Shanghai Hairy Crabs 大閘蟹

Eating Hairy Crabs 大閘蟹 is a centuries old tradition in Shanghai. Hairy Crab season in Shanghai is like durian season in Malaysia and Singapore. When in season, Hairy Crab sellers pop up all over Shanghai city. The Hairy Crab season is from September to December, with the peak in October and November.



Some are large shops that specialise in Hairy Crabs. The shop premises are sublet to tenants or deal in other business during the Hairy Crab off season. Some are restaurants that set up special Hairy Crab departments when the crustaceans are in season.



Others are simply peddlers who managed to get their hands on supplies and set up temporarily stalls to cash in on the demand.



Like durians there are many different grades of Hairy Crabs depending on its size and more importantly, it's origin. Hairy Crabs from Yangcheng Lake are considered the best because of the lake's pristine environment. Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crabs command a huge premium over the crabs from, for example, Taihu Lake.



It's probably harder to get a real Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab than to get a premium durian like, for example, Mao Shan Wang. Where there are identifying features of Mao Shan Wang that set it apart from lesser grades of durian, there is none for Hairy Crabs. The different grades of crabs are the same species, just from different lakes.


Female crabs have a round palm shaped apron


Male crabs have a bell shaped apron

As all Hairy Crabs look exactly the same, traders are known to transplant crabs from other locations to Yangcheng Lake for a month and then claim that they are Yangcheng Lake crabs. Real Yangcheng Lake crabs are tagged with an official seal but these are still no guarantee that they are the real item. So, the only way to get real Yangcheng Lake crabs is from a reliable, trustworthy source.



The most common and preferred way to eat Hairy Crabs is simply to steam it for 15 to 20 minutes. Many people eat the crabs with soy sauce, vinegar and shredded ginger. Other people like to eat the crabs neat, just by itself with nothing added.

The crab meat is sweet and slightly nutty. Hairy Crabs aren't more meaty than other species and neither are it's claws large.

Every part of the crab is eaten except for the gills. The fats when cooked are bitter and savoury and has texture like cheese. The cooked roe is sweet and savoury. Both the fats and the roe are rather seductive in flavour and taste.



Hairy Crabs are available in Johor at Dragon-i Restaurant in City Square Mall, though I have not tried the crabs there before. (This post is written during my trip to Shanghai.)

Eating Hairy Crabs 大閘蟹 is a centuries old tradition in Shanghai. Hairy Crab season in Shanghai is like durian season in Malaysia and Singapore. When in season, Hairy Crab sellers pop up all over Shanghai city. The Hairy Crab season is from September to December, with the peak in October and November.



Some are large shops that specialise in Hairy Crabs. The shop premises are sublet to tenants or deal in other business during the Hairy Crab off season. Some are restaurants that set up special Hairy Crab departments when the crustaceans are in season.



Others are simply peddlers who managed to get their hands on supplies and set up temporarily stalls to cash in on the demand.



Like durians there are many different grades of Hairy Crabs depending on its size and more importantly, it's origin. Hairy Crabs from Yangcheng Lake are considered the best because of the lake's pristine environment. Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crabs command a huge premium over the crabs from, for example, Taihu Lake.



It's probably harder to get a real Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab than to get a premium durian like, for example, Mao Shan Wang. Where there are identifying features of Mao Shan Wang that set it apart from lesser grades of durian, there is none for Hairy Crabs. The different grades of crabs are the same species, just from different lakes.


Female crabs have a round palm shaped apron


Male crabs have a bell shaped apron

As all Hairy Crabs look exactly the same, traders are known to transplant crabs from other locations to Yangcheng Lake for a month and then claim that they are Yangcheng Lake crabs. Real Yangcheng Lake crabs are tagged with an official seal but these are still no guarantee that they are the real item. So, the only way to get real Yangcheng Lake crabs is from a reliable, trustworthy source.



The most common and preferred way to eat Hairy Crabs is simply to steam it for 15 to 20 minutes. Many people eat the crabs with soy sauce, vinegar and shredded ginger. Other people like to eat the crabs neat, just by itself with nothing added.

The crab meat is sweet and slightly nutty. Hairy Crabs aren't more meaty than other species and neither are it's claws large.

Every part of the crab is eaten except for the gills. The fats when cooked are bitter and savoury and has texture like cheese. The cooked roe is sweet and savoury. Both the fats and the roe are rather seductive in flavour and taste.



Hairy Crabs are available in Johor at Dragon-i Restaurant in City Square Mall, though I have not tried the crabs there before. (This post is written during my trip to Shanghai.)

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Charcoal Burgers at Johor Bahru City Square Mall Pizza Box

Charcoal burgers fascinate me and so when I realised that my friend Alan's new restaurant, Pizza Box in Johor Bahru City Square serves charcoal burgers, I quickly make a trip there. Alan invited me to try both his pizzas and charcoal burgers.

I tried both Pizza Box's pizzas and charcoal burgers but this post is dedicated to the charcoal burgers. (Another post will be on the pizzas :) )

After trying Pizza Box's charcoal burgers which sells for RM9.90 to RM19.90 nett, I am finding it much harder for me to go back to those giant franchise burger chains :P

Take a look with me at how each one of Pizza Box's "gourmet" burger is individually made, to see why they are different. 



The process starts with grilling the patty and charcoal buns on the griddle. See how thick that minced pork patty is? There are other flavours like chicken, egg and tuna, beef, bacon and salmon.



The chunky pork patty is grilled till it is slightly charred outside. Slices of Cheddar cheese are then laid on top of the sizzling pork patty.



Slices of fresh unions on the griddle. I love those caramelised, charred rings :)



The Cheddar cheese melts on the griddle, flows down and envelopes the sizzling, chunky patty.



Look at that molten cheese lava smothering the pork patty.



The ingredients at Pizza Box are of good quality, like these fresh tomatoes.



A slice of fresh juicy tomato goes on top of the cheese blanketed pork patty.



Raining ketchup from a squeeze bottle onto the burger.



The tower drenched in ketchup.



Spooning in generous dollops of Mozzarella cheese sauce.



Capping the patty, cheese and vege tower with a charcoal sesame bun.



Adding a heap of freshly fried potato fries.



Squeeze in a dash of ketchup.



Voila!! The completed 6-inch Volcano Cheesy Pork Burger at RM19.90 nett. I thought this is really value for money.



Juicy blend of savoury, sweet, tangy flavours in a bouncy slightly sweet charcoal sesame bun. Interesting mix of textures of tender minced meat, crunchy lettuce and onion, pulpy tomato and soft pillow-like bun. Nice!



There was no charcoal taste at all. Actually, the soft and bouncy charcoal bun was so goood, I can just happily eat it on it's own.



Pizza Box's charcoal burgers are definitely worth a try :)

Restaurant name: Pizza Box
Address: City Square Mall (Level 3, Inner City), Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm (last order 9:30pm)
Non Halal

Date visited: 4 Sep 2013

Charcoal burgers fascinate me and so when I realised that my friend Alan's new restaurant, Pizza Box in Johor Bahru City Square serves charcoal burgers, I quickly make a trip there. Alan invited me to try both his pizzas and charcoal burgers.

I tried both Pizza Box's pizzas and charcoal burgers but this post is dedicated to the charcoal burgers. (Another post will be on the pizzas :) )

After trying Pizza Box's charcoal burgers which sells for RM9.90 to RM19.90 nett, I am finding it much harder for me to go back to those giant franchise burger chains :P

Take a look with me at how each one of Pizza Box's "gourmet" burger is individually made, to see why they are different. 



The process starts with grilling the patty and charcoal buns on the griddle. See how thick that minced pork patty is? There are other flavours like chicken, egg and tuna, beef, bacon and salmon.



