House of Crabs

House of Crabs has landed in Melbourne! Started in Sydney by DJs turned publicans Jamie Wirth and the late James Miller above the Norfolk Hotel in Redfern in 2013, the eatery pays tribute to American-style crab joints and aims to deliver fresh, high quality seafood, prepared simply and perfectly.

Situated within the Newmarket Hotel, House of Crabs is unashamedly messy, meaning once the crabs are unloaded directly onto the table, it's a bibs on, eat with your hands experience!

The menu swims between Coney Island and Louisiana, and offers a range of starters and grilled items, but at House of Crabs it's all about "the boil" - different varieties of crabs cooked with Cajun, Creole, Spicy Malay, Singapore or Lemon Pepper sauce. If you want to spoil yourself, we recommend getting your hands on the impressive Alaskan King Crab. We had ours cooked in Spicy Malay sauce and it was heaven -  huge chunks of meat, loaded with flavour and super easy to eat. Beyond the boil, there are snacks like lobster fries, buttermilk chicken bits, soft shell tacos and fried chilli squid.

To start, the ceviche served with blue corn chips was wonderful. The thick slices of very fresh white fish were laced with luxurious coconut, guacamole and lime. The dish was notable for the quality of the fish and its balance - a simple but well executed dish. The dish of blackened tofu was another winner displaying a multitude of intense flavours and highlighted by the wonderfully supple eggplant, fresh coriander and spicy sriracha.

The drinks nod towards New Orleans classics, with Hurricanes, Peach Cobblers, Alabama Slammas and Blackberry Mint Juleps alongside a selection beers and a concise wine list. Here's a tip for vinophiles though, a more extensive wine list is also available from the Newmarket Hotel upstairs if you feel so inclined.

For dessert, do not go past the chocolate sundae with lashings of salted caramel, chocolate brownie and peanuts. Super rich, this dessert is pure, decadent indulgence.  
 
Location: The Basement, The Newmarket Hotel - 34 Inkerman Street, St Kilda
Phone: 03 9810 0031
Link: http://www.houseofcrabs.com.au/stkilda/
Cuisine: Seafood