Umami, Unlocked: Hairy Crab Meets Modern Japanese at YONE

Hairy crab season is in full swing in Shanghai, and YONE at The Shanghai EDITION has embraced the unctuous crustacean with a menu that marries the seasonal ingredient to its modern Japanese cuisine.

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About YONE

Perched on the 27th floor of The Shanghai EDITION hotel, YONE boasts dramatic views of the Lujiazui skyline and Huangpu River—quite the enticing destination if you’re looking to treat yourself or your significant other.

Curated by Chef Shu, YONE’s menu draws its inspiration from rice. Accordingly, the food menu and drinks list prominently highlight rice-based ingredients like mirin, shari (seasoned sushi rice), rice shochus, and rice-washed cocktails.

Season of Hairy Crab Menu

For the “Season of Hairy Crab” menu, rice plays an equally important role, showcasing grains sourced from regions as varied as Chongming and Liaoning.

It’s a unique twist on hairy crab that works remarkably well, skillfully blending the delicately sweet crab meat and heady roe with Japanese staples like temaki, somen noodles, and sukiyaki.

For fans, it’s an alternative way to enjoy the seasonal delicacy; for those who want the crab without the fuss of picking it apart themselves, this is the perfect offering.

The meal opens with two starter bites. Though demure in size, they deliver a powerful punch. The first is a cracker of Yunnan rice topped with a luxurious hairy crab and cheese tofu terrine, offering a creamy and unctuous mouthfeel. The second is a temaki, loaded with hairy crab seasoned with Shaoxing organic vinegar and filled with Japanese akitamomachi sushi rice from Liaoning.

Then, the appetizer blows it out of the water — the Somen Noodle with hairy crab was fantastic.

I would order this à la carte all year round if I could. Thin somen noodles are paired with a beurre blanc, a French white wine and butter sauce, which is thickened with rice to help it cling to the noodles. The cold noodles are extremely silky, each bite bursting with umami. It is a perfectly executed dish.

Next comes a Deep-Fried Crab Spring Roll, imbued with smoke and topped with freshly shaved Yunnan black truffle, served over a bed of puffed rice. The spring roll is creamy and hearty, acting as a satisfying intermission before the main courses.

The first main is Steamed Black Cod, a buttery and luxurious high-fat fish. It’s paired with a mushroom and crab sauce, all cooked in a base of rich Iberico ham stock. A black rice cracker on the side provides textural contrast. This dish, once again, is an intense expression of umami.

But the favorite, a close rival to the somen, is the Sukiyaki course. YONE’s inspired Sukiyaki is made with Australian M8 wagyu beef sirloin, topped with uni, crab, and crab roe. It’s served with seasonal steamed rice, freshly harvested from Shanghai’s Chongming Island.

This dish has the trifecta: crab, unctuous roe, and highly-marbled beef. It’s like a cheat code for maximum flavor, served with the house sukiyaki sauce. If you ask nicely, they’ll gladly top up your rice.

For dessert, the meal concludes with a deconstructed Raspberry Pavlova, accompanied by ice cream made from rice milk and white chocolate Chantilly.

The six-course set menu is available for lunch and dinner, priced at ¥688. The menu will run until December 20, 2025.