The chunky pork patty is grilled till it is slightly charred outside. Slices of Cheddar cheese are then laid on top of the sizzling pork patty.



Slices of fresh unions on the griddle. I love those caramelised, charred rings :)



The Cheddar cheese melts on the griddle, flows down and envelopes the sizzling, chunky patty.



Look at that molten cheese lava smothering the pork patty.



The ingredients at Pizza Box are of good quality, like these fresh tomatoes.



A slice of fresh juicy tomato goes on top of the cheese blanketed pork patty.



Raining ketchup from a squeeze bottle onto the burger.



The tower drenched in ketchup.



Spooning in generous dollops of Mozzarella cheese sauce.



Capping the patty, cheese and vege tower with a charcoal sesame bun.



Adding a heap of freshly fried potato fries.



Squeeze in a dash of ketchup.



Voila!! The completed 6-inch Volcano Cheesy Pork Burger at RM19.90 nett. I thought this is really value for money.



Juicy blend of savoury, sweet, tangy flavours in a bouncy slightly sweet charcoal sesame bun. Interesting mix of textures of tender minced meat, crunchy lettuce and onion, pulpy tomato and soft pillow-like bun. Nice!



There was no charcoal taste at all. Actually, the soft and bouncy charcoal bun was so goood, I can just happily eat it on it's own.



Pizza Box's charcoal burgers are definitely worth a try :)

Restaurant name: Pizza Box
Address: City Square Mall (Level 3, Inner City), Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm (last order 9:30pm)
Non Halal

Date visited: 4 Sep 2013

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Cremoso Gelato at City Square Mall in Johor Bahru

I have a sweet tooth and especially love ice creams. I was delighted to visit and enjoy Cremoso's gelato at City Square Mall again at Jeff's invitation yesterday.

Jeff, Cremoso's owner, learnt the art of Italian gelato making from masters in Singapore before setting up in Johor Bahru. Now there is a Cremoso shop in City Square and a kiosk in KSL Mall (near the Cawanmas cafe).



Cremoso offers 16 flavours of gelato, so there is something for everyone. Gelato is made with fresh milk, so it is more dense, yet creamier, smoother and softer than regular ice cream. (Ice creams are usually made with milk powder dissolved in water, so it is more airy and hard due to more ice crystals.)


Cremoso Durian Gelato

Cremoso Gelato uses the same techniques of making gelato as in Italy where this premium ice cream originated. But, in addition to the traditional plain and vanilla flavours, Cremoso experiments with local favourites such as durian and passionfruit.



Cremoso's popular Pistachio gelato.



Besides the usual scoops of gelato, I like Cremoso's Signature Creations which are blended gelato "fried" on their -18 °C cold stone.



This is for chocolate lovers. The Forte - a scoop of chocolate gelato, mixed with chocolate chips, fudge, drizzled with chocolate sauce served on a waffle cone.

Jeff told me that Cremoso's waffle cones are freshly made at the stall in small batches to ensure that they are always served crispy. I can attest to this and I even dropped several bits of waffle while enjoying my Forte :P



My Chocoton made with a chocolate gelato scoop mixed with crushed Oreo biscuits and peanut butter with almond toppings, served on a crispy waffle bowl.



Mixing and tossing my "Smiley Day" on the cold stone.



My "Smiley Day" - scoop of caramel gelato with strawberry and fudge with chocolate sauce topping.

When you are shopping in City Square Mall, drop by Cremoso to cool your heels and chill with a gelato :)



Restaurant name: Cremoso Gelato/ Coffee
Address: Level 4, City Square Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 26 Feb 2013, 2 Aug 2013

I have a sweet tooth and especially love ice creams. I was delighted to visit and enjoy Cremoso's gelato at City Square Mall again at Jeff's invitation yesterday.

