Review: Wicked Crab by Aprons & Hammers is best if you're running late for a movie

The latest restaurant to join the line-up on the second level of Mall of the Emirates – a few paces from Vox Cinemas, Din Tai Fung, Go Greek, Tribes, Farzi Cafe, et al – is Wicked Crab.

It opened in November, and is led by the team behind one of the UAE’s most popular seafood restaurants, Aprons & Hammers.

What to expect and where to sit

A true-blue surf and turf vibe is tough to channel in the middle of one of Dubai’s busiest malls, but Wicked Crab manages it all the same.

This is down to its neon orange signs, illuminated palm trees and seven surfboards doubling as wall art. The light wood floors, and chairs done up in cane or pops of teal and yellow, round up the cheery decor.

You can opt for couch seating around crescent-shaped booths, or table seating.

The menu

Deviating from the usually compact offerings by most surf and turf restaurants, the Wicked Crab menu boasts no fewer than 50 dishes.

These are categorised under small plates, salads, tacos, maki rolls, sandwiches, signature shellfish, large plates and seafood boils, plus sides, sauces, desserts and a children’s menu.

My dining partner and I start with the clam chowder (Dh45) and California rolls (Dh40), two classics that we hope will provide tantalising hints for the deliciousness that’s about to follow. And then we wait … but not for long.

You know that seemingly drawn-out waiting period after you order your first dish and it arrives piping hot from the kitchen? Well, that just does not happen at Wicked Crab. The dishes arrive no more than 90 seconds after we place our order.

A sip (bite?) of the chowder reveals a hearty creamy concoction full of clam meat, so full marks for this one. (Tip: get this to share if you want to try other things).

The rolls, however, leave much to be desired. Freshness is the USP of all things maki, and this dish is simply not. The sushi rice is dry, the tobiko flaking off unevenly from the eight pieces served, and the flavours of crab stick, mango and cucumber are undistinguishable.

Our next course, the crispy soft-shell crab sandwich (Dh75) is a blend of both the above experiences. It arrives in under two minutes of being ordered, but the black brioche bread is moist and moreish, the fried crab is indulgent, and the coleslaw, fries and sriracha mayo dip served on the side are on point.

Our final course redeems Wicked Crab and its parent company, Aprons & Hammers, to no end. The mixed bucket (Dh135) comes with half an Omani lobster, four tiger prawns and four blue crabs, all of which offer tender, tasty meat that can easily be eaten as is. But don’t!

The real highlight at this restaurant is its flavourful and innovative sauces. Of these there are six, and I highly recommend ordering more than one so it feels like each bite is a different dish.

Choose from tangy green harissa and lemon butter, buttery pepper cream and saffron cream, and spicy Cajun and garlic-chilli. Our favourites were the harissa and Cajun, although crabmeat goes superbly with the pepper cream as well.

The dish is served with a pair of gloves, a bib, an empty bucket (which is judiciously replaced several times, well before it gets to tipping point), a seafood pick and a mallet. That final tool needs employing for the blue crab, the sweetest meat of which lies in the claws.

Standout dish

The mixed bucket is indeed a fab mix of succulent, sweet seafood meat, although I might just go for the blue crab bucket the next time around.

While it takes a while to get through this dish if you want to extract every tender morsel, it’s the only time you’ll be waiting for your food at Wicked Crab, making it a speedy option if you have a movie to catch at Vox Cinemas next door.

A chat with the chef

Head chef Etienne Mieny is from South Africa, and has previously worked at Maison Mathis, Morah, Mamazonia and Wavehouse in Dubai. He describes his cooking style as fusion and says he loves working with live shellfish. “There is something about the freshness of live ingredients that can’t be replaced. I also love the way you need to eat crab, you have to use your hands and get messy; it's not just eating, it's feeding your soul.”

Price point and contact information

Small plates, salads and sides range from Dh20 to Dh65; tacos and maki rolls are Dh45 a pop; sandos go from Dh65 to Dh85; while the shellfish and seafood boils can set you back between Dh95 and Dh395.

Wicked Crab is on the second level of Mall of the Emirates. It seats 140 and tables are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.

This review was conducted at the invitation of the restaurant