Seasonal 6-Course Hairy Crab Set Menu at Yan Ting (The St. Regis Singapore) - until 30 November 2020

Indulge in one of the most highly-prized delicacies in Chinese cuisine - the Hairy Crab - at Yan Ting from 26 October 2020 to 30 November 2020. Available for a very limited time for lunch and dinner, Yan Ting (located within The St. Regis Singapore) is currently offering two separate menus that feature the seasonal hairy crab - an a la carte menu (from S$12++) as well as a set menu (S$198++ per person).

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Trio of Appetisers - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

If you love the creamy roe of the hairy crab, going straight for the Hairy Crab Set Menu (priced at S$198++ per person) is the best way to enjoy this seasonal delicacy as it is actually quite value-for-money if you were already planning on ordering a number of items from the a la carte menu. The first course is a Trio of Appetisers and it includes some of the most popular items on the regular menu - mushroom dumpling with truffle, marinated cherry tomato with sour plum and sweet vinegar, as well as the Peking duck with crispy bean curd skin.

Double-boiled Abalone Consommé, Maca Root - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

The second course on the Hairy Crab Set Menu is actually a special Double-boiled Abalone Consommé with Maca Root, served in a teapot. If you have been to Yan Ting at The St. Regis Singapore previously, you might have noticed that the restaurant actually serves quite a number of soups in teapots. While this is not entirely uncommon outside, the reason for this is to actually facilitate conversations during corporate lunches - being able to drink soup from a teacup as opposed to using a spoon makes it more convenient for corporate clients to discuss work matters over a nice lunch. Soups in a Cantonese restaurant are always a good measure of the chef’s and the team’s culinary skills. While this was a fairly uncomplicated dish, I really enjoyed it and it was perfect for the weather that day.

Steamed Hairy Crab - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

It goes without saying that the Steamed Hairy Crab is the pièce de résistance in this tasting menu - it is priced at S$128++ on the a la carte menu so if you are bent on ordering it, you should definitely consider the set menu since it is only S$70++ more per person (and you get 5 more dishes which is a steal at that price). The hairy crab is sometimes known as the Chinese mitten crab and it is known for its orange roe (commonly found in female hairy crabs) - The St. Regis Singapore has a supplier that brings in these prized ingredients from the famous Yangcheng Lake on a regular basis and even though the crustacean is supposed to be available until 30 November 2020, it is highly subjected to availability so I would definitely recommend making a reservation and heading down soon if this is something that you have been looking forward to.

Steamed Hairy Crab - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

One of the best things about eating hairy crab at Yan Ting is the service that you get at the restaurant - while most of us can quite easily figure out the way to eat the creamy golden crab roe, the rest of the crab is often ‘wasted’ since it can get quite complicated if you do not know how to handle it properly. If you order the Steamed Hairy Crab here at Yan Ting, they will actually break it up properly for you to enjoy with minimal effort - gloves as well as other tools are provided for you to enjoy this dish without any complication. There is also a special and slightly sweet vinegar which is served on the side to complement the delicate crab meat. You might also notice that hairy crabs are typically served with ginger tea as the Chinese do believe that hairy crabs are ‘cooling’ in nature. The ginger tea (which is more ‘heaty’ in nature) will therefore help to balance that and it is typically served after this course to restore your ‘qi’ balance.

Hairy Crab Meat, Braised Prickly Sea Cucumber - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

The fourth course on the set menu is the Hairy Crab Meat with Braised Prickly Sea Cucumber and this is one of my personal favourites. While I do appreciate the challenge from eating an entire hairy crab, I am quite a lazy diner so if someone who knows what he or she is doing, comes in to take the best parts out of the prized ingredient for me, I would very gladly welcome it. I will not talk about textures in this dish (I am not a food connoisseur after all) but boy is that hairy crab meat sauce full of flavours!

Hairy Crab Meat, Braised Mung Bean Sheets - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

Diners who have opted for the set menu will have to pick between one of two choices on the menu:

• Hairy Crab Meat, Braised Mung Bean Sheets; or

• Prawns, Egg Noodles, XO Sauce

While the egg noodles with XO sauce do sound delicious, I could not resist getting another taste of the luscious hairy crab meat sauce - mung bean sheets are also one of my personal weaknesses so this dish was certainly a match made in heaven for me. If I had to pick my favourite dish out of the entire hairy crab set menu, this would most definitely be it - this dish is also available on the a la carte menu at S$28++ per portion so I definitely recommend it if you have a lunch or dinner planned at Yan Ting soon.

Desserts - Hairy Crab Set Menu
Yan Ting - The St. Regis Singapore

Dessert was a hearty Ginger Tea which was served with Glutinous Rice Ball and Gingko Nuts. On the side of the plate is a delicate Red Bean Cake with Sweet Corn and Coconut Cream. At S$198++ per person for a 6-course meal, the Hairy Crab Set Meal does not come cheap but this is one of the best times to eat it. As mentioned earlier, you do get quite a bit of value out of this set meal as well (especially if you are here to savour the taste of hairy crabs) and if you have an American Express card with the Marriott offer saved, you can get S$100 back from spending S$400 here at Yan Ting (or a mixture of expenses across participating properties like The St. Regis Singapore).