Crab restaurants

A shell-shocked Time Out goes out in search of the city's best hairy crab dining experience...

The hairy crab (Pilumnus fissifrons) gets its name from the tufts of hair-like fibres that grow on their legs, underside and around their pincers. Harvested in Jiangsu province for hundreds of years, they've been a favourite of gourmets for just as long.

The best place for crabs to hatch is in areas where river water meets sea water; from here, the young crabs float upstream to where they flourish in freshwater lakes, feasting on seaweed, snails and marsh grass. It's long been said that the crabs that hail from the shores of the pristine Yangcheng Lake are the most famous and the most sought after for their plump meat and bright orange roe.

However, finding real Yangcheng crabs may be as difficult as finding a real pair of Nike sneakers at the Silk Market. While many restaurants and markets claim their hairy crabs are the real thing, it's not uncommon for sellers to try to pawn off crabs from other lakes as Yangcheng crabs. Yuan Jinghui, the chef of Summer Palace, China World Hotel's Cantonese restaurant, says that many of China's top quality hairy crabs go straight to kitchens in Hong Kong, while the Mainland get the leftovers. 'It's not necessarily true that good crabs only come from Yangcheng Lake,' says Yuan. 'As long as they are bred in clear and unpolluted water, crabs from other places are just as good, if not better, than those from Yangcheng Lake.'

Experts say the best season to enjoy hairy crab is Autumn as they mature between September and December. Male crabs (which have more meat) are best in September and female ones (which have roe) in October.

Famous Hong Kong food critic, Cai Lan – a man who, even by Guangdong standards, knows a thing or two about seafood – has dubbed Fang Liang Xieyan one of the world's top 50 restaurants. This Beijing branch of an old Shanghai favourite has made its mark by offering a crab banquet (380RMB to 1,680RMB per person) that will have the eyes of any connoisseur of crustaceans popping out on stalks.

As is true at many things in life: you really do get what you pay for, and this restaurant is no different. The 380RMB and 480RMB set meals both come with a few crab dishes, but none of the coveted hairy crab; the 580RMB and 680RMB set meals come with just four ounces of this seasonal delicacy, while the 780RMB meal comes with a succulent large five-ounce hirsute beauty. The most expensive set meal included five main courses and one dessert, and none of the dishes scuttle that far sideways from crab. At a rough calculation it must take seven to eight crabs to provide enough meat for the steamed pincers and braised crabmeat with asparagus – both of which were very light and tender.

Qingchao xiefen, stir fried crabmeat, is a mixture of orange roe and crabmeat, all oozing shiny crab oil. This dish is so nice that even just a small bite is satisfying, but one worth savouring as the best is about to come: Qingzheng dazhaxue, steamed hairy crab, may look a bit of a chore to eat when it first arrives, but fear not, a helpful waitress equipped with a pair of scissors is on hand to excavate the meat.

Fang Liang's hairy crabs are all from their own farm in Yangcheng Lake in Jiangsu. The crabs Time Out were served were immature so did not have any roe, just soupy 'sand' – a minor disappointment. A plus was the fact that a cup of hot ginger tea with brown sugar is served with the meal to counteract the hairy crabs' 'cooling' effect on the body.

By the time the crabmeat wontons are served it is unlikely that most diners will have much room left to fit anything else in. For those that do – it may slightly defeat the purpose of ordering a set meal, but if you are going to supplement your spread with an a la carte order, opt for the drunken crab (60RMB/pc). This dish is credited with being the pride of Zhejiang province and one that is hard to come by in the capital.

Paid up PETA members: look away now. The live crab is submerged in huadiao jiu, a wine made from glutinous rice, mixed with other ingredients and then sealed in an earthen pot and left to cure. It is rumoured that this dish is banned because it may not be safe to eat, but a little bit of legislation never troubles a true foodie and the three ounce crab was full of roe, intoxicatingly sweet and delicious.

Ming Xuan, like Fang Liang is another famous Shanghai name, but was established earlier in Beijing and is better known. The variety is overwhelming - browsing the menu one finds more than 30 kinds of dishes related to crabs. According to their chef, in order to guarantee quality, the weight of the crab will not be less than 3.5 ounces. Ming Xuan's hairy crabs come from crystal clear Lake Tai, China's largest freshwater lake, which connects both Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The lake offers an abundant supply of quality crabs from autumn to Chinese New Year each year, which are no less tasty than the famed crabs of Yangcheng Lake. Every year during the month of October, Ming Xuan sells about 100 crabs a day, and each weighs around five ounces.

Suzhe Hui opened in 2005 and serves Suzhou, Zhejiang and Cantonese food, as well as offering hairy crab from the well-known Yangcheng Lake in October. Each female crab weighs about four ounces while the male crabs come in on average at six ounces. The hairy crabs here are prepared in the classic way: steamed and accompanied by a lychee vinegar dipping sauce and can be washed down with traditional Shaoxing wine. This restaurant also provides gift baskets of live hairy crabs to take home for you mother-in-law!

The Venues

Fang Liang Xieyan 16 Dong Sanhuan Bei Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6508 9022). Open 11am-9.30pm daily. Set meal 380-1,680RMB 方亮蟹宴 朝阳区东三环北路16号

Long Yuan Kempinski Hotel, 50 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang district (tel 6465 3388 ext. 4108). Open 11.30am-2pm; 6pm-10pm daily. Price on request. 龙苑, 凯宾斯基饭店朝阳区亮马桥路50号
The Kempinski 's Cantonese restaurant has had hairy crab when it is in season. It serves steamed crab and steamed beer crab, the latter of which must be ordered one day in advance. The crabs are also from Yangcheng Lake, and the weight of each crab will not exceed a four-ounce benchmark.

Ming Xuan 32nd Floor, New Century Hotel, 6 Shouti Nan Lu, Haidian district (tel 6849 1357). Open 11am-9.30pm daily. Meals for two 1,200RMB. 名轩 海淀区首体南路6号新世纪饭店32层

Summer Palace China World Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district (tel 6505 2266 ext. 344). Open 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm daily. Price on request.夏宫中国大饭店朝阳区建国门外大街1号
The Cantonese restaurant at the China World Hotel offers hairy crab in October, and the crabs are prepared in the traditional steamed way.

Suzhe Hui First to Third Floors, Jiahui Guoji Zhongxin, 6 Jishikou Dong Lu, Chaowai Dajie, Chaoyang district (tel 6552 8688). Open 11am-10.30pm. Price on request.苏浙汇 朝外大街吉利市口东路6号佳汇国际中心一至三层
October is said to be the best month for the female crab for its savoury crab roe.

Yang Wen