Perhaps due to the pandemic combined with laziness, it’s been far too long since I wrote a new blog post. Feeling that I shouldn’t just let it go to waste, I’ve decided to pick it up again, starting with two restaurants I visited recently. These two spots were the most affordable per person on the 2020 Dianping Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. Before the pandemic, they were both trendy hotspots requiring reservations far in advance and often involving long waits. Now, however, things are much better; not only is it easy to get a reservation, but on weekends there are barely any customers at all…
Zui Dong
Let’s start with this one. I visited the location on the 3rd floor of Jing An Kerry Centre. The space isn’t very large, and during lunchtime, the lighting inside was somewhat dim, giving it an atmosphere more akin to a bar. Zui Dong has several other branches; there used to be one on Anfu Road right next to the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre. Speaking of which, despite spending so much time on Anfu Road, I never made it there before it eventually closed down.
They serve Taizhou cuisine. Traditional Taizhou cooking is characterized by its seafood and light, authentic flavors that highlight the natural taste of ingredients. However, it doesn’t really have any widely famous signature dishes. Zui Dong essentially uses Taizhou cuisine as a foundation but adds its own creative twists, meaning you probably wouldn’t find any of their specific dishes if you actually went to Taizhou.
That said, I must mention that the service here is excellent. During these special times, they check your temperature upon entry and take your details before seating you. There are plenty of staff members, water refills are prompt, and both the food presentation and tableware are aesthetically pleasing. The lighting is also perfect for taking photos, fitting the profile of a trendy internet-famous restaurant perfectly.
Crispy Salted Chicken: The skin wasn’t crispy, and the chicken was indeed a bit salty. The texture was average and slightly tough.
Taizhou Rice Cakes Braised with East Sea Pomfret: I had high expectations for this dish. While the fish was tender, the flavor was just so-so—quite standard and unremarkable. The rice cakes weren’t particularly tasty either… It does look good in photos, though.
Crispy Fatty Intestines: This is the most recommended dish on review sites. Both the crispy skin and the fattiness are real—it’s much richer than expected… One piece is fine, but eating more gets cloying.
Steamed Naturally Dried Fish and Black Pork Patty: The fish was extremely salty, and the meat patty was quite greasy…
Choy Sum with Lard Cracklings: A very standard vegetable dish.
Snowflake Beef Fried Rice: This fried rice was delicious, though admittedly, it’s hard to mess up this kind of fried rice.
Black Sesame Ice Cream: This was truly the best dish of the meal—sweet, fragrant, not overly rich, and absolutely delicious..
Overall, aside from the mediocre food, everything else about this place was quite satisfying. However, if you’re looking for a culinary delight, you’d be better off going elsewhere. Rumor has it their cocktails are excellent, so treating it as a bar might be a good choice—after all, the complimentary broad beans they serve are surprisingly tasty.
Shi Lu
Shi Lu is a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant with numerous branches. The Huaiyang culinary tradition is far more renowned than Taizhou cuisine; after all, it is one of China’s Four Great Traditions, featuring famous dishes like Lion’s Head Meatballs, Braised Shredded Tofu, Crystal Pork Trotters, and Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish.
Located in Hongqiao Nanfeng City, Shi Lu saw low foot traffic during the pandemic, which meant a much more pleasant dining environment. Interestingly, they also have a bar counter—who knows who would order cocktails here? The service feels rather local; it’s not bad, but nothing particularly noteworthy. Now, onto the food:
Scallion Oil Chicken: Tender and fresh without being mushy, boneless, and absolutely delicious—I wanted to keep eating more.
Avocado, Salmon, and Lobster Tower: Highly recommended on review platforms, this creative dish comes with a steep price tag. It resembles a Napoleon pastry, alternating layers of salad and puff pastry. The problem is that the salad dressing completely overpowers all the other ingredients. Perhaps they used excessive sauce just to hold the ‘tower’ structure together? It offers poor value for money, is overly rich, and isn’t even Huaiyang cuisine. I’d suggest skipping it.
Lettuce-Wrapped Lion’s Head Meatball: This could be considered a signature Huaiyang dish. However, the red-braised version served here is a bit greasy. The meat is tender, and water chestnuts are added to cut through the richness, but the lettuce wrap serves no real purpose. It’s a pity they don’t offer a clear-broth version.
Braised Shredded Tofu: The knife skills are impressive—the tofu is sliced incredibly thin. The flavor is satisfying, and I highly recommend it.
Signature Smoked Yellow Croaker: Although the presentation isn’t the most appealing, it tastes amazing. The flesh is incredibly tender, savory, and not too salty. At only 38 yuan per fish, it’s undoubtedly the best value dish on the menu.
All in all, this restaurant is definitely worth revisiting. Every dish we tried tasted great. Come to think of it, I’ve never been to Yangzhou; if I get the chance, I’d really love to visit someday.
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