Where to savour Hong Kong’s finest hairy crab this autumn

Expect Cantonese culinary refinement at its finest at executive chef Li Yuet Faat’s A Touch of Gold: The Hairy Crab Feast. The set menu pairs premium Jiangsu hairy crabs with luxurious ingredients, including lobster and fish maw. Standout dishes include steamed Shanghainese dumplings with crab roe, whole steamed hairy crab weighing five taels served with aged Zhejiang black vinegar, and braised homemade tofu enriched with silky crab roe sauce. The seasonal à la carte offerings feature hairy crab braised with Shanghainese rice cakes in a claypot for those who want to merge two of the season’s must-haves: claypot and hairy crab.

Chef Matt Chan transforms the buffet concept into a hairy crab showcase through PlayT’s “Autumn Hairy Crab Delights” offering. Each guest receives two steamed Shanghai hairy crabs weighing approximately four taels, complemented by an array of sophisticated crab roe preparations. The kitchen’s creativity shines through steamed silken tofu with hairy crab roe and bird’s nest, Huadiao wine-marinated soft-boiled eggs crowned with crab roe, and creamy spaghetti topped with hairy crab roe. Beyond the crab-focused dishes, the buffet section also has fresh seafood selections and carved US prime roast beef.

PlayT
Address: 1F, The Park Lane Hong Kong, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

The rooftop setting at Cruise provides the perfect backdrop for its returning Hairy Crab Feed Me! tasting menu. The menu progresses from blue swimming crab salad dressed in peanut and calamansi sauce to yellow curry and hairy crab soup, before arriving at the traditional steamed hairy crab served with Zhenjiang vinegar and ginger. Innovation appears in the crab wu gok—crispy deep-fried taro puffs generously filled with buttery hairy crab and blue swimming crab roe. Yum!

Pici, everyone’s beloved neighbourhood pasta bar, reimagines hairy crab through an Italian lens. The signature Pici hairy crab features hand-rolled pasta enveloped in crab-enriched sauce with hints of saffron, while a splash of Shaoxing wine and ginger pays homage to traditional Chinese preparations. The tropical crab salad combines succulent crab meat with mango, papaya and melon dressed in white balsamic for a refreshing contrast. The drowning crab starter—crispy soft-shell crab immersed in warm saffron cream and lobster bisque—once again shows that the kitchen team is not shy to innovate.

Available across all nine Hong Kong locations.

Hairy crab on pizza is any food lover’s dream and The Pizza Project has made it a reality at its Central and Star Street locations. The main attraction—a decadent hairy crab pizza topped with rich, buttery roe on a creamy fior di latte base—transforms this Chinese delicacy into an Italian-Asian sensation that you just can’t refuse. The crab montanara offers a sophisticated take on pizzeta fritta, combining crab and burrata with fresh basil and tomato on perfectly fried dough. To finish, the ginger lemon cup features soothing ginger gelato with candied ginger and lemon cream, providing the ideal palate cleanser after indulging in pizza’s richness.

The Pizza Project
Address: G/F, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong; G/F, 5 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Aroma Wine Bistro elevates hairy crab through a wine pairing dinner featuring 2023 Burgundy vintages from Domaine Albert Joly. The five-course menu showcases Jiangsu hairy crab in refined preparations, beginning with a dish featuring hairy crab topped with ponzu jelly and Siberian caviar, paired with Bourgogne Côte d’Or. The evening’s star attraction arrives in the form of hairy crab served alongside Toyama rice, complemented by Puligny-Montrachet Les Charmes, whose bright acidity and refined oak nuances create harmonious balance with the crab’s inherent sweetness. What’s not to like?

Aroma Wine Bistro
Address: Shop 206-210, Lee Garden 3, 1 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Shang Palace presents an exquisite, limited-time menu celebrating the season’s most coveted delicacy—the Jiangsu hairy crab. At the heart of the menu is a seven-tael fresh hairy crab, sourced from the pristine lakes of Jiangsu. Expertly steamed to perfection, each crab reveals sweet, delicate meat and a generous golden roe, a true expression of the autumn harvest at its peak.
To elevate the experience, the chefs at Shang Palace have created signature dishes that highlight the opulent richness of hairy crab roe. This golden ingredient takes centre stage in creations such as the steamed pork dumpling (xiao long bao)—where the crab roe’s umami depth enhances the savoury pork filling—and the braised bird’s nest thick soup—whose silken texture is enriched by the roe’s subtle intensity.

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