Sating a crustacean fixation

"The secret to perfecting drunken crab's tasty flavor is to spray some baijiu (white liquor) onto them," says Wang.

The baijiu he uses is a type of huangjiu that has been twice distilled, which makes it transparent rather than yellow in color and gives it a higher alcohol content.

"The 'drunken crab' roe tastes like fancy ice cream," says Wang.

To pair with the drunken crab roe, a jar of Shaoxing huangjiu made from glutinous rice is a must.

Huangjiu is also one of the most popular features of "Jiangzhe" (Jiangsu and Zhejiang) cuisine, and diners at Shaoshisan are greeted by a wall of colorful liquor jars as they walk into the restaurant.

According to Wang, huangjiu has a history that dates back thousands of years and he believes that authentic huangjiu must use three ingredients: the water from Jianhu Lake in Shaoxing and the local glutinous rice and wheat, both harvested in season twice a year.

"The glutinous rice and wheat grown in northern China which are harvested once a year don't have the same sugar content or develop the same flavors as authentic huangjiu," says Wang.