Hong Kong Eats: Kanizen (Japanese Crab Restaurant)

Upon review, I realized I took around 150 food pics during our recent trip to Hong Kong.  That's a LOT of eating!  I'm not planning on dedicating a post to each restaurant we went to (that'd be 12 weeks of nonstop food posts), but Kanizen is an exception.  I am a huge fan of Japanese food and seafood, so when I heard about a Japanese Crab restaurant, I was beside myself.  I know that sounds exaggerated, but my stomach is very influential upon my moods.  :)

It took me a few minutes to realize this was a door (press white button on right side and it will open) and not a wall.  If I could read, that nifty little sign probably would have told me that.

The crab tank upon entering

A private room w/ 3 self-cooking stations

Grilled edamame and Chuwanmushi (a savory egg custard dish - silky smooth!)

Shabu shabu w/ a basket

Assorted fresh mushrooms, noodles, tofu, and veggies for hot pot

Matsuba Crab Tempura and veggies

See that green powder in the corner?  This is green tea salt (new to me) and it tastes good on EVERYTHING

Horsehair crab for shabu shabu

Gorgeously marbled Wagyu beef slices for shabu shabu

This crab really is hairy looking.  SO good and I very much appreciate them de-shelling a portion so I can eat it lazily

Crab Tsukune - a little like a crab meatball on a stick

 Grilled crab roe

 Our crab rice steaming away next to our strands of udon for shabu shabu

And the end result? Delicious!

The first time we tried to find this restaurant, we got lost and wound up getting there right when it closed.  Disheartened, we almost gave up on it since Wan Chai was so far from Sha Tin (4 MTR lines to get there).  On the very last day, we decided to try again and I am so glad we did!

Despite the fact that we didn't have reservations, the staff very kindly let us dine in one of their private rooms upstairs.  The private room was fantastic both for the overall experience and for the kids.  Service was very attentive without being intrusive.  The wait staff took great care in informing us how to cook and/or eat each item.

We ordered 3 lunch sets (3 adults, 2 children).  One executive set ($500(?) HKD) including crab tempura, crab shabu shabu, grilled edamame, chuwanmushi, and veggies, one Wagyu set ($150 HKD) including wagyu beef and udon, and one Crab Rice set ($180 HKD) with Matsuba crab / salmon roe and the crab tsukane.  Each dish was beautifully presented, incredibly fresh, and oh so tasty.  I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food, service, and experience.

Stay tuned for more Hong Kong travelogue posts :)