Hairy Crabs @ Di Wei, Empire Hotel

Tis the season for hairy crabs once more..

On the streets people yell.. Hairy crab season! Autumn is upon Hong Kong, and with it, peak season for a quintessentially Chinese delicacy – the hairy crab. As fall arrives, the crabs plump up, and restaurants stock them in huge numbers. Those cooking at home can buy live crabs, the little bundles bound up with bamboo strips, from specialty stores and even street vendors. The best crabs come from Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, in the Jiangsu Province near Shanghai. The season starts in September, when female crabs are best, and continues through the end of the year, with male crabs offering the most succulent roe from mid-October on.

At Di Wei, Empire Subang, the Hairy crabs served are just ripe for the picking..

Hairy crabs (also called chinese mitten crabs – Eriocheir sinensis) are these greenish-grey crustaceans with wispy brown “fur” on their claws. They are prized for their roe and oil, which turns a brilliant orange hue when cooked and is exceptionally rich. Traditionally, the crabs are steamed until pink and then served with a sweet side dish of ginger, vinegar and soy sauce. Many restaurants will cut up the crabs and give diners tiny forks or spoons for plucking out every last morsel of the sweet white flesh. They also like to furnish diners with disposable gloves , so they don’t stain their perfectly manicured nails with bright, almost fluorescent orange crab roe..

But first, some wholesome soup, in the form of a double-boiled Watercress and Pork Rib Soup

Steamed Shanghainese Dumplings (xiao long bao) with Hairy Crab Roe

Followed by some crab meat xiao long bao. Love the way the sauce explodes into your mouth with one tiny piercing of the dumpling skin.. take care to not scald your tongue though.

And as the waitresses prepare the Hairy carbs for you, you can’t help but shake your head in amazement at how skillfully well they do it..

And they are fast too..

In no time, they have taken apart, and then reconstructed the hairy crab.. ready for you to dig into..

See the gloves do come in handy!

Did somebody set my dinner ablaze?

No.. that’s just the Rock Salt Baked, herbal Chicken (RM68.80++)

For the months of November and December, those who spend RM60 and above on a la carte orders will get to order this fantastic rock salt baked chicken at only RM28.80++!

Pulling the bits apart, I feel like it’s Christmas, and I am unveiling my present..

Voila! The salt baked herbal chicken in all it’s glory.. smells heavenly too!

The best part is the drumstick!

And as if crabs did not already have enough limelight on the menu, the final dish is a crab meat and egg white, yee-mien (egg noodles).

Dragon fruit jelly and ice cream completes dinner on a sweet note.

A lovely promotion.. We highly recommend it to all hairy crab lovers. At Di Wei, these steamed Hairy Crabs are priced at RM88++ each, or RM148++ for a pair. The hairy crabs promo will be on until 10th November, or until stocks last. So be quick about it!

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