Shanghai people love crabs. The local variety is called mitten crab or hairy crab (because of the hairy claws) and lives in lakes and estuaries. Funnily enough, these crabs are regarded as a pest in Western countries.
The best time to eat hairy crabs is between October and December: it is crab season because the roe inside female and male crabs reaches its peak: the sweet roe is what makes many dishes appealing (like eggs and crab or tofu and crab).
There are many restaurants specializing in crabs in and around Shanghai. I already described a restaurant just selling crab noodles. This review is about Cheng Long Hang (sometimes referred as Crab Palace), one of the most famous crab restaurants in Shanghai with various locations around town. I visited the location near the Bund that in the 2020 Michelin Guide to Shanghai got one star.
The visit
The Bund location is located on a quiet street near West Nanjing Road metro station. Since the early morning the kitchen visible from the street is busy with staff picking pulp from the crabs. This is actually one of the reasons I went: I noticed several dishes on the menu with pure crab meat, without the pain to work a crab by myself.
Behind the unassuming storefront lies a two-story dining room with a common area downstairs and many private rooms. I went on a weekend evening and there were two musicians performing, intermittently, with traditional instruments. I found the place, also for this reason, quite touristy. Not sure whether the other venues have the same atmosphere.
Some crabby details on the table.
I was welcomed with some freebies: almonds, a sort of grissini, and winter melon. Lemon-flavored hot water was also provided free of charge, which is always nice.
Not finished yet: a complimentary amuse bouche was offered in the form of a spicy crab soup (in a tiny bowl).
My first dish was sauteed crab meat (50 grams as indicated on the menu). Loved it. And 50 grams did not feel too little.
Then I got a dish that had made me curious: crab meat in a warmed orange. The two elements surprisingly fused quite well.
Then I was served a beautifully presented crab paste and avocado salad. The avocado was mixed with crunchy bread crumbs and surmounted by a piece of crab innards that tasted like wine. And indeed the crab paste was marinated in wine. I did not get this from the menu. I personally dislike wine so I did not enjoy this dish! Nevertheless it was an interesting dish.
Finally I had a yellow croaker soup with bamboo fungus. Not amazing, but this was a good soup.
At the end of my meal I was offered a cup of tea.
Staff did not speak English, but they were very friendly and made efforts to help me understand what I was eating… the menu was fully translated in English and Japanese.
The check
The crab dinner for one person cost me 414 RMB (or 61.5 USD). For around this price point they also had a nice set menu, but I wanted to try some specific dishes.
Not cheap, but crabs are not cheap. All in all, I will call it reasonable.
The food was quite good and they do have a number of interesting dishes. They have my recommendation, even during off-season like in this visit.
Where in Shanghai:
216 Jiujiang Lu, by Henan Zhong Lu
In Chinese: 九江路216号, 近河南中路
Nearest metro station: West Nanjing Road (line 2 and 10).
More about hairy crabs and where to find them from That’s Mag.