It has been soft shell crab season for a few weeks now. Most of them are coming up from North Carolina at present, but the Maryland ones should be in season soon. One of the best versions around town is at Proof. Chef Haidar Karoum serves them fried with a cucumber slaw and a creamy chili garlic dressing. Karoum has a great ability to seamlessly adapt Asian flavors into more modern interpretations without making them seem kitschy or hackneyed. This dish is a perfect example. The cucumber slaw is a quick sweet pickle with jalapeno reminiscent of the pickled vegetables found on banh mi sandwiches. The dressing hints at sriracha. With a nice French baguette, this dish would make a superlative banh mi.