Its canny selection of crabs from around the world include the Japanese fresh water Sawagani crabs, Jiangsu hairy crabs, Alaskan king crabs Australian crystal crabs, French brown crabs, local baby green crabs, soft-shelled crabs from Vietnam, spotted sea crabs from the South China Sea and Dungeness crabs, served fresh from the west coast of the US.
Cheung, a former senior chef at the Michelin-starred Pang’s Kitchen and the Royal Garden Hotel, has created a truly unique selection of crustacean-themed dishes. These range from an egg-white dumpling with hairy crab roe and birds nest to deep fried Sawagani crab with spicy salt. Then, of course, there’s the baked Australian crystal crab, the Sichuan-style green crab, sweet crab soup, braised homemade bean curd with hairy crab roe and who could forget the deep-fried soft shell crab with five-colour peppers?
Starting off your crab cuisine odyssey is a tempting selection of appetisers – chilled crab claw jelly, crispy crab cakes with mashed potato and smoked duck egg with caviar. In terms of taste, these range from mild to strong, with each satisfyingly distinct in its textures and tastes.
The signature fresh crab soup – nicely served in a teapot – is clearly a labour of love, with each pot of crab soup requiring 10 whole crabs to have been boiled for two hours. The secret ingredient? Just a little patience and a pinch of salt, according to the chef. He believes – quite correctly – that it is the crab you truly want to taste, while the salt is there merely to complement the dish and not to distract you from the freshness of the meat.
Moving on and Cheung’s steamed red crab with Huadiao and chicken oil is an unusual culinary combination, yet somehow it works. The tang of the wine actually cuts through the creamy egg yolk sauce, giving it a welcome silkiness and smoothness.
The deep fried beef rolls with homemade spicy sauce are also a must-try. While it isn’t crab, who could demur when it comes to fine Angus beef wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper? It is no wonder that, back in 2010, this dish merited a Tourism Board award in the keenly fought beef category.
The crispy signature chicken with coconut is also certainly worth your indulgence. Crispy chicken skin with a mouth-watering and rich layer of fat – what’s not to love?
Other non-crab specialties include a number of traditional Chinese favourites – braised whole abalone and goose web in Oyster sauce, braised sea cucumber with scallion and shrimp roe, double boiled snow goose soup and baked snapper, as well as a selection of duck specialty dishes.
It is of, course, the more crustaceany dishes that dominate. Shanghai Lo’s crab congee is as rich and creamy a bowl of delicious and heart-warming goodness as you could ever wish for. Sweetened by the richness that only the finest crab meat can deliver, it is the perfect way to wash down your meal.
If you feel a little overwhelmed, then Shanghai Lo has created a tasting menu for just HK$688 per head. This gives you a fine selection of eleven dishes – from starter to dessert – with all of them prepared and cooked in a number of enticing and intriguing ways. This includes marinated crab with Huadiao wine and dried plum, the signature fresh crab soup in a teapot, steamed Alaskan king crab claw and turnip balls with hairy crab roe.
Deep-fried Wagyu beef cheek with garlic and spicy salt and braised rice with abalone, pork belly and black truffle are also included, along with a Glenlevet whisky pairing for an extra $300. The tasting menu is completed with a subtly sweet pairing of custard filled egg white balls and a coconut and sago pudding.
Come for the food, whether it be crab, beef, chicken or any of your favourite Shanghainese or Cantonese platters, have a nip or two of whiskey and stay for an evening of musical distractions – quite literally, a feast for all of your senses.
Shanghai Lo
Address: 1/F, 5 Tonnochy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Reservation: 3125 3232
Website: www.shanghailo.com.hk
Food: 9/10
Drinks: 9/10
Ambience: 9/10