Ping Yue 品悅 - Chongming Hyatt Regency 崇明金茂凱悅酒店 [ Shanghai ]

 Chongming Island 崇明島,  is the 3rd largest Island in China.  It itself is bigger than all of Hong Kong Island,  Kowloon and the New Territories combined,  and is about 30 minutes drive from Shanghai Pudong.   We came to Chongming Hyatt Regency like a resort visit,  and here they also allow Pets,  which is large market in itself in China nowadays.    The food at their Ping Yue restaurant was mind blowing and locally Chong Ming Island based.  Very impressed by the meal here and sticking to the island’s traditions.   Really regional and amazing stuff that is pure yet innovative..

 

 

A few Photos of the Hotel Room and Surroundings itself.. 
My only complaint is that the Bar closes at around 10:30pm,  and we cannot find a Convenience store to Buy anything for now.   The Wi-fi Connection in the rooms are also patchy and we could not connect for hours at a time.   The food is totally amazing,  but these peripheral issue need to be addressed for a Customer to travel all the way to here and enjoy the Resort feel.

 

We were coming all the way to Dine at their Chongming Island Style Restaurant -
I love micro-regional cuisine and being the 1st time here,  I knew it was going to be educational for me. 

 

 

Appetizer of some Pickles with Chili -
It reminds me slightly of Korean Kimchi,  but they were always cross-referenced as food spread throughout the world via transitional movements nearby…  Even all the way to Japan,  Hawaii,  Guam,  Peru,  California or even Peru & more. 








Local Chongming Chilled Boiled Pork Cheek Meat - 祟明白切豬臉肉 RMB $56
Dipped into a slightly vinegary dip,  this was sliced precisely squarish.  It actually reminds me of French cuisine and their terrines.   Very good cold starter already..   ~ 8/10

 

Shanghainese Style Fried Smoky Fish - 老上海熏魚 RMB $68
This fish isn’t actually smoked by default as I have mentioned a few times,  it is just fried then marinated in a sweetish and spicy solution.  This is so crispy and moist,  better than any version available I have had outside of Shanghai or ChongMing Island,  served coldish.   It ended up not being the best version of this dish we have had on this particular trip at all but it was still missable…   ~ 9/10







Chinese Wine Marinated Abalone,  Prawns,  Duck Tongues and Snow Peas - 江南糟四鮮 $118
This was superbly done too.  For me it was so balanced for a cold appetizer and the bottom snow peas were so absorbing of the flavours.  I still remember this dish to this day and want to have it again…  Just wished there was more to share around.   ~  10/10

 

 

東灘醬 Local Free-range Duck fed on Reed  - 東灘醬燒蘆葦鴨 $62
This is a local duck and then cooked in a special solution and with aniseed.   Look,  I have had so many local wild ducks in my life especially in Canton regional places,  I think I can conclude that they are all chewy and tough.   Not here.  It was so balanced and tender,  with the right amount of vinegar and spices.   I so miss this perfectly executed duck.   ~ 15/10

 

 

Steamed then Chilled Local Chicken - 桔圓家戶雞 $68
This was just okay.  It was cooked perfectly mind you,  but it didn’t have much Chicken taste or texture.  Too dry thin to my liking and then we are entering into subjective area again..  ~ 6/10

 

 

Baby Zucchini Flowers with Local Veggies - 祟明有機蔬菜沙律 $52
I loved this cold salad so much.  It is grown locally on ChongMing Island and are such baby veggies.  With a slightly Sesame based dressing.   The veggies were semi-powerful in their own taste but what inspired me the most,  was that this was coming from a Chinese-Shanghainese-ChongMing Kitchen,  it was totally showcasing what the island is capable of in terms of locally grown veggies.  ~ 9/10 









ChongMing Island Crustacean Soup - 祟明鄉下濃湯 $88
This was disappointing to me as a Signature soup,  it didn’t have much complexity.  The Restaurant is going to hate me for saying this but I don’t care..  Just speaking the truth.  Too flat la. ; )   ~ 5/10

 

