Hai Pai, Andaz Xintiandi, Shanghai(Photo/Shanghai Daily)
From crisp bamboo shoots to tender broad beans, the fleeting season of spring offers a once-a-year opportunity to enjoy some of nature's tastiest gifts. Chinese cuisine emphasizes using seasonal ingredients at the right time of year, and local chefs strive to create dishes that reflect the flavors of each season. With March now upon us, the top Chinese kitchens in Shanghai are launching new menus to make the most of the spring ingredients.
Yong Yi Ting, Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
Spring is the favorite time of year for many food lovers. Celebrity chef Tony Lu, who is a consultant chef at the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Yong Yi Ting at Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai, has crafted a new menu for the season.
Unique amongst Shanghai hotel restaurants, Yong Yi Ting showcases cuisine from regions south of the Yangtze River.
A creative dim sum dish is steamed dumplings filled with minced vegetable, egg yolk, morel mushroom and minced ham, which carries out the color of spring.
Foodies can also sample the newly created main dishes such as pan-fried chicken patty with minced leek, braised diced channel fish with scallion sauce, sauteed king prawn with water chestnut and cherry in spicy sour sauce and stewed sea bass ball with minced shepherd's purse sauce. Chef Lu specializes in highlighting delicate seasonal flavors while incorporating his own ideas inspired by modern gastronomy.
Yong Yi Ting's elegant design is inspired by imperial Chinese culture. The restaurant also features a chef's table with a show kitchen for special meals and cooking demonstrations, plus a wine cellar with an extensive global selection of fine wines as well as a private tasting table. Guests can also enjoy an array of premium Chinese teas.
Address: LG level, Mandarin Oriental Pudong, 111 Pudong Rd S.
Tel: 2082-9978
Email: mopud-yongyiting@mohg.com
Hai Pai, Andaz Xintiandi, Shanghai
Amid the blossoms of springtime, the acclaimed Shanghainese restaurant Hai Pai at Andaz Xintiandi is offering new seasonal dishes filled with refreshing tastes and the colors of spring.
For appetizers, bean curd roll with ma lan tou (kalimeris, a wild vegetable in spring) and bean curd in Chinese toon paste are two dishes that can revive the taste buds with the flavors of spring. Another seasonal appetizer is roasted duck breast with sun-dried vegetables and peanuts.
Spring is the best season for bamboo shoots, thanks to their natural and delicate flavor. Hai Pai has created a braised eel, salted pork and fresh bamboo shoots dish that combines umami flavors from the ingredients.
Other main dishes for the spring season include steamed yellow wine marinated cod fish and morel, traditional double-boiled salted pork with egg dumpling and dried bean curd in pottage, as well as the deep-fried pork rib with secret recipe and homemade prime sauce.
Address: 88 Songshan Rd
Tel: 2310-1700
