Dragon-i,
G1.43, Ground Floor,
Sunway Pyramid,
Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya.
Non-halal
Tel: 03-7722 1888
Mon – Fri 9.00am – 6.00pm
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm (daily)
Non-halal.
THE original Shanghainese hairy crab, direct from Yangcheng Lake next to the Yangtze River, is now available in Malaysia exclusively at Dragon-i restaurants while the season lasts.
Not much to look at, especially its size, the crab however has its unique points including the rich roe that is almost milky in taste.
At a recent review of the promotional premium set menu, we were taught the steps to get the meat out of its exoskeleton.
Taking a crack at it, literally, should not be too difficult even if you are not a crab lover as the shell is not too difficult and can be easily cut through with the kitchen scissors provided.
As usual, you should only aim to consume the roe and meat though I particularly enjoyed the one from the claw as it had an almost nutty flavour while the rest was succulent, thanks to its freshness.
The original hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake, sometimes known as Chinese mitten crabs, is accompanied by the rest of the premium set including steamed dumplings, chicken soup with fish maw, vegetables and fried rice, vegetables.
The set includes the steamed dumplings with a small dot of hairy crab roe on top, two steamed hairy crabs per person, double-boiled chicken soup with fish maw, sauteed fresh vegetables with hairy crab roe, fried rice with dried scallops, hairy crab meat and roe as well as sesame dumpling with ginger soup.
With a minimum of two pax, the set is priced at RM148++ per person while on weekends and public holidays it is RM178++.
As for the a la carte menu, the steamed hairy crabs, fried rice as above, Pan Fried Hong Kong Snow Pea Sprouts, Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe, Braised Bean Curd and Hairy Crab Meat and Roe and Steamed Shanghainese Meat Dumplings with Hairy Crab Roe makes a return.
This year, Dragon-i introduces two new dishes, the Puffy Rice Cake with Hairy Crab Meat and Roe as well as the Braised Pork with Tianjin Chestnut.
Both the snow pea sprouts and Tianjin chestnuts are also specially brought in for this promotion, the latter also a seasonal ingredient with a harvesting period coinciding with the hairy crabs.
Both were particularly enjoyable, with the sprouts being crunchy and slightly gooey while the chestnuts lent a sweet taste to the pork.
Still can’t get enough of the crabs’ Dragon-i is also offering a Buy 3 Free 1 Hairy Crab Gift Box promotion at RM198+ per box for all Dragon-i and HSBC credit and debit card members (normal price RM272+).
According to Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Henry Yip, the promotion is expected to last until December or until the season is over.
“We will be airflying the crabs twice a week from the lake to ensure the most fresh are served to our customers,” he said, adding that the crabs were certified by the China Entry-Exit Inspection, Animal Healthcare Department and the Hong Kong Food Hygiene Quality Control Department.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