DongPo Black Pork with Abalone - 祟明散養黑毛豬 $198
Braised and paired with Fried Scallions as a new concept…  This was very soft and infiltrated tasty,  although one could argue the black pork DNA means the fat melted too much,  meaning it was too oily in the end.  I personally don’t mind it as it is mono-unsaturated fat plus I liked the Fried Scallions part.  To other customers however,  I would think its a bit too oily…  Abalone was a nice touch on top  N/A

 

 

 

Pretty Bread to go with the above Legendary Pork Dish from nearby Hangzhou to Shanghai -

 

 

 

Sliced Tofu in Fish Soup - 祟明大湯煮乾絲 $88
This is hard to rate,  but I think the soup could be stronger…  Despite the other components done right.  ~ N/A

 

 

 

Sizzling Wagyu Beef on Teppan Iron Plate - 滋味鐵板澳洲牛肉 $198
This was done really right and had the right Wagyu beef oil taste.  It came with some chopped tofu and lily bulbs,  also snap peas.  I normally think these dishes are so boringly 2 dimensional but this I was appreciating as a multi-dimensional creation.  Well done to make a Australian Wagyu dish alive and keeping the taste alive..   ~ 9/10

 

 

Half Shredded River Prawns with Tails On - 手剝長江蝦仁 $428
This dish is a very typical Shanghainese 凰尾蝦 boiled plate.  Here it uses the very local river prawns which comprises of both long Clawy ones and non-Clawy ones,  half of them are almost like Scampi and that is another review.   Amazingly plump sweet and it’s funny how customers will never find out these all came from 2 types of Prawns with totally different looks.   10/10 

 

 

Steamed Local Mandarin Fish Fish - 懷陽松子長江桂魚 $248
This was the fattier type than usual.  Slightly Muddy as expected and fishy…  It is pricy appreciated although all the farmed fishes in China these days are to me killing its potential.  All muddy fishes need to be detoxed for 3-7 days to keep the right taste but not the muddiness if you ask me..   ~ 7/10

 

 

 

White Organic White Amaranth - 有機白米莧 $88
The usual appealing ones are purplish but this is the greener/whiter version sprouts.  ~ 9/10

 

 

 

Salted Pork and Veggies Rice - 祟明砂鍋鹹肉飯 $58
A Staple rice in the Region.  This was only okay,  too healthy to me.   I have a personal issue with this recipe,  as in the past it was really porky and veggies like.      Nowadays it is too healthy and one can’t taste much…  It isn’t not understandable either,  imagine if you grew up eating all these greasy stuff.   Someone else will desire a healthier version.   Just like Peking Duck vs Da Dong,  its a long term strategy game…    ~ 7/10

 

 

Local Grass & Mochi Cake - 祟明砂鍋鹹肉飯 $58
This was so locally invented and we all loved it so much for the grassy and chewy texture.   Wish I could have this again everyday,  so unique on ChongMing Island indeed.

 

The Pets Friendly Hotel here -
It is probably more attractive to the locals than us in HK,  and if they could improve their Wi-Fi Performance.   The food meanwhile was so original and fantastic…  Wished I could be back to sample more.

Price:  RMB $250
Food:   ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2 
(Under 1 Hours Drive Away but totally Worth the Trip to This Meal,  for some iconic local ChongMing Island Dishes.  Oh yet,  only if they fix they Wi-Fi coverage. )

Address: Lane 799, Lan Hai Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming County, Shanghai, China.
Ph:  +86 21 6703 1235

 

 

舒蔡記 - Fried Pork Buns, Vegetable Rice, Curry Beef Soup, Traditional Shanghainese

 This shop was recommended by a wine and sake teacher friend who is a regular up here in Shanghai,  and it happens to be up along the same street stretch as what we wanted to visit many shops afterwards.  My memories of Shanghai are fading such is the development up here.   The fried Vegetables Rice here with Salted Pork and Lard Oil was totally what I grew up having but nowadays most shops make them too healthy and without the right taste.   But not here and glad to rediscover that old taste again!   I miss here so much! 

