One of our favorite loveteams from the 90s is back to share kilig and funny moments over a Chili Crab dish! Jolina Magdangal reunites with Marvin Agustin in this week’s Zi Char or Char Lang episode brought to us by the Singapore Tourism Board and we can’t help but feel nostalgic… and hungry! If this episode had an alternative title, it would probably be (Chili) Crabs Kita… Okay Ka Lang? just like their 1998 rom-com Labs Kita… Okay Ka Lang.

Zi Char or Char Lang is a fun and informative video series for those who want to know more about Singapore and how to recreate the unique flavor of Zi Char dishes. This will surely make you miss Singapore’s bustling food scene! Pork Ribs King and Har Cheong Gai were also featured in previous episodes. Zi Char dishes have put Singapore in the culinary map, and with Filipinos sharing the same love for crazy delicious pairings, it is no surprise that many may feel the itch to travel to Singapore. While the borders remain closed, this is the closest we can get to taste and relive the Singapura experience.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 mud crab
• 3 shallots
• knob of ginger
• 3 long red chillies
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (360 mL)
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree (335g)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (120g)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 spring onion
• 1/2 cup butter (50g)

HOW TO COOK CHILI CRAB:

For the step-by-step guide, you can start around 3:20 of the video but I recommend that you watch the whole video if you want to see the Marvin-Jolina dynamic that we used to adore! Nakaka-miss!

“This episode is really close to my heart. Jolina is a big part of my life, and I am excited to share this special project with her. If you think about it, our partnership is really like a Zi Char dish. We have a deep history that we lovingly share with our fans, and our combination, no matter how different we are, just melds well together, and I really treasure that,” shared Marvin when asked about the long-overdue reunion with Jolina.

As for Jolina, the reunion is another opportunity to explore something new.

“Marvin and I have done a lot of projects in the past, but never something food-related, so this is exciting for me. After all these years, I still get to try something unique and new!” Jolina excitedly mentioned. “At first, I was a little intimidated because I only make home-cooked meals, but it’s comforting to know that Zi Char started that way and that even home cooks like myself can instantly transport to Singapore with these unique and Zi Char-ap dishes!”

Happy cooking! May your Chili Crabs reach Zi Char level and not Char Lang! 🙂

---

For updates on our latest discoveries within (and outside) the Metro, don’t forget to follow Manila Millennial on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. Keep safe, everyone!