Jeff, Cremoso's owner, learnt the art of Italian gelato making from masters in Singapore before setting up in Johor Bahru. Now there is a Cremoso shop in City Square and a kiosk in KSL Mall (near the Cawanmas cafe).



Cremoso offers 16 flavours of gelato, so there is something for everyone. Gelato is made with fresh milk, so it is more dense, yet creamier, smoother and softer than regular ice cream. (Ice creams are usually made with milk powder dissolved in water, so it is more airy and hard due to more ice crystals.)


Cremoso Durian Gelato

Cremoso Gelato uses the same techniques of making gelato as in Italy where this premium ice cream originated. But, in addition to the traditional plain and vanilla flavours, Cremoso experiments with local favourites such as durian and passionfruit.



Cremoso's popular Pistachio gelato.



Besides the usual scoops of gelato, I like Cremoso's Signature Creations which are blended gelato "fried" on their -18 °C cold stone.



This is for chocolate lovers. The Forte - a scoop of chocolate gelato, mixed with chocolate chips, fudge, drizzled with chocolate sauce served on a waffle cone.

Jeff told me that Cremoso's waffle cones are freshly made at the stall in small batches to ensure that they are always served crispy. I can attest to this and I even dropped several bits of waffle while enjoying my Forte :P



My Chocoton made with a chocolate gelato scoop mixed with crushed Oreo biscuits and peanut butter with almond toppings, served on a crispy waffle bowl.



Mixing and tossing my "Smiley Day" on the cold stone.



My "Smiley Day" - scoop of caramel gelato with strawberry and fudge with chocolate sauce topping.

When you are shopping in City Square Mall, drop by Cremoso to cool your heels and chill with a gelato :)



Restaurant name: Cremoso Gelato/ Coffee
Address: Level 4, City Square Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 26 Feb 2013, 2 Aug 2013

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Cremoso Gelato at City Square Mall, Johor Bahru

The newly remodelled City Square Mall in Johor Bahru has many new and trendy food outlets. One of the new hip outlets is Cremoso Gelato and Coffee.

Today, I dropped by Cremoso Gelato at the invitation of Jeff, the owner, and tasted their gelato or Italian ice cream.



Jeff, who used to work in the financial sector, had studied with the gelato masters of Singapore for a few years before opening Cremoso in City Square last month. Cremoso offers 16 flavours of gelato like pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, vanilla, and so on.



Jeff and his staff turning and folding the gelato on the minus 20 degree cold stone.



I tried this Chocoton made with chocolate gelato together with Oreo biscuits, peanut butter and almonds served on a crispy waffle bowl. Made with fresh milk, the gelato was dense, creamy yet soft unlike regular ice cream (made with milk powder) which is airy yet hard. The Chocoton had crushed Oreo and almond toppings giving the gelato interesting variations in taste and textures. The peanut butter added a savoury, peanutty note to the sweet gelato.



This Chocoton, a regular size Cremoso Signature Creation cost RM9.90.



This one regular scoop of pistachio flavour gelato cost RM7.90.



Cremoso on the fourth floor of City Square Mall was located on an overhanging ledge offering a nice view of the centre court below. The comfortable seats make Cremoso a nice place to chill with friends or people watch.

If you are in City Square Mall and crave a sweet, cold dessert, Cremoso gelato may be just what you need.



Restaurant name: Cremoso Gelato/ Coffee
Address: Level 4, City Square Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 26 Feb 2013

The newly remodelled City Square Mall in Johor Bahru has many new and trendy food outlets. One of the new hip outlets is Cremoso Gelato and Coffee.

Today, I dropped by Cremoso Gelato at the invitation of Jeff, the owner, and tasted their gelato or Italian ice cream.



Jeff, who used to work in the financial sector, had studied with the gelato masters of Singapore for a few years before opening Cremoso in City Square last month. Cremoso offers 16 flavours of gelato like pistachio, strawberry, chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, vanilla, and so on.



