A luxurious symphony of textures: silk-soft noodles cloaked in a velvety golden crab sauce, crowned with a jammy egg, a crunchy soft-shell crab and a bright, pungent kiss of black vinegar and ginger. It’s a modern take on a classic, honouring both its Eastern roots and a sense of Portuguese adventure.

Executive Sous Chef Tống Đăng Khoái from Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Centre

Ingredients:

For the noodles & toppings:

• 100g fresh egg noodles
• 1 large egg (for a 6-minute soft boil)
• 60g bok choy
• 100g soft-shell crab, cleaned
• 10g bread flour for dusting
• 5ml Shaoxing wine
• Fresh coriander for garnish

For the crab sauce:

• 20g brown crab meat (or meat from approx. 80g whole crab)
• 20g XO sauce
• 15g preserved radish, rinsed and chopped
• 15g tahini paste
• 5g chicken powder (or substitute with a light stock powder)
• 2g white sugar
• 10ml light soy sauce
• 5ml sesame oil
• 1g annatto seed oil for colour
• 200ml crab stock (made from simmering shells with 20g carrot, 20g onion, 1g bay leaf, 1g black peppercorns, 1g Sichuan peppercorns)

For the accompaniments:

• 20ml Chinese black vinegar
• 10g fresh ginger, finely minced
• 20g spring onion, finely sliced

Duo Crab Noodles

Preparation:

Prepare the components: Begin by steaming a whole crab. Pick the meat, setting aside 20g of brown meat and any precious crab roe for garnish. Reserve the shells. To make the crab stock, simmer the shells with the carrot, onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns for 20-30 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Cook the egg and vegetables: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently lower in the egg and cook for exactly 6 minutes for a runny, jammy yolk. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Peel and slice in half. In the same water, blanch the bok choy until just tender and vibrant green. Remove and set aside.

Fry the soft-shell crab: Pat the cleaned soft-shell crab very dry. Lightly dust it with bread flour. Heat oil in a pan to 180°C and fry the crab for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and incredibly crisp. Drain on paper towels and season lightly.

Cook the noodles: In the same pot of boiling water, cook the fresh noodles for 2-3 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain well and place into a serving bowl.

Make the signature sauce: In a wok or saucepan, heat a little oil over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and ginger until fragrant. Add the brown crab meat and XO sauce, stir-frying for 1 minute. Deglaze with the Chinese wine.

Pour in about 150ml of the reserved crab stock. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken powder, sugar, light soy sauce, tahini, sesame oil, and annatto oil for a golden hue. Add the preserved radish. Let the sauce simmer and reduce until it thickens to a rich, gravy-like consistency that will coat the back of a spoon.

To assemble: Pour the luxurious crab sauce over the drained noodles. Arrange the blanched bok choy and halved soft-boiled egg on top. Place the crispy soft-shell crab on the side. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh crab roe and coriander.

Serve immediately: Present the dish with a small side bowl of the remaining warm crab broth for sipping. Serve the minced ginger and spring onions mixed with the black vinegar in a small dish as a pungent, palate-cleansing condiment.

The perfect result: The noodles should be perfectly cooked, not mushy. The sauce is unctuous, creamy, and deeply flavoured with crab, with a beautiful golden colour. The soft-boiled egg reveals a runny yolk, and the soft-shell crab is fragrant and crisp. The crab broth is sweet and natural, aromatic from the wine and soy, perfectly complementing the main event.

The Duo Crab Noodles dish is part of O Macanese restaurant’s à la carte menu at Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi Centre, 83A Lý Thường Kiệt Street.

For reservations, please dial +84 24 3822 2800. VNS