 

 

The Old School shopfront -
Apparently many people care about a classy decoration.  But for a real foodie,  its only the food which I crave.  I mean I have been to many Michelin 2-3* places in Europe which requires a dress code too lol.  It’s only the food which matters these days

 

 

The Salted Pork & Vegetables Fried Rice -

 

 

 

Fried Veggies Rice with Salted Pork,  Mushrooms and Lard Oil -
This was amazing.   The pork flavour really penetrated the rice grains and the veggies were the fresher green rather than pre-cooked type.   Sad to see this is not available in Hong Kong nowadays…  That was the whole spirit of original Shanghainese 菜飯 in my memory.    ~ 10/10

 

 

The Pork Buns being fried -
They are fried on a slanted angle…   Just to get rid of the oil sliding down to the other side of the pan instead of having them buns absorb all the oil.  Smart!

 

 

Fried Pork Buns 清水 生煎包 -
These were fried upside-down with the pleat side down,  the way I prefer it too and it really depends on the shops.    The pork jus literally exploded in your face but the sauce was a little thin here as it doesn’t use Gelatin from chicken feet or pork,  just like Xiao Loong Bao has many styles and hence they promote the 清水生煎包 here with a clearer soup base.  Quite good indeed but the above Salted Pork Veggies rice kicked ass even more.  ~ 7.5/10

 

 

Curried Beef Soup with Coriander and Vermicelli Noodles -
Another staple food in Shanghai but as my foodie friend pointed out,  this recipe can’t be nominally Shanghainese by default…  Pork and Seafood are the predominate diet here in Shanghai,  and curry isn’t that local a concept.  Logical deduction using Occam’s Razor theory made us think this must be a Muslim-Islamic Halal concept coming from Lanzhou 蘭州 or elsewhere nearby with a Muslim culture,  which is also popular here in Shanghai overall..! 

 

 

The Menu -
In hingsight it was rather farking cheap!   Especially for the high food quality presented overall : )

 

 

 

 

Dinner Price:  RMB $20
Food:   ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to  ♕♕♕♕♕

Address:  黃浦區雲南中路142-146號
+86 21 6361 1917

雍颐庭 Yong Yi Ting - Mandarin Oriental Shanghai, Pudong

 Yong Yi Ting inside new Mandarin Oriental Hotel Shanghai was our 1st official meal in Shanghai together as a group of traveling Foodies/Media/Bloggers.   It is headed by Chef Tony Lu,  who also runs Fu 1015,  the No. 16 Top Best Asia Restaurant on the Top 50 Pellegrino’s list.  His other ventures are at Fu1088,  Fu1039 and Fu He Hui,  which some of us later on decided to split the decision and went on to try another two of them side by side.   The food here at Yong Yi Ting is mostly based on local regional food from Shanghai and neighbouring provinces,  Jiangsu,  Zhejiang, Jiang Nan cuisine of Southern Yangtze River region.   Although these regional foods are usually grouped into one nowadays,  they do all have their minor regional differences and are transitional…

 

 

Wine Pairing tonight too -
Mostly French but appropriate.   This meal we look forward to so much for its regional tastes nearby.   Yet hard to distinguish sometimes due to the micro-regions. 

 

 

The Chinese Name is Kind of Poetic -
But don’t let this deter you from trying out here.   It was re-defining Shanghainese and surrounding Regional food stuff good.

 

Fried Lychee with Grapes -
Appetizer or like an Amuse Bouche.  Wasn’t expecting this summery variation dish as an opening starter…   Smart but it’s calculative.   ~ 8.5/10 

 

 

Crispy Pomfret Fish in Sweet Soy Sauce, 
Drunken Duck Foie Gras with Green Beans and Gorgon Fruit,
Wax Apple filled Truss Tomato in Sour Plum Sauce,
Vietnamese Vegetables Rice Roll with Sliced Spicy Lobster & Caviar -
My menu description is slightly different from the official version because I think this describes the recipes better.  All done pretty decently,  look I have high expectations with Hotel Food and I think this was meaningful,  I mean how many chefs in this world could think of stuffing wax apples into truss tomatoes and then soak it in sour plum sauce?   In comparison the pomfret fish was more expectable and normal.   ~  8/10

