Founded in 1957, Cheng Lung Hong is a crab-eating brand originating from Hong Kong, which was engaged in hairy crab trading in the early days, and was one of the three hairy crab dealers designated by the Chinese government in Hong Kong in the 80s. It wasn't until 2002 that the brand opened its first Chenglong Xing Crab Mansion Restaurant in Huangpu District, which was very popular with diners since its establishment. Today, Chenglong Xing Crab Mansion has several branches in Shanghai, and the Jiujiang Road store has become a Michelin-recommended restaurant. Its Yifeng Garden is positioned as a slightly high-end, mainly for business banquets and wedding banquets.
Hairy crabs in Shing Long Hong are in constant supply and are available all year round. It adopts the method of cooperation with farmers, and has more than 50,000 acres of hairy crab breeding base in the natural lakes of Jiangsu. Unlike Wang Bao and the restaurant, most of the crabs in Cheng Long Hong come from Taihu Lake. The debate over who is more delicious between Taihu Lake crab, Yangcheng Lake crab and Gucheng Lake crab has been going on for many years. However, in 2014, a well-known person conducted a live blind tasting test on the Internet, and finally came to the result that diners could not tell the difference between the three types of crabs, which caused an uproar among crab-eating enthusiasts. In fact, when it comes to the maturity of the crab farming industry, Gaochun Gucheng Lake and Yangcheng Lake can be said to be on a par, due to the widespread reputation of Yangcheng Lake and the slightly insufficient production, many Gucheng Lake crabs are also sold as Yangcheng Lake crabs.
Crab has been made in a variety of ways since ancient times, crab fillet, crab roe, and crab roe are all ingredients that can add a lot of color to dishes, and in the eyes of the majority of diners, steaming can best ensure the original taste of crab. Steamed hairy crab is one of Shing Long Hong's signature dishes. The large whole crab is steamed and served to the table, yellow and red, with a strong crab fragrance. There is also a particular order for dismantling the crab, first two crab claws, then eight crab legs, and finally open the belly and suck the crab roe in it. Seasoned diners will also use special tools such as "eight crab pieces", the so-called eight pieces are small square tables, waist round hammers, long-handled axes, long-handled forks, round-headed scissors, tweezers, chisels, and spoons, which have a clear division of labor. Crab eight pieces were very popular in the ancient Jiangnan, and in the late Qing Dynasty, it even became one of the necessary dowries for Suzhou women.
The dining environment of Chenglong Xing Crab Mansion is unique, the door of the Jiujiang Road store adopts black tiles and white walls, and the interior reveals a little "Wangfu" style, and Wang Bao and the restaurant, it also adopts the ceiling of the eaves style, the ceiling is scraped with lanterns, and the box is made of bamboo roller shutters, which is very retro. Inside, pipa and bamboo flute performers are invited to play, creating a pleasant atmosphere. The service is also remarkable, and the most commendable thing is that the restaurant provides a crab removal service, where diners can enjoy the finished crab meat and crab roe without having to use their hands, but the dismantled crab will lose some flavor due to the loss of temperature.
Located on Hongqiao Road, the Chenglong Hong Yifeng Garden has a better view, with two old bungalows and 400 square meters of garden green space. It was built in 1923 as the former residence of Mrs. Chen Xiangmei, the wife of the famous Flying Tigers commander General Chennault. There is not much difference between the dishes and the Crab King's Mansion, but the more favorable environment makes it a good choice for business banquets and wedding banquets.
