HAIRY HAIRY, QUITE CONTRARY

ALTHOUGH I'D BEEN INVITED MANY TIMES to try them in the past, for one reason or another, I had never actually, so it was with alacrity that I accepted Equatorial Penang's invitation to try their newest dish, something that is only available seasonally: HAIRY CRABS.

They are so-called because of the mass of dark hair which grow on their claws, are air-flown in from the Yangzhi River delta near Shanghai. The official season opens in late September, and Eq's Golden Phoenix Chinese Restaurant is one of the few places in Penang where you can find them now, available lunch or dinner. However, they only have a limited number, which is rapidly reducing as more and more folks find out about them.

The experience was quite an eye-opener: for some reason, I'd stupidly assumed that eating one crab is the same as eating another, hairy or not - fried, baked, cooked in ginger and chilli, black pepper sauce etc etc ... but believe me - it isn't!

For one thing you're not supposed to drink Chinese tea with them as the chemical reaction between the two will cause quite severe stomach upsets - one drinks sweetened ginger tea or wine with it. Neither are you supposed to eat persimmons. Something to do with the ying and yang/cooling and heatiness principles - the crabs are "cooling" so the ginger tea or wine "heats" you up again!

Secondly, they are only ever steamed for 15-20 mins, which ensures the yellowish "jin" (roe) inside is still quite soft and runny so you can suck it (literally); whatever remaining flesh there is - and there's actually not much - is extracted and dipped in a vinegar and ginger sauce. It was an educational experience and a half, and I really learnt a lot that night.

At the Eq you can select it live from the tank, and it is presented to you 20 mins later, steamed, and if you wish prepared by Danny who valiantly dons plastic gloves as he prepares to do battle with the cooked crustaceans.

Verdict: the roe is eggy, as one would expect, and the flesh, because they are freshwater creatures, is unsalty so the ginger and vinegar combo makes a good companion. It is definitely something I am glad I've tried. But if you're planning to, at RM86++ per piece, it's something to be really savoured!

The Golden Phoenix also offers quite a good selection of other Chinese dishes, and very tasty ones at that, including some fantastic pork-free Dim Sum so if you're that side of town do definitely pay it a visit.