For those who appreciate Chinese cuisine the arrival of autumn means hairy crabs. In order to survive cold winters, lake crabs preserve fat during the autumn season, which makes for rich crab roe, fresh taste and a tender texture.
Restaurants have their favored way of preparing the dish, but the 12 crab dishes presented at the Dynasty restaurant, Cesar Park Taipei, possibly have the most variety and reasonable prices.
Wok-fried soft shell crab (NT$160) is a simple and crispy dish. Chef Andy Ho (
PHOTO: YU SEN-LUN, TAIPEI TIMES
Braised whole crab in curry sauce (NT$1,380) offers a spicier taste. Solid king crabs weigh around 1kg each. First the crabs are deep fried and then sauteed with curry sauce, Guilin chili sauce and coconut. This kind of crab is special because of its plentiful and firm meat and it is well complemented by the mild curry sauce. Dip French baguettes into the sauce to finish off the dish.
Another strong taste is whole crab with butter sauce. The diced crabs are first fried to seal the meat, then sauteed with ginger, green onions and butter, before being simmered in thick chicken stock. Using your fingers and sucking the butter-flavored sauce may not look good, but it's the best way to enjoy the dish.
If you're looking for the ultimate taste in crab meat, try cold whole crab chiu-chow style (NT$580). The spotted crab, known for the colorful blue streaks on its shell, as well as its sweet and delicate meat, is famous. As such the best way of preparing this crab and keeping its taste is to just steam it lightly. Take a fat piece of crab leg and dip it in the red vinegar and sliced ginger for a deluxe meal.
The restaurant also offers choices of seasonal crab set menus priced from NT$800 to NT$1,388, which give you seven to nine crab dishes.
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