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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Savoring a great catch of freshwater fish and crabs

By Xu Wenwen | October 10, 2013, Thursday | Print Edition

Autumn is the season of harvest, but it’s not just on land. Lakes and rivers also get in on the act, producing plump shrimps, fatter fish and crabs with more roe.

Hangzhou people never miss these gifts given by nature. They boil, steam, fry or eat them raw.

Some are marinated in alcohol, some added to soups and porridges, and some dried to add with other foods later.

Although Hangzhou cuisine is known for its mild and light flavor, locals are more open to eating freshwater fish, crab and shrimp with a spicy, sour or sweet taste due to the influence of migrants from around the country.

Shanghai Daily gives you the lowdown on where to find good restaurants serving these freshwater favorites.

Crab

Little Chef Zhoushan Seafood Restaurant

The restaurant’s signature dish is inverted crab, so named because of the way it is served. A crab is cut in half, so the two pieces stand vertically in the center of a plate, with the shell sticking up in the air.

Inverted crab is steamed with ginger, scallion and yellow wine, a traditional Chinese wine fermented from rice, which covers the plate bottom. The meat and roe absorb the hot rice wine, giving it a beautiful aroma.

 

Address: 43 Baijingfang Lane

Tel: (0571) 8516-6352

Qixintian Crab Restaurant

This hotpot restaurant only offers one dish — Mizong crab, named after a style of martial art which is based on deception and mobility. It literally means “lost track.”

The restaurant picks crabs imported from Myanmar, which have larger bodies and claws than Chinese lake crabs, and, therefore, more meat.

The crabs are sautéed with garlic, ginger, shallots, chili and the restaurant’s special sauce. This spicy crab dish is different than the mild versions served in most restaurants across the city.

 

Address: 34 Xinyifang Street

Tel: (0571) 8515-0679

Zhang Hu Li Crayfish Restaurant

Zhang Hu Li is a crayfish restaurant, but it also sells crabs when in season. It offers crab dishes made with the same recipes in its crayfish menu, plus the option to boil the crustaceans.

Diners love the restaurant’s more than a dozen crab dishes. Favorites include spicy crab, curried crab, crab braised with pork ribs, and crab with sweet and sour fried rice cakes.

 

Address: 32 Baijingfang Lane

Tel: (0571) 8505-7733

Address: 123 Gaoyin Street  

Tel: (0571) 8781-1928

Fish

Xin’an River Milky Suancai Fish

The restaurant’s name is derived from its signature dish, suan cai yu, stewed fish slices served with preserved vegetables that are sour and spicy — a common dish in Sichuan cuisine. The owner and chef has added a twist to the dish, using soy milk and milk to soften the saltiness.

The restaurant near the City College of Zhejiang University introduced the dish in Hangzhou back in 2004, winning lots of student customers because of its affordable price ­— 30 yuan (US$4.90) to 40 yuan per person.

The chef offers the dish at seven levels of spiciness. Another signature dish is tomato fish. In this concoction, the sour and spicy preserved vegetables are replaced with tomatoes.

 

Address: No. 18, Jiushiliu Mutou (near Zhoushan Rd E.)

Luyu

Luyu offers grilled fish with abundant seasonings varying from peppers and peanuts to cucumbers and carrots.

Luyu’s chefs are creative and now serve 18 kinds of grilled fish. In each version, the fish is always grilled, but the seasonings vary.

 

Address: 3/F, Intime City, 299 Fengdeng Rd

Tel: (0571) 8735-7615

Brother Xiong’s Black Pepper Shrimp

Shrimp lovers need look no further. Black pepper shrimp, stewed shrimp with three cups sauce, salt roasted shrimp and barbecued shrimp are all on the menu.

Inspired by Taiwanese cuisine, Brother Xiong’s doesn’t mess around with a lot of garnishes. The restaurant serves large, red sweet-smelling shrimps in a big bowl.

As the restaurant’s name suggests, pepper shrimp comes strongly recommended. The shrimps are roasted with black pepper, leading to an al dente texture and nice combination of savory, slightly spicy and umami flavors.

 

Address: No. 70, Baishaquan

Tel: (0571) 5677-7777

Taiwan Strait Shrimp

This restaurant has a similar menu as Brother Xiong’s. The three-cup sauce shrimp and black pepper shrimp are both highly recommended.

Diners who prefer sweet foods will do well choosing stewed shrimp with three-cups sauce. The shrimps are boiled with one cup of water, one cup of wine, and one cup of a secret sweet sauce.

 

Address: 2 Yugu Rd

Tel: (0571) 8797-8486

 

Hangzhou


 

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