Jeff and his staff turning and folding the gelato on the minus 20 degree cold stone.



I tried this Chocoton made with chocolate gelato together with Oreo biscuits, peanut butter and almonds served on a crispy waffle bowl. Made with fresh milk, the gelato was dense, creamy yet soft unlike regular ice cream (made with milk powder) which is airy yet hard. The Chocoton had crushed Oreo and almond toppings giving the gelato interesting variations in taste and textures. The peanut butter added a savoury, peanutty note to the sweet gelato.



This Chocoton, a regular size Cremoso Signature Creation cost RM9.90.



This one regular scoop of pistachio flavour gelato cost RM7.90.



Cremoso on the fourth floor of City Square Mall was located on an overhanging ledge offering a nice view of the centre court below. The comfortable seats make Cremoso a nice place to chill with friends or people watch.

If you are in City Square Mall and crave a sweet, cold dessert, Cremoso gelato may be just what you need.



Restaurant name: Cremoso Gelato/ Coffee
Address: Level 4, City Square Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Ex0Mz
GPS: 1.461570,103.763519
Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 26 Feb 2013

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Sambal House in City Square Mall, Johor Bahru

 

Sambal House in City Square Mall in Johor Bahru is part an emerging trend in JB, where young entrepreneurs open contemporary eateries serving their favourite traditional foods, often with their parents or grandparents' recipes. This exciting development deserves our support as it brings buzz to the Johor food scene while helping preserve Johor's culinary heritage.

 

Sambal House in City Square is owned Alia, who is in her early twenties. The recipes are from Alia's mother who hails from Negri Sembilan.

 

 

The neat and simple interior of Sambal House designed by Alia, who is an architect by training, has a hip red and black theme.

 

As the name of the restaurant so boldly states, the signature of Sambal House is their.... sambal, of course.

 

 

The sambals at Sambal House are made with fresh chilies with the seeds removed. The sambals are thus strong on flavours yet mild on spiciness. I found the sambals at Sambal House very easy to enjoy and very appetising.

 

 

This sambal udang was so tasty. The sambal was mildly spicy with that nice and mild flavour of chilies, spices, anchovies and prawns.

 

 

 

The prawns were fresh, the flesh sweet, still bouncy and the shells were soft. I ate the whole prawns with shell on, leaving only the heads and tails. The sambal udang went very well with the steamed white rice. RM6.50 a set.

 

 

I also tried Sambal House's Nasi Goreng Ayam set. The fried and flatten chicken in the Nasi Goreng Ayam set was quite dry.

 

 

The fried chicken was delicious when eaten together with Sambal House's signature sambal with plenty of anchovies.

 

 

The fried chicken and sambal went perfectly with the fried rice. The rice grains were flavourful, dry and separate. Alia, the lady boss, mentioned that this is her mum's recipe and her personal favourite.

 

 

Smothered underneath that thick blanket of grainy sambal was an ayam rendang chicken thigh. This was part of the Nasi Putih Ayam Rendang set at RM8.50. Again, it was the sambal that set Sambal House's ayam rendang apart.

 

 

The mildly spicy chicken curry with pleasant coconut and lemon grass flavours. 

 

 

This Ayam Goreng was on its way to another customer and I couldn't resist taking a quick picture of it as it was so beautifully done.

 

 

Besides sambal dishes, Sambal House offers a range of traditional Malay desserts. This Tejung Pelita was soft, just a bit thicker than soft boiled eggs. Made with pandan and coconut, this popular dessert was sweet and smooth. RM1.20 a piece, served chilled.

 

 

 

Tapai, a sweet and sour traditional dessert made by fermenting glutinous rice. A popular traditional dessert that sells like hot cakes at RM1.00 a piece.

 

 

For those craving for fresh sour Kedongdong Asam juice (known as Balonglong in Singapore), it's available here at Sambal House at RM4.50.

