogue: As we departed, the restaurant’s modern touches caught the eye — rows of neatly packaged sauces, snacks, and even chilli crab noodles lined the exit. A nod to commercial evolution, perhaps, but a reminder that even the classics adapt to the times.

Verdict: An evening that delivered not just on food, but on feeling — a perfectly pitched celebration of Singapore’s culinary legacy, surrounded by old friends and timeless flavours. Jumbo may have grown into a brand, but at its heart, it remains true to what made it famous: honest, well-executed seafood in a setting that invites!

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Have a friend visiting from HK and one of the request is to try out chili crab, my usual go to is Melben for the local vibe but as she ask if she can hit the coast as well, Jumbo seafood at east coast came to mine. It has been such a loooooooooooong time since I have visited the place but I used to love to chill along the coast with my own set up of chairs & tables from decathlon w my fav food from lagoon or Tiong Bahru market (yes I live to eat, remember? Haha) enjoy the sea breeze, walk, food & clock in some exercise too.

Booked the place right at 6pm & it is already fully packed, staff was very nice, we were seated at the back but when we decided to try out the power of asking, they got us a table right next to the ocean which was such a treat.

I used to order their scallop and mini yam ring, always go well w the chili and sweet sauce & not many people order this but if you do, you are in for a treat, their sashimi dishes like geoduck & lobster is very impressive, but this time round as we only have 2 pax, we prioritize on what we should order so I got us, chili crab w fried mantou (min 4 pcs) cereal prawns & samba kang kong.

You can choose w shell or deshelled prawns, I personally prefer it with shell but we opt for the latter one for ease to eat. Cereal flavour is light and doesn’t feel oily, and the prawns are plump and succulent which was a good start, only thing I wish is they throw in some more chili when they cook this which may elevate the spice level of it.

Samba kang kong was a surprise winner! The spiciness was on point, with the right amount of baby shrimps and paste in it, it doesn’t feel oily like some of the stores are, and the veg is cooked just right with the right crunch, we both loved it a lot!

Now for the chili crab, you get to choose what type of crab they have and I like how they have a chart of estimated weight with price and portion for how many people. They will ask if you want 800g or 1Kg, I suppose it depends on what weight the carbs weighs on that day? We opt for 800g and we still managed to take away some home. I am more of a black pepper crab person but the chili crab at Jumbo does offer a nice balance of tanginess and spice that suits palate of most people though I wish they also have a chart to let you customize how spicy it can go. Size of crab is decent & the fried pillowy buns scooped up the sauce so well.

I know there is a school of thought that Jumbo may sound like mostly catered to foreigners, but there are loads of locals there when we visited. This may sound silly but hear me out, I did go for a few places before that their standard dropped & to me Jumbo standard has been consistent because they are listed company so I will say the quality need to maintain as it is. It is a safe bet but again the food is good, I definitely have no complaints to it.

Parking is a breeze because it is at east coast and if you like to pack in a few souvenirs for visitors, they have a good collections there too like chips and instant noodles and sauces.

Their locations are great when it comes to riverwalk and also east coast, get to have a stroll after you are filled with...

Disappointing and Frustrating Dinner Experience

We came to Jumbo Seafood East Coast for what was supposed to be a pleasant family dinner, but unfortunately, it turned into an upsetting and appetite-killing experience.

First, after waiting more than 30 minutes for our food, we politely followed up with a waiter in a grey shirt. Instead of a courteous response, we were met with an annoyed and dismissive tone, as if we had no right to ask and should just sit and wait quietly. A simple update on the food status would’ve been enough — we were happy to wait, just needed communication.

Then, things took a weird turn when a lizard fell from the ceiling onto our table. While we understand this may be beyond their control, what bothered us was their lack of urgency or initiative. Only after we mentioned one of our family members is afraid of lizards did they attempt to catch it.

After the lizard incident, it naturally contaminated a few plates, so we requested to change only those affected. Instead of just assisting with that, a staff member (an aunty) came over and insisted on changing ALL our plates, even those untouched. We tried to explain nicely that it wasn’t necessary, but she started nagging non-stop — saying she’d get scolded by her boss, that they didn’t have enough clean plates, the washing vendor would be unhappy, etc. This was NOT our concern — we were customers just trying to enjoy our meal.

Despite our polite refusals, she continued to pressure us, even as we made it clear we were no longer interested in engaging. She eventually gave up on us and started the same nagging with my sister-in-law. After repeatedly refusing, the aunty finally slammed the plate down on the table in frustration, clearly displaying her anger. That moment really triggered us — it was extremely disrespectful and unprofessional.

At that point, the mood was completely ruined. We lost our appetite, and the evening was far from the joyful dinner we had planned.

We’ve never experienced anything like this at other seafood places, especially not at Long Beach Seafood right next door. Jumbo seriously needs to retrain their staff on basic courtesy and service, because right now, they don’t deserve to be charging service tax when what they deliver is rudeness, poor communication, and...