If Michelin Were an Exam, How Do Hangzhou’s Top Students Prepare?
This article is purely the personal view of the foodie Shenpo.
[ Michelin Values]
Like everyone,
I have no connection to the Michelin rating system,
I'm just a passionate food lover.
As a foodie, I'd describe myself with Milan Kundera's words: “They are brave only when it is safe, generous only when it costs nothing, sentimental only when it is shallow, and sincere only when it is foolish.”
Sometimes I glance at negative restaurant reviews and find that “keyboard warriors” have their own fun.
Because of the economic downturn, Hangzhou's dining scene faced huge challenges in 2023–2024. High-end restaurant owners held their ground with core strengths while quietly expanding into more affordable sub-brands. Diners started trading down, unwilling to spend more. More and more people now search for vouchers before eating. I've also become more “shallow” and “foolish”—either it tastes great or the ingredients are top-notch, everything else takes a back seat.
In an era seemingly lacking security and bold spending, unabashedly shallow and silly, Hangzhou's dining scene has still bloomed—driven by the city's unique vitality!
So how do the “top students” think and act?
Before the 2024 Michelin announcement, Martell invited me as a special guest to interview 15 chefs. I asked, “Should I highlight Martell?” Mr. Fan said no, Martell just wants to promote Hangzhou's dining development—the same values as Michelin.
Having attended Michelin ceremonies across the country many times, I've found that Michelin is a very consistent presence.
1⃣ Localness.
Hangzhou locals love Bib Gourmand spots that don't fuss over ambiance.
I interviewed the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, Mr. Gwendal Poullennec, last year. This year he summarized Hangzhou in a video. Sitting below, I couldn't help thinking: “Hangzhou's radishes are really sown from Shaoxing.” The 19-year-old Shaoxing cuisine leader “Xiao Dian Huang” and the instant hit “Yue Ji” that opened more recently have six words at the door—“sauce, ferment, mold, stink, drunk, pickle”—that pierce straight to the appetite.
Most Shaoxing restaurants can get Hangzhou people hooked; two generations back, today's Hangzhou residents mostly migrated from Shaoxing. Even a hole-in-the-wall Shaoxing eatery can get most of its ingredients shipped fresh from Shaoxing. I love the steamed pork patty with fermented tofu skin at Yue Ji—it reminds me of childhood, when I couldn't eat during summer vacation at my grandparents', one bite of this would cure my lack of appetite.
The new “Ge Lang Guan” (meaning “this guy” in Shaoxing dialect) also made the Bib Gourmand list. I recently treated a bunch of friends there; we walked in unknown. The food was pretty good, pricey—about 400 yuan per person. In the season of peach blossoms and soft-shell turtles, the prophetic duck feeling the warming river water arrived on the plate. I still haven't missed my last chance this year to eat East China Sea silver pomfret and Sichuan mullet. There's no set menu here; the boss writes the daily fresh offerings on a whiteboard and is happy to recommend dishes. Definitely try the steamed “double stink”—tofu and amaranth stalks fermented to perfection, steamed until meltingly tender; that funky umami is sheer delight.
2⃣ Scenic spot character.
Michelin was originally a tire company; its restaurant guide was meant to help tire owners find good food.
Apart from abundant water and greenery, Hangzhou is also known for its many temples. So in his speech Gwendal Poullennec mentioned “elegant vegetarian cuisine,” and Michelin added several vegetarian recommendations. Pu·Plant-based Cuisine and Pu Zhu both made the list this year.
I'm used to eating vegetarian once a week—not for any religion, just to bathe my insides. After rounds of feasts, I crave “clean” food and “peaceful” flavors. In Hangzhou, even a bowl of noodles at 289 Vegetarian Noodle House is a fine choice.
Going vegetarian has also taught me many things. I never understood the line “the food of heaven and man is insipid and flavorless” from the Yellow Court Classic. The Shuowen Jiezi says: “Dan (insipid) means thin flavor.” So “insipid” doesn't mean tasteless, nor is it the opposite of rich; it's a kind of balanced flavor. The Zhuangzi says: “the friendship of gentlemen is as insipid as water.” It's the same idea—achieving unity with heaven and earth through simplicity.
