Wednesday, April 3, 2013

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 :)

16 comments:

  1. How did you do shabu shabu in the basket? It looks like it's lined with paper and there are holes in the basket! How does the liquid stay inside?

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    1. I'm just guessing, but think it must be the paper? It was pretty cool!

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  2. the last time I was in HK, iwas hairy crab season. Your lovely pictures bring back delicious memories!

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  3. This looks utterly delicious!

    Looking forward to reading more!

    Lots of Love,

    Bundana
    @ http://www.bundana.blogspot.co.uk

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  4. The food looks delicious already uncooked. It looks so fresh and the variety is looks great. I don't think I've had any experience close to that in the States. This is also my first time seeing Shabu Shabu in a basket and steamed rice like that so I'm actually very curious as to how that tastes. I will definitely give this restaurant a try the next time I visit Hong Kong! Thanks for sharing! :)

    - Christine
    www.petitehues.com

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  5. this looks incredibly delicious! i love shabu shabu but have never had it this way - hong kong (outside the airport) is on my bucket list!

    xox P

    phiphi's blog

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    1. I think you'd love it! So much food and shopping!

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  6. I love your food posts! This place looks delicious AND fun!

    shortandsweetjoy

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  7. What a tank!!! I love crab too, especially when they deshell a portion :). You know what I want to try, spicy crab they have in Malaysia (??).

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    1. Chili crab? I tried a version in NYC once and it was SO yummy! Maybe a trip for your fam?

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. You can find green tea salt (sometimes called Maccha salt) at Mitsuwa or other Japanese grocery stores in the states :)

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  9. Sorry for commenting here so late...but I finally had time to read!

    SPG, those looked so good. HK must be good place to go for Japanese food? Love chawanmushi so much and tried several times to make it when I was in US since I couldn't get! It turned to be good sometimes :)

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    1. I think the Japanese food is decent, but probably nowhere near as good as being in Japan!

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