Magnificent Muddies at Chinadina
Flavour bomb and Queensland culinary cornerstone, the humble Mud Crab, has met its match on the Chinadina menu, enthuses Helen Flanagan.
Increasingly recognised internationally as the emperor of all crabs, ‘Muddies’ as they are known, are now in season until the end of summer. Such a favourite seafood, so succulent and subtly sweet and fun to eat, picking all the delectable meat from the shells, especially those prehistoric-looking nippers.
“We only use locally-sourced live crabs which are delivered within 24 hours of being caught and vary in size from say 800g to 1.2kg,” explained Penang-born Chinadina Head Chef Fong Loong, who learned how to articulate ‘the taste of place’ from his grandmother, mother and aunty, famous for their hawker-style food.
There’s a choice of three crab options: ginger scallion with spring onion and garlic or as the Chinese say keong chung hai; deep fried salt and pepper, shallots, capsicum and garlic, Cantonese style; or Malaysian-style tomato chilli sauce, with garlic, which is served with fried mantou, and reminiscent of chef’s Malaysian upbringing.
For the latter, the aromatic sauce is the beating heart of the dish “then cook the cracked fresh crabs in it,” says Fong, checking as he woks, so the flavours penetrate through the succulent flesh of the crab in an explosion of seafood flavour – less spicy than the name suggests, and sauce excellence at its finest! Salivating for dim sum as an entrée, dishes to pacify the meat eaters and vegetarians, and what about the sweet tooths? A mixed dumpling basket of eight comes with steamed prawn hargow, steamed pork and prawn sui mai, vegetable also Xialongbao pork dumplings.
If you’re quackers about duck, you will not be able to resist Duck breast with pancakes, hoisin sauce, leeks and cucumber; Cantonese roast duck with plum sauce – whole or half; and for the vegetarians, yes Vegetarian mock duck with cabbage and shitake mushrooms; also, the Caramel eggplant is truly amazing! The BBQ platter with Peking duck, BBQ chicken and Char siu pork; similarly, Seafood deluxe with prawns, scallops and squid; and King prawns typhoon shelter-style encourage sharing for maximum enjoyment.
Don’t want to make decisions? Yum Cha and the Banquet menu are perfect for two, or groups at lunch and dinner. Dessert anyone? Yes please! And, this one is a flashback. Who remembers fried ice cream but this time it’s dressed up with butterscotch sauce, black sesame and fancy fairy floss. However, taking the cake, or in this instance Fong’s take on the French classic is a cracking Pandan crème brulee with coconut ice cream. Take a bow (love to say bao but hmmmm) Head Chef Fong. You’re a cracker!