“Insipid” has nothing to do with salt.
In early summer of 1924, Master Hong Yi stayed at his friend Xia Mianzun’s house. He only requested a small bowl of rice, one vegetarian dish, and a cup of plain boiled water per meal. One day the cook accidentally over-salted the dish, making it hard to swallow, yet Hong Yi ate it with relish. Xia cautiously asked: “Don't you find this fried salted vegetable leaf too salty? And this tasteless water too bland?” Hong Yi replied: “Not at all. Saltiness has its own flavor; blandness has its own charm. In my view, each has its unique quality, and both are exquisite tastes—neither can be missing.” There's a literati consensus that the older or more seasoned one gets, the plainer and more innocent one's writing becomes. Applying Hong Yi's salt theory, whether ornate or not, words are beautiful. Calling one thing high-class and another mediocre is, I feel, worldly. Vegetarian or not, it's all about oneself.
3⃣ Internet-famous spots.
Maybe that's another direction.
Hangzhou is the ancient Southern Song capital, birthplace of Song-style banquets, and home of China's internet father Jack Ma. Here, a restaurant being boosted into fame by the web is more common than in any other Chinese city.
I'm reminded of Huo Shi—its owner is a big influencer, and fans flock there. To me, his restaurant is a “scenic spot” in another sense.
If you know, you know. I don't think a restaurant can cover all bases, but one shining point will bring guests. I rediscovered the aroma of Picanha—grass-fed, rich in myoglobin, a true meatiness. If you want dairy notes, just use butter. The sauce was Argentine chimichurri, and the country is thus hailed as the best place to eat beef.
The common green sauce we know, usually called pesto, is what Italians make with basil, pine nuts, and olive oil. But in Argentina, their green sauce uses Italian parsley, chili (Fresno or red jalapeño), olive oil, garlic, lemon, onion, and red wine vinegar, plus optional cilantro, oregano, mint, and other herbs. It's a perfect match for grass-fed beef. Here the Italian-style marinated peppers with meat are comforting—the peppers are great. But watching the kitchen bustle, I was a bit disappointed with the Basque roast: the sauce was poured cold, not heated. That's like pouring ice water on my flame. I'll just stick to salt-roast, no fuss.
We're all imperfect; why demand perfection from a list?
“The 2024 Hangzhou Michelin Guide showcases the excellence of the local dining industry,” said Gwendal Poullennec. “Our inspectors carefully selected the restaurants in this second edition. They ventured deeper into the city, observed Hangzhou's culinary development closely, and discovered several refreshing new restaurants. Whether starred, Bib Gourmand, or selected, Zhejiang cuisine plays a pivotal role, with local flavors shining brightly. The outstanding restaurateurs also left a deep impression. Thanks to the daily efforts of Hangzhou's dining community, the future of Hangzhou's cuisine is even more worth anticipating.”
Anyway, I'm still proud that Michelin came to Hangzhou.
The awarded “stars” truly have extraordinary qualities.
On April 29, 2024, Michelin unveiled the second Hangzhou Michelin Guide at the Grand Hyatt Hangzhou. I was genuinely happy for my friends. With 20 new entries this year, this is the ever-evolving Hangzhou.
This edition includes a total of 67 restaurants, up 16 from last year's 51:
8 one-Michelin-starred restaurants (2 new)
21 Bib Gourmand restaurants (9 new)
38 Michelin-selected restaurants (9 new)
3 special awards: Young Chef Award, Sommelier Award, and Service Award
This time, Michelin gave more opportunities to new and small eateries!
Even single-item shops championing local specialties—like A Bing's Exploded Eel Noodles and Fangchun Fried Dumplings—surged onto the Michelin-selected list, which says a lot. Those who love fine dining can absolutely trust this selection: quality is there, and you can spend as much or as little as you like.
🍴 AmbréCiel 珀
Cuisine is impeccable, no doubt. Let me introduce Alan, the master from Twelve Flavors of Sharp. Seniors describe him as a model of perfect Chinese-Western fusion, a chef with a designer's mind, gentle personality, and democratic management style. He represents a new model and trend distinct from the dominant old and new French kitchens—a celebrated Michelin-starred chef and gastronome.
