Kani Kani Jo Osaka: Crab & Pufferfish Audio Menu

The charcoal grilling method enhances the flavors of the crab legs and body. The crab shell is slightly charred, and the aroma of the fat and crab innards is released; when bitten into, the meat remains firm and not dry. Some people dip the grilled crab legs in a bit of salt, while others choose to pair them with the restaurant’s special crab sake, which is refreshing and has just the right acidity to balance the richness of the fat. The hot pot method maximizes the sweetness of the crab meat: in the boiling broth, the crab meat cooks instantly, resulting in a tender texture, and finally, the leftover broth can be used to make porridge, incorporating all the crab flavor into the rice. These three processes—raw, grilled, and hot pot—almost cover all the flavors of the same snow crab, leaving you feeling like you’ve thoroughly enjoyed every part of it.

The set menus usually string these methods together into a complete experience. The basic Hokkai course starts with raw crab and crab innards, followed by crab hot pot, and concludes with crab porridge, with a plate of battered fried crab in between, which has a crispy outer layer while retaining moisture inside. For a more complete experience, one can choose to add a grilled crab option or a luxurious version that includes both hot pot and grilled preparations, allowing different parts of the same crab to be treated with different cooking methods. Prices range from eight thousand to fourteen thousand yen, depending on the set menu content, falling into the category of wanting to seriously enjoy a crab meal rather than casually ordering a plate.