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Star performers in restaurant ratings
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ON China’s largest user review website www.dianping.com, only a few Hangzhou restaurants receive five stars from diners. But those that do earn such rave reviews from customers are rewarded by queues lining up at peak times, regardless of the long waiting time.
Those restaurants are characterized by affordable prices, tasty food (of course) and stylish decor. Shanghai Daily recommends three options with five-star appeal — just remember to make a reservation if at all possible.
As one of the oldest restaurants in the city, Hangzhou Restaurant was established in 1921 as Changxing Restaurant. At the time, it enjoyed great fame across Hangzhou by virtue of its mellow rice wine and savory food.
In 1951, it switched to the present-day name, gathering a group of top local chefs and dedicated itself to cooking authentic Hangzhou cuisine. During that period, celebrity diners, including Premier Zhou Enlai and Marshal He Long were attracted by its noted dishes, including West Lake vinegar fish, jiaohua chicken and rice powder pancake.
However, the restaurant was closed due to Metro construction in 2004, reopening in 2012. With a new look, but with its hit dishes unchanged, the restaurant quickly recovered its former popularity.
The Hangzhou Restaurant menu is based on seasonal ingredients to ensure the freshest of tastes.
One of its most famous dishes is jiaohua chicken — with the bird wrapped in lotus leaves and soil to keep all the seasonings, juices and aroma inside, while it is roasted.
Fruit tree wood is used for roasting because it produces less smoke and gives off a pleasant smell. The soil bakes into a crust, and customers are encouraged to crack open the crust.
Address: 205 Yan’an Rd
Tel: (0571) 8708-7123
It is considered the Hermes of Hangzhou’s patisseries. Though the desserts are a bit expensive — though not as pricey as the Paris-based luxury brand’s goods — it still attract streams of sweet-toothed customers every day. Queues are a familiar sight at peak times, so booking beforehand is recommended.
The famed luxury Japanese patisserie outlet, founded by master chef Takeshi Shibata, opened in Hangzhou two years ago in Xixi Wetland Paradise Complex.
Shibata spent years learning to make French desserts in France and Japan. In 1995, he opened the first Chez Shitaba outlet in his hometown. Later, branches opened in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hangzhou.
Unlike other dessert shops that feature homey decor and cozy layouts, Chez Shibata is characterized by an avant-garde design. A canoe hanging from the ceiling and large glass roof add quirky modern touches.
Chez Shibata offers a selection of Japanese-French fusion cakes and pastries characterized by fancy garnishes. Popular lines include heart-shaped cakes, big macaroons, La Venus and eclair au caramel beurre sale.
La Venus is a chocolate mousse cake sprayed with red cocoa powder, a scattering of crispy chocolate pearls and marinated cherries. eclair au caramel beurre salé is an elongated puff pastry filled with caramel cream, brushed with a caramel glaze, and topped with three pieces of Philippe Olivier butter and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt. Yummy.
Address: No. 20-2, WestBrook Commercial Street
Tel: (0571) 8102-2890
For diners wanting to sample authentic northwestern Chinese cuisine in a modern environment, Xibei is an ideal choice. Unlike other Hangzhou northwestern eateries with simple decor and noisy surroundings, Xibei provide diners with a tranquil environment.
Northwest China is home to a diverse landscape, including the Gobi desert, grasslands and the Loess Plateau. The environment has led to people there favoring red meat and cereals.
Youmian is a kind of noodles commonly seen in northwestern China. It is made from hulless oat, a cereal variety grown in that area.
Xibei makes its youmian by hand instead of machine, making it more al dente and smooth-tasting. Chefs cook them according to traditional method with shredded mushrooms, tomatoes and mutton soup for a fragrant taste with umami.
Red meat dishes are made in accordance with the original cooking style of traditional northwestern cuisine, without any monosodium glutamate. To provide guests with authentic flavor, Xibei gets its mutton and beef from the prairies of northwest China. And every lamb chop and beef rib are braised for two to three hours, and then roasted with secret recipes.
The steamed bun offered in Xibei is made of millet — a grain suitable for cultivation in the northwest. Red dates and red bean paste are stuffed inside what is a daily staple for the people there.
The sea buckthorn juice on offer is very much a northwestern beverage, rarely seen on the menus of most other restaurants. Sea buckthorn grown by people in semi-desert locations to conserve water and stop erosion. Sea buckthorn juice has a sweet and slightly sour taste and is rich in vitamin C.
Address: 4/F, Intime Shopping Mall, 380 Fengtan Rd
Tel: (0571) 2891-1165
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