Beneath the freezing surface of Jarfjord, east of Kirkenes, the red king crab stakes a strong claim to be Arctic Norway's most unusual inhabitant.

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His firefly squid sashimi and carpaccio were tasty (and less squishy than the whole squid), but the standouts were the luscious beni-zuwaigani (red queen crab), velvety shiroebi (white shrimp), maiwashi (sardine), mejimaguro, (fatty tuna), and as a bonus, a bit of uni (sea urchin), imported from Hokkaido but as good as anything local.

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At Perilla, where the cuisine tends to skew toward Italian-American and Eastern European influences, I serve a spaghettini with crab gravy studded with crushed red chili flakes, fennel seed and Thai basil.

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Have dinner downstairs at Grill 83 and feast on dishes like shrimp and lump crab spring rolls and salmon marinated in a red curry, before debuting your own shocking dance moves at one of the many spots on Beale Street.

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High end Jean Georges has a fusion menu featuring crab with mango, and beef tenderloin in a miso red-wine sauce.

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