There is a feature of Hangzhou that would normally
escape the day-tripper or casual short-term visitor: its endless evenings.
While a typical twilight lasts minutes, some geographical or meteorological
quirk has given Hangzhou a twilight that stretches for hours, bathing its
streets, malls, parks, and willow-lined canals in a soft crepuscular glow and
giving this city of 6 million inhabitants a seductive intimacy. Stay for a
season and you’ll discover this effect.
Despite its large-city bustle, Hangzhou is human in
scale and a delight to traverse on foot or bicycle. Located in prosperous
Zhejiang Province in China’s southwest, it regularly ranks at or near the top
of China’s most ‘livable’ cities. Visiting Hangzhou in the 13th
century, the Italian traveller Marco Polo famously raved, “It is without doubt
the finest and most splendid city in the world.”
Even today, life in Hangzhou gravitates around its
fabled West Lake. Better known as Xihu, this man-made lake had its beginnings
sometime in the 8th or 9th centuries during the Tang
Dynasty and was expanded over the centuries to its current size of 6.3 sq km.
Ringed by parks and green mountains, straddled by stone bridges, dotted with
pavilions, pagodas, temples and romantic villas, the sight of West Lake,
especially on a misty morning, would be a cliché were it not so meltingly
beautiful. Hangzhou is rich with other worthwhile sights such as the Xixi
wetlands and the tea-growing Longjing hills, but they are overshadowed by the magnetism
of Xihu.
Historically, Hangzhou was a city of commerce and
culture, associated with artisans, poets, scholars, and the intelligentsia. It
was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), a centre of silk
production in ancient times and today, and its most famous culinary creation,
Dongpo Pork, is named for an 11th-century poet and governor who
admonished his cook to “Do the pork over a medium flame, use no water but wine,
and it will naturally be done.”
To a large measure food establishes the rhythms of
life in this city. The residents wake early to a simple breakfast (oddly,
breakfast fare is indifferent and almost an afterthought), eat lunch at 11 am,
and by 4 or 5 in the afternoon, sit down to dinner. The day ends with supper at
8pm. Tea-drinking has evolved into a rich subculture in Hangzhou, spurred by
the legendary renown of the local green tea called Longjing or ‘Dragon Well’.
Most afternoons, locals head to the plantations in the hills to a lunch of carp
bred in mountain spring water and fruit plucked from overhanging branches
tableside. They sip tea on the terraces as women, basket on their back, harvest
the leaves metres away; and play mahjong and smoke under shady arbours with
drying tea leaves scenting the wind. Little wonder that when Hangzhou denizens
chance upon harried or boorish behaviour in others, they are apt to say, “This
person is obviously from out of town.”
Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province and its
cuisine displays the core virtues of the Zhejiang style: the blending of sweet
and salty flavours; boiling, stewing, braising, and simmering favoured; meat is
cooked in its own juices, the dishes fresh, tender, fragrant and rich – either
crispy or soft, but far from greasy. Seasoning is never over-rich or underdone,
and the meat falls easily off the bones.
To this provincial style Hangzhou cuisine has its own
inflections, going further in lightness – especially in using even less oil –
and sweetness. Cooks make use of the best available freshwater carp, eels, shrimps
and crabs, and abundant local vegetables and fruits. Bamboo shoots are a
particular favourite; stewed, for example, in peanut oil immediately upon being
unearthed and enjoyed for their freshness, tenderness and deliciousness, which
are best in spring.
Here is a tour of the best places in Hangzhou to
experience its cuisine.
Lao Tou Er
You Bao Xia
493, Wen San Xi Lu, Xihu Qu
Tel: 0571-88979700
In the field of mid-priced local fare, two worthwhile
chains exist in Hangzhou: Waipo Jia and Lao Tou Er You Bao Xia. Tourists and
visitors would flock to the former, which is better known, while
‘those-in-the-know’ discreetly make a beeline for the latter.
Even during its humble beginnings as a roadside
stall, it was common to see posh cars parked beside Lao Tou Er You Bao Xia.
Today, the chain is 12-outlet-strong throughout the city, with its largest
located outside Xixi National Wetland Park, a popular tourist attraction.
Known for its signature Quick-fried River Prawns and
Deep-fried Ribbonfish, waiting times at peak hours are at least 30 minutes for
a table. But once seated, dishes arrive with machine-like efficiency. A
comprehensive menu offers many popular home-cooked dishes, making it a great,
reasonably priced entry to the cuisine of a typical Hangzhou household. While
there, also check out the Braised Stinky Tofu with Shrimps, Stir-fried Cabbage
and Wine-infused Red Dates. The average spend is about RMB50 per person.
Zhiwei
Guan (main restaurant)
83, Renhe Lu, Shang Cheng Qu
Tel: 0571-87018638
Like a living guardian of posterity, Zhiwei Guan has
witnessed the milestones of Chinese political and culinary history over the
last 100 years. Founded in 1913 and located next to West Lake, its cuisine
remains authentic and seemingly unadulterated by the avalanche of new and
trendy styles, especially from the west.
One gripe, however, is that recent renovations have
diluted the charm of the old-world interiors, which used to be in concordance
with the elderly folks living in the area who make the restaurant their haunt
for dining and mingling. It is still a great destination for a breakfast of
old-fashioned Hang Bang (or Hangzhou-style) noodles and dim sum. Jostling with
the crowd of morning diners – if you are up to it – can be a charming whiff of
local dining habits and mores.
The ordering process goes like this: Study the menu
on the wall and memorise your order, which you tell to the cashier, after which
collect your food at a nearby counter. The locals eat simple breakfasts,
typically a bowl of noodles, a basket of buns, or simply savoury bean curd. So
the sight of the hoard on your tray, especially for us Singaporeans, is a sure
give-away of ‘foreigner’ status.
