Chapter 67: King of Crabs

"This one isn't good either?" Shishi pouted, her lips curling in resignation. "Barbossa Barbecue—the wildest restaurant around. I’d give the atmosphere five stars, no exaggeration. It really has the vibe of a pirate tavern."

"It's spacious, their ribs combo is the most popular—eighty-five a set, comes with cola, plenty of food, tastes decent."

"You absolutely have to sit on the balcony where the pirate ship just sailed by. You can eat while watching Caribbean pirate scenes—totally worth it, right?"

Seeing Zhuangchen was still unsatisfied, she gave up. "Do you really want to eat at the internet-famous chicken leg place with the longest queue?"

"Forget it, let’s just go to the first castle restaurant!"

Zhuangchen was helpless. After all the discussion, the first option seemed the most reliable. It was a bit pricey, so there shouldn’t be too many people. Whether it tasted good or not, at least it promised some peace and quiet.

But the moment he entered, he regretted it. Good heavens, it was a world awash in pink. The first-floor lobby was filled with princess costumes; he hurried upstairs, only to be greeted by two giant Mickey Mouse figures.

He found a corner and sat down, ordering four adult meals and inviting Shishi to eat together. Surprisingly, the set menu included appetizers, main course, and dessert, with free drinks, and unlimited bread and butter before the meal.

The appetizer was crab cakes with arugula—mediocre at best.

The main dish, grilled beef filet, was even less impressive.

Desserts were a "Prince's Triple Chocolate," "Cinderella’s Chocolate Shoe," and "Princess and the Frog"—the last one was just passable.

Finally, there was soup. Judging by the color, he thought it was pumpkin, but it turned out to be carrot soup with orange juice—nothing more to say.

While eating, various cartoon characters rushed over for photos: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Tiana, Mulan, and Snow White; not to mention Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Daisy.

At long last, they finished. The three grown men let out a collective sigh—what an exhausting ordeal!

A single meal drained them entirely. They left at once, reflecting that the kids must be tired too—life wasn’t easy for anyone.

With nothing else to do, they drove aimlessly around. Their stomachs were far from full, so Xia Long searched online for good food nearby.

"Boss, if we sort by price, there’s a place nearby called Crab Supreme Court. One bowl of crab roe noodles costs eight hundred eighty-eight."

Xia Long showed his phone to Zhuangchen, laughing. "The reviews are amazing. Should we try it?"

Zhuangchen glanced at it indifferently. He wasn’t naive; if they dared to charge that much, there must be something special about it. The most expensive isn’t always the best, but at least it’s a way to filter options.

They drove to the restaurant, only to find a queue outside. After parking the Rolls-Royce, Xia Hu went to get a number; seven or eight people were ahead. Zhuangchen chuckled, "Eight hundred eighty-eight for a bowl and there’s still a queue—definitely worth a try!"

Forty minutes later, Xia Hu called. They got out and entered the bustling restaurant—no private rooms, every seat full, so they settled in a corner. Watching everyone devour their meals with oily lips and ecstatic expressions, they ordered three "King Crab" sets.

"Sir, our 'King Crab' is big—fifty hairy crabs simmered for one bowl of broth. Two people can’t finish it!"

The server kindly advised them. Xia Long handed back the menu, "Just bring one set first. Pack the rest to go."

The order arrived swiftly—a huge serving, with a dozen small bowls. The server smiled, "All fifty hairy crabs are from Yangcheng Lake, expertly dismantled by the Xue family, then cooked by the chef’s secret recipe. Enjoy your meal."

Zhuangchen picked up his chopsticks, lifting a piece of crab roe. Twenty-five portions meant twenty-five female crabs. He brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply—the scent was rich with cholesterol.

Many say lard makes dishes fragrant, but crab oil from hairy crabs is the true delicacy.

Crabs under two hundred grams are simmered slowly into oil, yielding crab roe that’s enticingly colored, intensely fragrant, and utterly intoxicating. Especially this season, the roe is at its densest—every piece a concentrated essence of a crab.

Golden-yellow, firm and taut in the mouth, biting down brought a surge of pleasure, awakening a primal sense of satisfaction—so delicious it was nearly tongue-swallowing.

He examined the crabs: green backs, white bellies, yellow hairs, golden claws. Even after processing, the Yangcheng Lake traits were clear.

Just as ink has six shades and zithers seven notes, top-tier hairy crabs each have their own flavors: crab meat, crab fat, crab roe, and crab spawn.

Crab meat itself has four tastes: thigh meat is short and fine, reminiscent of dried scallops; leg meat is long and tender, akin to silver fish; body meat is white and crystalline, surpassing whitefish; crab roe is incomparable, indescribable.

And crab spawn, once dried, becomes the most prized, the finest taste of all seafood.

"Round belly in September, pointed in October, holding claws and sipping wine amidst autumn chrysanthemums!"

Zhuangchen nodded in satisfaction, delighted by the unexpected discovery. The second plate was twenty-five pieces of crab fat, representing twenty-five male crabs—making fifty in total.

A single bite felt like a sword striking the throat—the aroma instantly locked his palate, lingering for ages.

The crab fat was fried in crab oil, with a few drops of lemon juice added at the end to cut through the richness, making it smoother—truly a finishing touch.

The third plate was a large bowl of crab meat, eaten by the spoonful. One bite, and the sweetness lingered—this was the true essence of Yangcheng Lake hairy crab.

No Taihu, Yangtze, or Chongming crab could compare. In Zhuangchen’s view, eating crab meat meant sending a heaping spoonful into one’s mouth—that sweet, blessed feeling...

He’d heard from the masters that using the eight crab tools to eat a crab over two hundred fifty grams took two hours, with the goal of extracting every bit of meat, fat, and roe, keeping the shell intact, and finally reassembling it into a whole crab.

First, place the crab on a stool, use crab scissors to cut off claws and legs and remove the hair, then use a crab hammer to crack the shell, crab axe to split open the back and belly, crab needle to pick out the stomach and heart, crab tweezers for the intestines, crab spoon for the roe or fat...

The stomach at the shell tip mustn’t be eaten; neither must the gills. In the thickest part of the belly’s roe or fat lies a tiny hexagonal heart—extremely cold, absolutely forbidden.

Crab powder must highlight freshness and sweetness, not be too oily. The kitchen switched to homemade broth to bring out the crab’s flavor and preserve its sweetness—worthy of praise.

Next, crab legs—a full plate. One chopstick brought two legs. Crab sticks differ from body meat; sweet and fresh, best paired with roe or fat, with no fishiness, only pure springiness.

The taste is mild but the texture special. Using fragrant scallion oil made from white rice and crab oil, stir-fried for thirty seconds, the legs emerged distinct and glossy, exceptionally delicious.

On the side were the two large crab claws. Seemingly ordinary, they were actually the highlight of the King Crab set; in other restaurants, claws were pricey dishes on their own, and the daily limit wasn’t roe or fat, but claws.

Known as the "live meat" of the crab, they’re the firmest. To get a whole claw, the crab must be cut alive, blanched, then quickly cooled with ice—the heat expansion and cold contraction preserve the claws intact. Labor-intensive and timing-critical.

He picked up a big piece, glittering with gold leaf scattered on top.