Da Nang has long been a paradise for travel enthusiasts and seafood lovers. Besides rustic dishes such as Quang noodles and pork rolls, this livable city also pleases diners with rich culinary experiences.
One of the dishes, although expensive, but sold quite a lot in seafood restaurants, is king crab.
With a price of about 2.9 million VND/kg, a king crab with an average weight of more than 2kg will cost around 6 million VND. This number may make many people hesitate, but according to shares from experienced tourists, this is an investment "worth every drop of water".
A special feature at major seafood restaurants in Da Nang is that crabs are kept alive in glass tanks. Visitors can personally choose muscular crabs, weigh them on the spot before the chef takes them to process, ensuring absolute freshness - which makes a complete difference compared to frozen crabs.
Instead of elaborately processing with too many spices that lose the natural deliciousness, chefs in Da Nang will divide the king crab that customers have chosen into two dishes.
The crab claws - where the firmest, thickest meat fibers are concentrated - are steamed. This processing method helps to retain every drop of pure fresh water hidden behind the thorny crust.
Inside the hard shell, a whole barrel of white, juicy crab meat is separated. Dipped in a little salt, pepper, and green chili sauce, a Central region specialty, the spicy taste of chili stimulates the tip of the tongue, blending with the rich sweetness, chewiness and crispness of crab meat. It feels like the whole ocean is melting in the diners' mouths.
If the crab claws bring a taste explosion, the crab body (brick and meat scraps) is used to cook into a pot of warm white porridge.
The porridge is simmered until tender, smooth, imbued with the sweetness of the meat and the richness of the crab roe. The dish is served with a little chopped herbs, golden fried shallots and a little spicy pepper.
In the strong sea breeze of Da Nang night, sipping a warm bowl of king crab porridge, fragrant with fried onions, is an unbeatable ending to the Food-tour.
King crabs are large in size, usually over 2kg/crab with extremely abundant meat, so experienced tourists share that this super product is ideal for large groups of about 8 people.
In addition to the king crab dish, an 8-person banquet table will become much more perfect when it is designed with attractive side dishes such as: cooked squid or thick-leaf squid steamed just cooked until crispy, crunchy, sweet dipped in lightly spicy ginger fish sauce, flavorful and fatty salted egg snails dipped with thick toast, and fat milk oysters grilled on charcoal stoves.