Just back from the core region of Chinese black truffles, my plate is gradually getting closer to nature. I was honored to be invited by Alex to try Per's new “black truffle” vegetarian menu, a union of spirit and taste.
Alan is truly a seasoning magician. Xishuangbanna palm hearts paired with a sour, spicy, smoked truffle jelly—like a sexy fairy. He turned mushroom soup into macchiato foam; with the addition of steak fungus and black truffle, it's full of wild, savory meatiness. But this isn't some “carnal illusion”—the umami arises naturally. French pumpkin and chestnut mini-dumplings: pumpkin cream with Hebei Qianxi chestnuts, a touch of sage and caramelized onion precisely bringing it all together—exactitude.
Ratatouille, the classic from Ratatouille, gets a rainbow upgrade here. Korean mint and schizonepeta sketch the herbal essence of the land, memorable. Arrowroot, sugarcane, water chestnut drink and mango-pomelo sago are deconstructed and presented on the plate. This is the comforting aesthetics of the West.
Per believes in no additives, and the ecologically grown barley green juice and dendrobium juice are originally Eastern wisdom for restoring immunity. Renowned tea master Su Qi paired an organic tea menu; the “green plum boiled horse” brew is captivating. Now every week I bathe my insides. Today I joked that the bathwater was plum- and rose-scented. That's Eastern enjoyment.
East or West, as long as it's pure, one can perceive the energy of vegetarian food.
🥢 Guiyu Shan Fang (West Lake)
Guiyu Shan Fang has always been a restaurant I deeply respect—humble, quiet. Eating and drinking here, you feel the “heart” moving from outside to within. Good service and good food are two sides of the same coin, rooted in mindfulness.
Having a meal at Manjuelong, choose a spot “removed from the dusty world, yet richly fragrant.” In autumn, how could you skip Guiyu Shan Fang? I tell my friends that Manjuelong has been abundant in osmanthus since before the Ming dynasty; it's said there were over 7,000 osmanthus trees, some now over 200 years old. The crispy Jiangnan chicken, the oil-tender wild yellow croaker from the East China Sea, the milky osmanthus sauce yam paired with a Jiuqu Hongmei tea—so fragrant and glutinous you forget words.
Following the seasons, I think it's not just about eating what's there. Chinese believe in what nature intends for the diner. Hupao spring water pear simmered with five-head fish maw warms and moistens the lungs, with a touch of dragon tongue leaf to guard against autumn coughs; the crystal honeyed pear jelly finish brightens the throat. Song-style tea ceremony treats the eyes, feeding a measure of easeful cheer.
The once-in-a-lifetime Qiantang River whitefish—the heat and seasoning embody friendship, the back still plump, the belly perfectly salty-savory. Everything ends at the most beautiful moment and begins at the best time. The precisely judged steaming and seasoning reveal masterful skill.
Time is the most precious, all rooted in Chef Cheng's dedication to the flavors of life.
Sitting in the dense bamboo groves of Zixuan Resort, you get summer's comfort and coolness. This crab feast that followed was also awaited longingly, blooming like the last moments of summer.
Chef Haipeng, under Master Yu Bin, now deeply knows that “art is the end of a great chef.” He told me, inspired by The Grand Maison Tokyo, he created a creamy mushroom croustade with a ginger-flavored ice cream atop the crab dish—a brilliant idea Kimura would applaud. The appetizer, drunken crab roe and paste, adds shrimp paste for extra sweetness, paired by star sommelier Guo Ying with the hot small-grower Champagne Sève En Barmont Blanc de Noirs; its mineral structure and acidity are delicately anchored by a jelly of chrysanthemum vinegar, kombu, and lemon zest.
