Cejerdary – 蟹家大院

Another dish you cannot leave Shanghai without trying is the crab roe noodles, which have become extremely popular between 2018s to the 2020s due to the social media boost. Traditionally, it is a century-old recipe of mixing the roe of hairy crabs with rice or noodles and is mainly served as a symbol of luxury at expensive restaurants as the final dish

Speciality brand Cejerdary opened in the 2010s near the Bund, marketing the infamous ¥360 (~$50 USD) “Crab Gold” bowl. As more restaurants served this dish on their menu, it became a war on social media to attract tourists and global visitors to find the best crab noodle restaurant in Shanghai

Since I was near the Bund, I decided to give Cejerdary a try, and the moment you step into the reception landing of the restaurant, you are greeted by a wall of fame and awards, which shows why the restaurant is so popular

After you register with the staff at the reception, they will lead you down this pathway, which is quite artistically decorated with both bamboo shades and modern metallic stools. The inside of the restaurant was not huge, with tables accommodating up to 20 customers at any one time. The decor is clean and minimalistic, with wooden tables and chairs and bamboo baskets for the customers’ belongings. A pretty water feature with live fish and faux stone landscaping separates 2 sides of the restaurant to give some privacy to diners

You can place your order on the iPad or via the staff, and after ordering, I was served warm ginger tea, as it is believed in traditional TCM that crab meat and roe are cooling for the body, so the warmth in the ginger balances this out. I liked that they extended the Chinese designs to the bamboo placemats and wooden utensils on each table. Beverages were free, and you could help yourself to them at the beverage counter at the side of the cashier counter. They had still and sparkling water, as well as traditional Shanghainese plum juice

The noodles were served with pickled leeks, which act as a sharp palate cleanser designed to cut through the intense fattiness of the crab roe. The leeks were crunchy and tangy, which was a nice addition to the meal

With only 4 choices, I ordered the signature Crab gold noodles priced at RMB 360. Other choices included the black truffle crab noodles at RMB 280, basic crab noodles at RMB 72, and the stew noodles with a combo option. The noodles were very pretty when served, but once I mixed them all up, I could hardly see the crab roe or meat. While I could still taste the light umami flavours of the crab and roe, I would have liked more sauce on the noodles so every bite would have that creamy indulgence

Overall, the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice and modern, and the flavours of the noodles were nice but not the best. Compared to others, the crab and roe flavours were mild since there was not sufficient sauce, and the sauce was not as thick as others, so it could barely stick nicely onto the noodles. I also waited a while for my noodles, as it seemed that the kitchen had forgotten my order. The service staff were apologetic and polite, but I would say I was more disappointed to pay a premium for noodles which did not blow me away

Address: 59 Guangdong Rd, Waitan, Huangpu, China, 200002

Opening hours: 10 am to 10 pm