Eng Seng Restaurant: Seafood hangout

Come hungry and come early to Singapore's Eng Seng Restaurant as the down-and-dirty cafe is a hectic hustle of seafood but without the pretentious prices. 

Their slam-dunk dish is the sweet and juicy black pepper crabs (S$3.80/100 grams), best dipped (not smothered) in extra black pepper sauce for an extra kick in the pants. That, or have your friends order the chili or butter crabs and mix and match family-style, all topped off with a plate of noodles and oolong tea in a can to wash it all down.

Don't expect to be all buddy-buddy with the servers and hear their life story -- the service is brisk, taciturn and you’re expected to know what you want as soon as you sit down.

Take heed: It's cash only, so stack your wallets before you arrive.