I love the menus done by Miss Yi—so elegant, each dish accompanied by literati illustrations and refined verses. Seeing the name “Fat Crab's White Jade,” I couldn't wait to bite into the eel maw stuffed with glutinous rice crab meat, then a slice of seared Suichang winter bamboo shoot, followed by a spoonful of consommé steamed egg—chasing the poetic mood on my tongue made it even more beautiful. The wine paired was my unputdownable “allocation wine,” a Beaune Premier Cru, full of the mellow aromas of acacia, amber, and honey. Beneath the freshness of the dishes, the creamy finish of the wine lingered on my palate—like a painting I'd just seen, it was a ballet in my mouth! For the first time, during full male crab roe season, the chef steamed crab with osmanthus and cinnamon for fragrance. This year's seasonal hormonal bliss was given by Jiexiang Lou.
Letting go brings you back to yourself. Truly returning to being a “lousy phone photographer” because when friends visit, you can't fuss so much that the dishes get cold before the guests leave—just want a comfortable meal. As Hangzhou's boundless leaves fell, I thought having a warm simple meal was lucky, so I chose Jiexiang Lou. Admiring the balsamic painting of Wagyu tempura on the plate, outside the window were the dancing shadows of Zixuan's trees. Back during Shanghai Fashion Week, when I represented dining trends talking about “Xi Shi's Breast,” I felt I praised it too ethereally. Today, eating Xi Shi's Breast Mapo Tofu truly shows that fugu milt fully deserves this tenderly enchanting stage name! Thinly fried yellow croaker with the fresh juice of pickled greens and winter bamboo shoots instantly defeated my chill; the savory force of fox nut fish maw almond cream, on a weak moment, warmed into my veins. I was surprised by the strawberries here, marinated in licorice and preserved plum juice—making winter salty and sweet.
Willow catkins turn to rain; I eat shrimp paste braised fish maw, Tongxiang smoked bacon with pickle kueh, and toon ice cream sachima—turning to rain in my mouth as well. But my late-night spring stirrings I entrusted entirely to fugu milt.
Chef Wang Yong's dishes always look gentle and simple, yet taste magnificent. This braised premium fish offal in yellow sauce contains crucian carp roe, dartfish bladder, and milt—chewy, sticky, tender, a burst of flavors in the mouth, immensely tasty. Add a small ball of rice, the milt becomes a savory tofu, more stealthy than pouring Maotai from a mineral water bottle.
If I must compare, the “Old Mom's Hog Maws” on the menu, if prodded, could come right after the milt. The boneless rich front trotter is stuffed with shark fin—crisp inside, tender outside. If I were a pig, I'd wish for wings to fly…
At Longjing Caotang, when the green hair hangs down, a bowl of warm soy milk—salty or sweet as you like—opens the heart and appetite. “Meaty Broad Beans” soaked in red-cooked fish broth, cradled by the natural MSG of “Shede,” are all dishes I consider profoundly high-class.
The surprise was tasting the star main course from the Red Mansion banquet, “Chicken Marrow Bamboo Shoots.” This was Grandmother Jia's favorite in Dream of the Red Chamber, and she even shared it with her beloved Baoyu and Daiyu. Just imagining the chicken fat drizzled over bamboo shoot tips, chicken breast paste, and bone marrow, those layers of fresh intensity, makes my mouth water as well.
Here I fully trust I can eat authentically good things. Among the foodie elites in my social circle, arguing with Teacher Xiao Bo about Jiangnan local ingredients requires a dictionary of deliciousness! Liangtouwu pork stewed rice, white-cut chicken made from local red-feathered chicken, and oil-exploded shrimp full of roe… I've already added them to my must-order list for next time.
Longjing Caotang has soft-shell turtle skirt with rice, stir-fried crab claws, “vegetarian Dongpo pork,” “meaty Broad Beans”—these kind of divine dishes that people yearn for. When it comes to minimalism in Chinese cuisine, it means picking the very best.
Taizhou cuisine now leads the Chinese culinary stage.
The charm of Xin Rong Ji lies in its disregard for cost, choosing only the finest. For discerning diners, eating a hundred exotic novelties can't compare to eating one really good thing.
Xin Rong Ji, with its quality of excellence and integration of local elements, produces an even richer and more brilliant fare.
Two restaurants newly awarded one Michelin star.
Hangzhou is a city of rapid change; regardless, Jack Ma's “embrace change” is still in the blood of Zhejiang merchants.
“An Xiang” switched from Chinese-style Western cuisine to pure Chinese cuisine within just a year, yet its outstanding output still caught the judges' eyes.
As for “Ru Yuan,” it's simply grown at the aesthetic pinnacle; all the seasonal scenery of the West Lake-area botanical garden, all the characteristic Hangzhou delicacies—it has it all!
Artist and gastronome Teacher Meimao commented: “For Ru Yuan newly entering the list, I think it was within expectations, because its environment, service, dishes, and wine list are all quite on par, especially the environment and service are very good, and the dishes are decently standard.”
An Xiang focuses on Taizhou seafood. Its young chef uses top ingredients shipped daily from his hometown to craft refined modern Chinese cuisine. The home-style braised yellow croaker and braised baby croaker with pickled greens are worth a try. The ginger taro duck soup reinvents traditional duck soup as a Western-style bisque—the chef's proud creation. The restaurant is named after brewer's yeast, showing its emphasis on wine; the wine list is comprehensive—chat with the sommelier about their newest acquisitions.
An Xiang has leveled up; its output has climbed another notch. When friends gather, there's always an exceptional cellar. Sip a clean, refreshing Saint-Aubin, then eat the chef's house-made Wagyu jellyfish ham—crisp and milky.
Alas, the Brunello di Montalcino might be tender, but my low tolerance limits me. The vinegar of spoiled lees lifts the seafood's beauty, sobering up. A bowl of rice stuffed with preserved vegetable and creamy needlefish to line the stomach. A jelly of lamb rock and green milk custard soothes after drinking.
The restaurant sits in a standalone building inside the botanical garden, designed in Southern Song style. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the ground-floor hall offer a full view of the garden's natural landscape. The menu presents traditional Zhejiang dishes and handmade dim sum, with the chef's delicate touch. Try the Hangzhou Xiangxue wine drunken crab—the wine lends a unique sweet aroma to the crab meat, melting on the tongue, the roe rich and unctuous. Dongpo braised pork and hand-peeled Longjing shrimp are also worth trying.
I had a lovely meal of pure Jiangnan sentiment amid the dense bamboo inside the botanical garden. My first time at Ru Yuan, the window itself a green-blue landscape painting, I was stunned by the scenery in front of me—wow, a wish fulfilled.
Chef Fu Yueliang is the inventor of the signature gold medal braised pork, a representative of Hangzhou cuisine, and founder of Lao Tou Oil Exploded Shrimp. His skill is extraordinary; any named Hangzhou dish he can create a classic version of. Cultivating both inner and outer, I thought—what a perfect match. No wonder just one month after opening, the day I went, there was barely a seat to be had. The lotus root sandwich is crispy outside and glutinous inside; the drunken crab is half Xiangxue, half Huadiao; the yellow wine foie gras, air-dried and shaved over snowflake beef. A Qiantang yellow rice fish cooked with jasmine, sweet-stewed. Others can be sweet; I can be salty. I especially love Ru Yuan's version of crispy salty chicken—as delicate as eating a savory bamboo shoot. The scallion cake is actually a refined ham puff, unforgettable after one bite. The explosive kidney flower with basil turns out to be Liangtouwu pork kidneys—full of flavor. Then a new jasmine Longjing sorbet, leaving no trace. The summer breeze gently blows, as if I ate nothing.
The night-blooming pearl inside Hangzhou Botanical Garden is Ru Yuan. The village-level Macon single-vineyard Chardonnay from Domaine Lafon is already fragrant with flowers, then melded with jasmine, Huadiao wine, and the aroma of river fish—closing your eyes, you're overcome by sweet freshness. The green crab fried rice cakes here are different, specially chosen from Zhuji—incredibly tender, wrapped playfully with crispy quinoa, not sticky to the teeth but fragrant. Wagyu enfolded in a thousand caresses of foie gras shavings, paired with a sweet Amarone, my chenpi red bean soup and a good coffee… what a night intoxicated by autumn breeze.
I'm still savoring Ru Yuan's three-layered bamboo shoot gold medal braised pork: pre-rain orchid bamboo shoots (white feeding-chicken sprouts) turned into an overnight pickle, last year's smoked shoots and winter dried shoots hidden together inside the “pagoda.” Bamboo from winter to spring, one begets two, two begets three.
The Michelin special awards are truly inspiring—all young standouts in the industry!
👨🍳 2024 Hangzhou Michelin Guide Young Chef Award
Mr. Lin Zihan from the newly starred An Xiang restaurant won this year's Hangzhou Michelin Young Chef Award. Born in 1995, Chef Lin graduated from the China Academy of Art. His passion for cooking drove him to assemble the An Xiang kitchen team in 2020, blending unique aromas, traditional flavors, and high-quality seafood from his hometown to build a modern Chinese restaurant. Dishes are meticulously prepared and superbly presented.
🍾️ 2024 Hangzhou Michelin Guide Sommelier Award
Mr. Li Minghui from the one-Michelin-starred Jiexiang Lou received this year's sommelier award. Mr. Li, a graduate of hotel management school, is passionate about wine and the restaurant trade. He excels at breaking conventions, pairing flavors and aromas with different beverages. His deep professional knowledge well supports and articulates his wine-pairing philosophy. Outstanding pairings enhance the dining experience, making it memorable.
💁♂️ 2024 Hangzhou Michelin Guide Service Award
Mr. Guan Yonglin from the newly starred Ru Yuan won the service award. Mr. Guan hails from Hangzhou. Gentle and cheerful, he possesses extensive knowledge of the restaurant's offerings and a deep understanding of its concept, as well as authentic Hangzhou dining culture. He not only provides attentive service but also vividly conveys the stories of local ingredients and the charm of the cuisine.
Michelin's inclusiveness comes from the world.
The 38 Michelin-selected restaurants cover Latin American, Chaozhou, Fujian, and other diverse culinary styles, illustrating the rich tapestry of Hangzhou's dining scene.
Yuan Yang Si Chu has worked hard for years and has finally achieved fruition. And places like Yan Zhu Chao, I personally think, would have trouble not winning awards. The combination of Master Huang Jinghui's dishes and Master Lu Yang's wines—in my heart, it's like the acrostic poem for Jin Yong's great heroes: “Snow flies, Shoots the white deer, Laughs at divine chivalry, leaning on jadeite lovers,” translated plainly: the protagonists formed a dream team!
This Bib Gourmand selection includes 21 restaurants, 9 newly added, encompassing more local flavors and noodle shop recommendations.
The shop daily brings in seafood from Yueqing Bay in southern Zhejiang. True to its name, the restaurant emphasizes ingredient freshness; small seafood like razor clams, oysters, and mud snails are not to be missed. The cuisine is mainly Wenzhou and Taizhou style, with varied cooking methods and affordable prices. The Wenzhou fish cake is sweet-fresh, firm yet springy, worth trying. Beyond seafood, also recommended is the sea duck soup prepared with Chinese herbs. Rice cakes and wheat flatbreads are also top-notch.
“No feast is complete without chicken” and “No feast without yellow croaker” join forces into one feast. In my heart, Alan, like sunshine, has become the master; this spread of land and sea is his grand-disciple's cooking. Just right—sip dendrobium wine on the left to get tipsy, and dendrobium juice on the right to sober up.
🍜 289 Vegetarian Noodle House
This small vegetarian shop near Zhongtianzhu Fajing Temple specializes in noodle soups, with some stir-fries and cold dishes. The mixed vegetable noodle contains bamboo shoot slices, peas, tomatoes, fried gluten, black fungus, and cashews, in a sweet tomato broth. It's advisable to order an extra plate of their house-made vegetarian dumplings, filled with dried tofu and pickled greens—crisp and refreshing.
🍜 Laicui Noodle House (Jimao Road)
Open for over a decade, it mainly serves noodle soups and dry-tossed noodles (ban chuan). The noodles are hand-rolled, with a curled shape that's springy and chewy. A wide variety of toppings is offered; the liver and kidney ban chuan is a must—fresh pork kidneys and liver, stir-fried upon order, full of wok hei.
I've only eaten there once. Later, because of Teacher Chen Xiaoqing's explosive popularity, now there's always a queue, so I can't frequent it as often. The restaurant is simply furnished, famous for authentic Xiaoshan cuisine. No paper menu; instead, a large array of local seasonal ingredients is neatly displayed for diners to choose. Steamed rice fish is a must-order at every table, with perfectly judged heat—the fish is tender and sweet-fresh. White-cut chicken is also a signature, using local free-range chicken with firm meat and true chicken flavor.
The New Liuhe brand was founded in 1987, focusing on old Hangzhou dishes. I've written about it at #Shenpo Blind Box Restaurant#.
This is the only restaurant in Hangzhou where the owner's face is more stern than at Jiangnanyi, but I haven't yet had the chance to hear her scold (if that's a talent); I'll write a fair review after witnessing. Because the old Hangzhou dishes are solidly good, some regulars queue from noon till evening. It's known that even big shots queue up, and queuing doesn't guarantee you'll eat. Like Michelin, it charges a reservation fee—no refund for no-shows. Having been hot for years, it has the capital to flaunt its age and fame.
The expensive dishes here usually “grow tails”—you might not catch them. By luck, I borrowed a table's chance and ordered a river rice fish, a treasure of this season.
🍜 Xiucai Lamb Noodles
To recreate the flavors of his hometown, the boss specially selects Tongxiang Hu sheep about 12 months old and Tongxiang thin noodles, delivered daily to Hangzhou. All parts of the lamb are available. I suggest the lamb and lamb offal noodle: the sweet-salty lamb is braised to flavorful tenderness, meat soft but not mushy; the offal is savory and fragrant, pairing with the sauce-clinging thin noodles for deep warmth.
The boss is a chef from Ningbo. The dishes focus on authentic Ningbo flavors with a touch of Hangzhou homestyle. The restaurant features small seafood, with fresh catches sent daily from Zhoushan, Ninghai, Wenzhou, and elsewhere; the menu changes according to daily ingredient supply and seasons. Traditional dishes include drunken mud snails, Ningbo roasted vegetables, and clams with pickled vegetables and broad beans. They also offer reservations for prized seafood, among which the local-style ginger-steamed river eel is recommended.
Teacher Meimao summed up: “I think one huge role Michelin has played is broadening the horizon of the domestic culinary scene—I consider this the most important. When Michelin-level foreign restaurants entered, first, they showed local restaurants another possibility, like such service and presentation—what we call plating. Especially the wine-pairing part, because they pay more attention to that. Before, Chinese didn't really mind it; they only drank baijiu or yellow rice wine. Wine pairing absolutely opened a new field, and I think that's great.
Over the years, despite various differing opinions and the feeling that they don't understand Chinese cuisine enough, overall the visible expansion of vision since Michelin arrived has led to obvious, significant progress in domestic dining, especially fine dining. That's the biggest effect.
The Chinese understanding of service used to differ from the Michelin style—Michelin has a sense of boundary, making you feel at home but not intrusive, which is crucial. Because previously, service in Chinese restaurants meant enthusiasm, making you feel at home like one big family, but sometimes it did intrude. So the introduction of new standards has set a very good example.
The younger generation of restaurateurs is completely different from the older ones. Many young chefs entered this profession out of interest and passion, and they genuinely put thought into their work, treating it as an art. I think this direction, this budding trend, is especially good. I believe the hope of Chinese cuisine rests on them.
I feel there's still a little regret. Places like Ziwei Hall at the West Lake State Guesthouse—I think its environment, output, service, and ingredients are all excellent. Also Yue Xuan and Hubin 28, they should largely fit the big picture; being in hotels, their setting, service, and everything are great. Still a bit regrettable they're not included.”
Looking forward, may Hangzhou illuminate more hidden stars.
Do you like Michelin?
“True generosity to the future
is to give everything to the present.”
Food Bless You!
Consultant for Once Upon a Bite
Owner of Divine Table
Producer of Wild China, Life Is Worth 369
