House of Crabs

There seems to be a lot of these American style restaurants popping up around Sydney, I got to try one of these in Surry Hills/Redfern called "House of Crabs". I must admit, I giggled a bit when I first heard the name, it sounded more like a brothel rather than a restaurant (a terrible one too).

Positioned above the Norfolk hotel on Cleveland St, it would be a good place to go for some late night snacking that's for sure. The first thing I noticed when we sat down was the paddle boat on the ceiling, the cutlery holder which is a cardboard Budweiser 6 pack holder and the very distinct southern American style music that was playing. Decked out with nautical themed booths and decor, it has a very laid back atmosphere and the service were friendly and prompt.

So we got: 

Lobster fries, fried chicken, Little Neck Clams in oriental sauce, Blue Swimmer Crabs in Cajun sauce, Neapolitan ice-cream waffle sandwich.

The Lobster fries were great, real flavourful and came real fast too. The corn on top was actually cut from a cob instead of the canned version! The lobster sauce was thick and creamy, the perfect consistency to go on top of the fries. We were given bibs and gloves because apparently things will start to get messy from here. The fried chicken came next, oh the excitement! We tear into the chicken, regardless of the fact that it's piping hot. The coating was crunchy with a mild spiciness to it while the chicken stayed perfectly moist and juicy on the inside. The sauces were a nice touch although the chicken would've been fine without them either. The seafood comes in bags of 500g with your choice of sauces, we got the clams and the Blue Swimmer crabs. If you feel like splurging you can go for the King Crab which costs $45 per 500g. When the bags arrive, the bib and the gloves comes into play, and a lot of paper towels! For those who love crab like me, you'll know the struggles of trying to get the meat out of those shells. The crabs were cooked perfectly, thrown in the bag with the Cajun sauce which was aromatic and spicy. The meat was sweet and succulent, worth all the effort I'd say. The clams were a bit of a let down though, the oriental sauce didn't really taste like anything and it just didn't feel as satisfying as the crabs were. For dessert they only have the one choice which was good enough for me, who doesn't like ice-cream and waffles right? I liked the fact that it had a bite to it thanks to the almonds, the flavours were balanced and wasn't too sweet which is what you want after such a big meal. 

For those who fancy a drink or two, I recommend the Peach Cobbler cocktail. I really enjoyed this place, just remember not to wear your sunday best here because things will get crazy and messy very fast (as you can see in the last photo), with or without the bibs. If you like comfort food then this place is a must try, when you're not on a diet.

http://houseofcrabs.com.au/