Chef Wang Hao. GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY

The most expensive dish on Wang's menu is a simple plate of stir-fried flesh extracted from three crabs that is packed into the shell of the crustacean. This dish costs 480 yuan per serving.

"You won't need vinegar for it. It tastes divine whether chilled or hot," says Wang.

The secret to this dish, he says, are the lemongrass used to tie the crabs, the perilla that is added to the boiling water and the citrus juice added to the sauce.

"One of the things that discourages many people from eating the crabs, aside from the laborious dissection, is their muddy and at times fishy flavor. This is something we've been good at neutralizing," says Wang.

Contact the writer at xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn