Shanghai hairy crab in season, in a Gion machiya townhouse. hakubi, a high-end Chinese restaurant right by Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, is celebrating its second anniversary with a special “Shanghai Crab Tasting Course” on just two nights: Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2026. As year-end plans start to take shape, it is a night worth booking early.
Two nights only, with a single course on the menu
hakubi serves a “small portions, many dishes” meal of about 25 plates in a Gion machiya, themed on the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast (Manhan Zenseki), the grand banquet of the Chinese imperial court. It has also been listed as a New Selection in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka.
On these two days the restaurant opens only for this special course, not for regular service. Both nights start at 18:30 for everyone at once, so all guests enjoy the same course together. The restaurant describes it as a plan that packs seasonal ingredients and the chef’s skill into a celebration of its second year.
Female and male crab, each in its own dishes
The star is Shanghai hairy crab. The dishes include “Female Shanghai crab marinated in Shaoxing wine,” with rich, melting crab roe; “Steamed male Shanghai crab,” full of savory flavor; and “Shark fin (yoshikirizame tail fin) in Shanghai crab roe sauce,” bringing out the crab from many angles. Other dishes pair crab roe with different ingredients, such as shrimp in Shanghai crab roe chili sauce.
Alongside come luxury ingredients including caviar, sea urchin, foie gras, matsutake mushrooms, soft-shelled turtle and edible bird’s nest. The 17 dishes include foie gras–stuffed fried chicken wings, matsutake spring rolls, charcoal-grilled char siu and almond tofu with bird’s nest, and the meal ends with jasmine tea ice cream.
Two pairings: wine and Chinese tea
Drink pairings are available to go with the course. For the wine pairing, a sommelier chooses a glass for each dish from about 600 bottles stored in an underground cellar converted from an air-raid shelter. For the Chinese tea pairing, certified tea master Marina Fujimoto selects the teaware and water temperature to suit the tea leaves and the dishes. It is good to see an option for those who prefer not to drink alcohol.
Event details
- Event: hakubi 2nd Anniversary “Shanghai Crab Tasting Course”
- Dates: Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2026, all guests start at 18:30 (special course only on both days)
- Price: ¥30,000 per person (tax included, service charge excluded)
- Venue: hakubi, 481-1 Kiyoi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
- Access: about 10-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Main Line); about 12-minute walk from Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu Kyoto Line); near Yasaka Shrine
- Reservations: by phone (075-585-5327) or the official booking sites (TableCheck / Tabelog)
- Website: https://hakubi-kyoto.com/
- Instagram: @hakubi.kyoto
