LAI PO HEEN,
Mandarin Oriental,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2179 8960
Business hours: noon to 2.30pm
and 7.00pm to 10.30pm, daily.
IT is the season again for the crustacean with furry claws — the hairy crab — to crawl onto the dining table of connoisseurs.
Lai Po Heen Restaurant at Mandarin Oriental has specially sourced for the delicacy from China and will be serving them until Nov 30.
Executive Chinese chef Ricky Thein said the hotel receives fresh supply of the fist-sized crabs twice a week and keeps them alive in the chiller.
The most popular way of savouring the crabs is the basic, unpretentious steamed version.
The crabs, weighing between 150g and 200g, are steamed over perilla (a type of herb known as zi su in Chinese) and enoki mushrooms for 15 minutes.
To save diners the trouble of getting their hands dirty, a waiter will help out to cut the hard shells for them.
Fresh: Sauteed Hong Kong Baby Cabbage with Prawn, Scallop and Hairy Crab Roe.All diners need to do is relish its rich roe and delicate, sweet meat.
A small dish of vinegar and a glass of ginger tea are the staples for a hairy crab meal.
The vinegar adds flavour to the meat while the ginger tea is believed to balance out the “cooling”, or “yin” effect of the crabs.
Yummy: Steamed Prawns Ball with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe in Egg White Sauce.Having predicted that the crabs alone are not enough to satisfy the cravings of hairy crab lovers, chef Thien has prepared five other dishes infused with the crab meat and roe.
Topping the list of his creations are the Braised Superior Shark’s Fin with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe, and Steamed Prawns Ball with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe in Egg White Sauce.
The other delicious choices include Oven Baked Stuffed Crab Shell with Diced Mushroom and Diced Pumpkin, Braised Bird’s Nest, Abalone with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe, as well as Sautéed Hong Kong Baby Cabbage with Prawn, Scallop and Hairy Crab Roe.
The dishes are priced at RM38++ onwards per portion while the steamed hairy crabs are available at RM128++ each.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
