Name: Under Bridge Spicy Crab
City: Hong Kong
Address:
Shop C, G/F., Wah Fat Mansion, 405-149 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
& Shop 6-9, G/F., 429 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (site reviewed)
Website: http://www.underspicycrab.com/
Cuisine: Seafood, Chinese (Cantonese)
Critique:
I had some friends from the U.S. visiting and they wanted some seafood. I asked around to find a good spot that would offer them local flavor, but that wouldn't scare them out of the building. We ended up at Under Bridge Spicy Crab, which turned out to be a great recommendation. First, I must warn you that there are at least a half-dozen other restaurants with the same or a similar name. I am sorry I forgot to take a shot of the exterior of the restaurant, but I will try to add it later. This one is located between Lockhart and Jaffe right under the Percival Street Bridge (hence the name). The original location is a few doors down, but the newer restaurant has better decor and more seating.
The restaurant is probably most known for two dishes: chili crab and mantis prawns. We opted for one and passed on the other. We ordered a garlic and chili crab (you get the whole crab, covered in garlic, spring onions and chilis), lobster & noodles in cheese sauce (the lobster is cut up, but still in the shell) and beef & zucchini stir fry. The meal also came with fried, salted peanuts as an appetizer and watermelon slices and a warm soy milk/taro/tapioca concoction for dessert.
The lobster & noodle dish was a bit like lobster alfredo, but with an Asian flair. The lobster was great, the sauce was good and so were the noodles. My only complaint was I would have liked the shell removed from the meat so it would be easier to eat, but this is Hong Kong and that's the way the Chinese serve most of their meat. Another tip is to eat this while it is hot because the cheese sauce will congeal as it sits out.
I was fortunate enough to get a crab claw, which was quite large. The meat was delicious and had a nice kick to it (we ordered medium spicy).
The beef & zucchini stir fry was good, nothing special, but a safe back up for less adventurous diners.
The watermelon was red and pretty tasty and the peanuts were okay, but a bit too salty.
Overall, it was a good meal and our guests had no complaint and really seemed to enjoy both the experience and the meal.
The menu was in Chinese and English and had photos for some dishes which was nice. Out waitress was from the Mainland and was very friendly, despite not speaking English. She hooked us up with some extra peanuts and brought our watermelon out a little early so we would get some before it ran out.
Our bill was just under $1200 HK ($152 USD) without tip which is a little expensive in Asian, but not too bad for Hong Kong considering we had crab AND lobster, dessert and two large adult beverages.
Comments/Recommendations:
I would definitely recommend this Under Bridge Spicy Crab to people for a special occasion or special meal. It is a bit pricey for a regular dining spot, but the food and service were both good for locals and foreigners.
Rating: 4 Fries
