Shelling   out

Heavy wok in one hand, Mr Joe Eng, 53, ladles sauce from a metal trolley of condiments parked behind him. The short time Mr Eng takes to cook chilli crab belies the dish's complexity — many spices and condiments go into his sauce.

The fire flickers out. Mr Eng gives the crab three more flips, before cracking in an egg. A series of rapid folds turns it to silky ribbons embroiled in the fragrant sauce. He neatly ladles the crab on a clean white platter, shell side up.