Solving the Happy Crab Conundrum

Most Singaporeans would affirm that the best eats on the island can be found in the oft-maligned streets of Geylang.

On one occasion, Cute Cute and Cuchi happened to passed by a humble-looking stall along Lorong 31 selling only barbecued crabs. Being huge fans of crabs, they were rather curious about the stall as they had never come across a stall selling just barbacued crabs in an island more famous for her chili and black pepper versions of the crustacean.

They inquired about the operating hours and were shocked to find out that the owner opened for just over an hour (6pm to 7pm) everyday! Wth! Were the crabs so popular that they sold out in one hour? Is it even profitable running a business like that?

They decided to head back one evening to do a taste test with Mr Hammock and Ms Jelly. They were already disappointed when they heard prices were $25, $28 and $30 respectively for each crab based on weight. It was not exactly cheap and remembered being quoted $15 for each crab the previous time.
From online food forums, it seemed that prices were rather inconsistent here.

Singha checking out the much-hyped crabs

Hmm... the crabs are already red before they are barbecued.
Prior steaming involved?

Humble barbecue set

They ordered 2 crabs, one for $28 and the other for $30. The cheaper crab tasted really mediocre, albeit its freshness. Now, the $30 crab, on the other hand, had a mouth-watering hint of natural sweetness. Overall, it was not exactly a life-changing epicurean experience and at prices like that,
Cute Cute does not foresee a return visit. The crabs were tiny.

The question remains - is it really that difficult to barbecue crabs? Are we paying more for the skills of the hawker to cook the crab that way? Judging from the many customers taking away crabs by the boxes, it seems to be quite a hit.

Oh crab! Any thoughts peeps?

Happy Crab
609 Geylang Road

Lorong 31 Singapore 389548