The "super-rich" crab congee hot pot features a unique cooking method and a deliciously sweet and savory taste—Xu Xudong’s favorite

▲ A signature dish of the year-round crab congee hot pot, the broth is simmered with 14 grains blended with scallop, pork bone, and lean meat stock, enhanced by the sweetness of crabs—absolutely divine!(Photo by Reporter Huang Kexiang)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

Autumn is the best season for eating crabs, but there’s a hidden hot pot spot where you can enjoy plump crabs all year round. What’s even more special is that the owner simmers the broth with 14 types of grains, scallops, pork bones, and lean meat, and even "regulates" the order in which ingredients are added to the pot. Yet diners embrace these rules wholeheartedly—even Andrew Yeh, Chairman of Far Eastern Group, is a regular here.

"This is the best hot pot I’ve ever had!" said Ms. Lin, a first-time visitor to "Eight-Legged Boss Health Congee Hot Pot" on Jinzhou Street in Taipei. Owner Hong Jiahong explained that the sweetness of crabs is unmatched by other seafood, and the restaurant selects plump, juicy male and female sand crabs air-freighted from the Philippine waters the day before. Recognizing the crabs’ exceptional quality, the owner refuses to compromise—even at higher costs—to bring this delicacy to customers.

 
▲ Most sand crabs in Taiwan come from Southeast Asian waters, with those from the Philippines being the plumpest.(Photo by Reporter Huang Kexiang)

The broth is the soul of hot pot. Hong Jiahong said the restaurant’s broth is simmered with 14 grains and fresh milk, then blended with stock made from scallops, pork bones, and lean meat. The most unique ingredient is "Canadian wild lake rice," which boasts a distinctive aroma. Actually not rice but the fruit of a shallow-water plant that grows naturally along lake shores, it’s rich in protein and fiber yet hard to source, costing around NT$1,000 per kilogram in Taiwan.



▲ The grain- and seafood-aromatic broth pairs wonderfully with squid paste, shrimp paste, or meat—delicious in every way.(Photo by Reporter Huang Kexiang)



Dining at "Eight-Legged Boss" involves an important sequence. First, sip half a bowl of the boiling grain congee broth to appreciate its delicate texture and nourishing, mellow flavor. Next, add "seafood" including crabs, clams, and live Taitung shrimp to the pot. Savor the juicy, fatty crabs and the incredibly sweet broth, which fully absorbs the umami. Then comes the meat, cooked in the grain- and seafood-infused broth—the meat absorbs the broth’s richness, releasing an explosion of aroma. Finally, the grand finale: cook "congee" in the multi-layered-flavor broth, adding the grains used in the stock, egg, and scallions. Staff constantly stir to prevent sticking, and this "essence"-rich congee has a smooth, silky texture and deeply satisfying sweet-savory taste, perfect as the meal’s grand finale.

 
▲ Grains from the stock are simmered in a multi-flavor broth with egg and scallions to create a congee served as the meal’s delightful ending.(Photo by Reporter Huang Kexiang)

[Eight-Legged Boss Premium Health Congee Hot Pot]
Address: No. 17, Lane 1, Alley 241, Jinzhou Street, Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2515-3519
Business Hours: 12:00–14:30, 17:30–22:00 (Open all day Sat–Sun, closed Mon)
Price: NT$1,190 for a two-person health congee hot pot set (crab type: red crabs); NT$2,460 for a four-person set (choose either male or female sand crabs)

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