The Boiling Crab Takes Over Former Ke’er Digs at Xingfucun; Serves Up Spicy Cajun Seafood
After all the carbs, sweets and other indulgences of the holiday season, I couldn't think of anything more appealing than a round of fresh, light seafood. My prayers were answered by The Boiling Crab, which is situated on Xingfucun at the spot once owned by crayfish purveyors Ke’er.
The huge crayfish statue outside the restaurant couldn’t be a more obvious hint as to what this two-story restaurant is selling. In its prior incarnation, Ke'er served Sichuanese crayfish, but now the staff at the revamped Boiling Crab have opted to spice things up with the Cajun version of this seafood.
The Boiling Crab charges RMB 136 or RMB 206 for its signature crayfish (depending on what size you order), and there are various other seafood dishes on offer (ranging from RMB 71-168), along with seafood sets for couples or larger groups (RMB 38-999).
Originating from the American city of Louisiana, Cajun cuisine normally features fare like crayfish (aka crawfish), shrimp and andouille sausage. In case you like to get dressed up and do your nails before dinner, be forewarned that this rustic cuisine is messy enough to warrant a large sheet of protective paper to cover the table. Furthermore, there’s no cutlery, you just dig right in with your hands, and discard your shells in a pile on the table when you're done. Ok, fine – you are allowed to use disposable gloves.
This Xingfucun rendition of Cajun cuisine featured an abundance of corn, broccoli, shrimp, crawfish, scallops, and Alaskan king crabs, which were hot enough to make our eyes water. Owner Yan Gedong swapped the andouille sausage found in Louisiana for his preferred, sweeter Taiwanese sausages. To push the proceedings to the extreme, he also threw three special chilies into the pot to make it all the more fiery. The result? Our lips were still tingling an hour after the meal.
To soothe the burn, try their soybean milk served in special glasses. Oh, did we mention that the place is full of unusual décor? By unusual I mean S&M. Hey, we aren't here to judge, just don’t go in without being mentally prepared– there are cuffs hanging on the walls, a large pink doll embracing the corner of the stairs, and some sort of torture chair in the bathroom. Let's just say when the owner said he hosts private parties here, our imaginations began running wild. Apparently, Ke'er was famous for an equally blatant S&M motif (so much so that it made the international news); any fans of that feature will be relieved to know the staff's changes to the menu did not extend to the risqué decor.
Aside from this location at Xingfucun, The Boiling Crab has also opened a branch at the Science and Technology Building in Beijing Normal University (they can be reached at 5880 6719, or click on the directory listing below) in Haidian District, to satisfy the needs of ravenous students. Whether you're hankering after seafood or an ambiance that's offbeat (to say the least), The Boiling Crab has you covered.
The Boiling Crab
Daily 10am-10pm. 55-6 Xingfucun Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (138 0112 8128)
大长腿狂野美式海鲜：朝阳区幸福村中路杰座大厦底商55-6号
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Gaiya Yu, Tracy Wang