P.S. If you prefer an ala carte meal at a lakeside
setting, they operate another branch at 10, Yang Gong Di, Hong Li
Shanzhuang Nei. Tel: 0571-87970568.
Pu Shu
61 Yu Gu Lu, Qingzhi Wu
rukou.
Tel: 0571-87203382
Although they are relative
newbies on the scene in Hangzhou, getting a seat at this scenic restaurant is a
challenge. Be advised to make an appointment and be prepared to wait at least
an hour for a seat. As the only other restaurant in the West Lake district (the
other being Zhiwei Guan above), Pu Shu attracts a younger audience. And although the interior is young
and hip, the dishes are mostly traditional provincial food found around
Hangzhou. If you are not familiar with the menu, the service staff could
assist; but the Hangzhou-style appetisers are highly recommended.
When booking, ask for a
private room at the highest floor where the scenic West Lake forest awaits you.
Xiang
Zhang Ya Yuan
25 Zhong Shan Bei Lu, Pingfeng Jie
Tel: 0571-86500022
Previously known as Long Ding Lou and located high up
in the tea-growing mountains, their land was acquired by the government,
forcing the move to the city centre and the change of name. The owners belong
to a famous lineage of tea-growers in the mountains who served simple,
down-to-earth, but tasty ‘peasant’ food with ingredients mostly harvested and
sourced from nearby farms.
The current restaurant looks more polished and the
food presentation more refined, but the core cooking style remains. The
ingredients are also fresher than most restaurants in the city and the same
high quality has been maintained. One of the most pleasant surprises was the
‘roti prata’ counter at the entrance manned by an Indian staff who also makes
the prata. Not only did the prata taste great, it actually made a good side
dish that complemented the local dishes.
As Hangzhou is surrounded by rivers, freshwater seafood
is not to be missed as well. The freshwater fish found here is usually fatter
and their meat tender. River prawns, with sweet flesh and bursting with roe,
are eaten blanched simply in boiling water.
Zhang
Shengji
77 Shuang Ling Lu
Tel: 0571-86026666
This is another food institution in Hangzhou famous
for its soup of double-boiled duck and bamboo shoot. Like most other venerable
names, it began as a humble restaurant with a signature recipe: a soup drawn
from traditional Hangzhou cuisine in which dried bamboo shoots and a 60-day-old
duck is double-boiled in an earthen pot. The restaurant today occupies a
5-storey building and operates a couple of branches in the city.
Despite the size of its operations, its food quality
has not diminished, and a pleasant surprise was finding a Hangzhou signature
dish such as Sweet & Sour Fish scoring high in a city filled with competing
efforts. Try to go to the restaurant before 5pm, otherwise you should consider
booking a seat.
Jiangnan
Yu Ge
49-53 Guolou 15 Kui Xiang, Shang Cheng Qu
Tel: 0571-89969261
This 2-year-old private kitchen maintains a low
business profile and is known only to Zhejiang food connoisseurs. Located on
the outskirts of the busy shopping area, it contains 5 private rooms with a
façade that blends inconspicuously into the cityscape. But don’t be fooled by
the young staff and chipped crockery, the quality is superb.
The restaurant is headed by Chef Cai from the
neighbouring city of Ningbo, and customers have absolutely no say in what they
eat – only in what they do not eat. You select a prize range on booking and the
menu is presented to you upon arrival. The interior resembles an unpretentious
family living room, and, given the restaurant’s autocratic streak, the ambience
is surprisingly warm. Chef Cai loved to cook since he was young, influenced by
the tastes and techniques that he grew up with. Seafood remains his forte
although he incorporates trends and updates his cuisine by talking to customers
and leafing through magazines.
While modern ‘nouvelle’ cuisine seems to be running
out of steam in gastronomic circles, it is heartening that a chef still seeks
to innovate his repertoire one step at a time.
Hui Juan
Mian Guan
130 Wang Jiang Lu
Tel: 0571-87805323
This noodle restaurant receives scant mention in
foreign travel magazines or books but it is packed with locals as early at 10
am. The menu is short and functional; simply pick your noodle and select the
condiments to go with it. The noodles are freshly kneaded in the kitchen and if
you are a first-timer, you won’t go wrong opting for their signature dish –
yellow croacker with preserved green noodle soup. It might look like a
fast-food chain, but every ingredient in the bowl is perfectly cooked and
seasoned.
For the side dish, order the Hangzhou-famous
must-try, braised soy sauced duck. This duck is marinated in a
special-concocted soy sauce, pressed with a heavy stone overnight, then dried
and cooked to produce meat permeated with the sweetness of the soy.
Li Cheng
Chashi
114 Longjing Lu Jiu Xi
Tel:
0571-87996488
A trip to Hangzhou wouldn’t be complete a visit to
the Longjing tea plantation at Mount Shi Feng. Madam Wang owns the plantation
that was passed down through generations. In fact, they were one of the handful
of growers appointed as of Longjing tea suppliers to the Qing royal family and
to the top government officials of present day Beijing. The tea plantation was
bestowed a title of Xie Yuan during Qing period.
Ming Qian Longjing are tea leaves picked during the
first spring when the green shoots are tender and few. The quantity being
extremely small, these leaves are much prized and highly collectible. Madam
Wang’s collection is so highly sought by Chinese and Hong Kong clients that
often no leaves are left for public retail.
Try spending an afternoon in her garden sipping the
best Longjing she has to offer. If she is in a good mood, she would even cook
an excellent traditional Hangzhou meal using fresh produce, including chicken
and fish, from her garden.