 

After I finished my lunch, I realised that Sambal House has a dish known as Sambal Udang Petai. I must come back for this as it has sambal, prawns and petai, all three of my favourite food ingredients. Another dish that I want to come back again to try is their Sambal Toast.

 

Rating: 1-Star

 

 

 

Restaurant name: Sambal House

Address: Level 2, City Square Mall. Shop lot is next to the overhead bridge across Jalan Wong Ah Fook, and the Marrybrown outlet.

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/77Ynk

GPS: 1.462181,103.763422

Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm

Halal

 

Date visited: 7 Feb 2013



 

Sambal House in City Square Mall in Johor Bahru is part an emerging trend in JB, where young entrepreneurs open contemporary eateries serving their favourite traditional foods, often with their parents or grandparents' recipes. This exciting development deserves our support as it brings buzz to the Johor food scene while helping preserve Johor's culinary heritage.

 

Sambal House in City Square is owned Alia, who is in her early twenties. The recipes are from Alia's mother who hails from Negri Sembilan.

 

 

The neat and simple interior of Sambal House designed by Alia, who is an architect by training, has a hip red and black theme.

 

As the name of the restaurant so boldly states, the signature of Sambal House is their.... sambal, of course.

 

 

The sambals at Sambal House are made with fresh chilies with the seeds removed. The sambals are thus strong on flavours yet mild on spiciness. I found the sambals at Sambal House very easy to enjoy and very appetising.

 

 

This sambal udang was so tasty. The sambal was mildly spicy with that nice and mild flavour of chilies, spices, anchovies and prawns.

 

 

 

The prawns were fresh, the flesh sweet, still bouncy and the shells were soft. I ate the whole prawns with shell on, leaving only the heads and tails. The sambal udang went very well with the steamed white rice. RM6.50 a set.

 

 

I also tried Sambal House's Nasi Goreng Ayam set. The fried and flatten chicken in the Nasi Goreng Ayam set was quite dry.

 

 

The fried chicken was delicious when eaten together with Sambal House's signature sambal with plenty of anchovies.

 

 

The fried chicken and sambal went perfectly with the fried rice. The rice grains were flavourful, dry and separate. Alia, the lady boss, mentioned that this is her mum's recipe and her personal favourite.

 

 

Smothered underneath that thick blanket of grainy sambal was an ayam rendang chicken thigh. This was part of the Nasi Putih Ayam Rendang set at RM8.50. Again, it was the sambal that set Sambal House's ayam rendang apart.

 

 

The mildly spicy chicken curry with pleasant coconut and lemon grass flavours. 

 

 

This Ayam Goreng was on its way to another customer and I couldn't resist taking a quick picture of it as it was so beautifully done.

 

 

Besides sambal dishes, Sambal House offers a range of traditional Malay desserts. This Tejung Pelita was soft, just a bit thicker than soft boiled eggs. Made with pandan and coconut, this popular dessert was sweet and smooth. RM1.20 a piece, served chilled.

 

 

 

Tapai, a sweet and sour traditional dessert made by fermenting glutinous rice. A popular traditional dessert that sells like hot cakes at RM1.00 a piece.

 

 

For those craving for fresh sour Kedongdong Asam juice (known as Balonglong in Singapore), it's available here at Sambal House at RM4.50.

 

After I finished my lunch, I realised that Sambal House has a dish known as Sambal Udang Petai. I must come back for this as it has sambal, prawns and petai, all three of my favourite food ingredients. Another dish that I want to come back again to try is their Sambal Toast.

 

Rating: 1-Star

 

 

 

Restaurant name: Sambal House

Address: Level 2, City Square Mall. Shop lot is next to the overhead bridge across Jalan Wong Ah Fook, and the Marrybrown outlet.

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/77Ynk

GPS: 1.462181,103.763422

Hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm

Halal

 

Date visited: 7 Feb 2013



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