 

 

Minced Chicken Congee Soup with Bird’s Nest,  Yin-Yang Herbs,  Fried Dough Twist -
To me this is actually a very local Shanghainese dish,  but up-scaled to include Birds Nest and that Tai-Chi white on green look which is probably Chiu Chow cuisine inspired.   Although I am not Shanghainese,  this is actually the food I grew up with when back then everything in HK was Shanghainese or Chiu Chow before they one by one closed down.  I even attended a JiangSu Zhejiang school and learned Mandarin when young.   Even the narrower fried dough tonight is the correct style up here.  So Nostalgic.   Very well done dish…  ~ 9/10 

 

 

 

 

 
Crystal King Prawn with Sea Urchin Sauce and Fried Spanish Jamon Ham -
Totally a clap.  The prawn was sliced to maximize it’s crunchiness,  and this cooking method is also prevalent in Cantonese cooking where the prawn must be washed with running water for a long time -  in Hong Kong Tim’s Kitchen is also famous for this prawn dish.  Here it upgraded it with a sea urchins sauce and a Spanish ham to replace the normal Yunnan Chinese ham.   I wouldn’t call this fusion,  it just realized Spanish ham is really better for the purpose.   ~ 10/10

 

 

Braised Baby White Eel with Sauteed Baby Lotus Root -
To me this reminded me of the above Pomfret Appetizer fish dish too.  I think I might be biased as a Cantonese person when this is chopped horizontally rather than thinly sliced.   The Baby Lotus roots are cute and what you find in Vietnamese/Thai cuisine too.    For me this was a bit 1 Dimensional and perhaps can handle some more garlic,  alcohol,  chives, etc.   ~ 6.5/10

 

 

Stewed Pork Lion Head with Fresh Cattail veggies,  Yangzhou style -
This is a recipe usually associated with Shanghai but it’s actually from Yangzhou nearby.  I love both the clear-soup or red-braised versions,  here it was done with flying colours with many layering from broth to lion head taste plus pillowy texture.   ~ 9/10

 

 

Mandarin Fish 2 Way -
Sauteed Slice with Pickled Cucumber,
Fried Fish Roll with Almond Slivers coating and Melon stuffing..

 

 

2nd Course -
Fried Fish Roll with Almond coating and Melon stuffing.   Both dishes were executed well knowing this is a local fish variety,  although more bred than wild-caught these days..   ~ 7.5/10

 

 

 

Soy Braised Water Bamboo,  Shrimp Roes and Green Peas -
This has always been one of my favourite dishes but this time it differed in that it was a much Thicker rather than the Thinner Water Bamboo Stems I am used to.   I thought the Prawn Roes taste could be even more prominent or toasted,  but it was still a very local dish done Classy.  ~ 8/10

 

 

 

Red Amaranth Mushrooms Dumplings,  Black Truffle Shanghainese style Sumai, 
Hairy Crab Meat Puff -
These to me are all Shanghainese influenced but with a micro smart twist to the recipes.   In Hong Kong side slightly similar but not totally the same recipes can be found -  as I have always said along,  there is a Shanghai-Hong Kong Bank existing for a reason but semi-controlled by the British Shareholders.  A lot of what is available in Hong Kong nowadays were shaped by the influx of migrants down South in HK during the post WWII Days from Shanghai and Cantonese regional regions,  plus many more.   This to me was done very loyal yet inventive to Shanghainese and nearby cuisine.   ~ 9/10      

 

Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Red Date Ginger Syrup (Top Left),
Lotus Seed Pastry Puff (Top Right),   Walnut Shaped Puff (Bottom Left),  
Chrysanthemum Shaped Spring Roll (Bottom Left) -
This was rather technical and precise.   Look,  some people found this to be a bit expected as I asked around but from a Pastry Chef’s point of view I think these were done quite precise and also locally inspired.  ~ 9/10

 

Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Red Date Ginger Syrup -
The skin was a little too thick to my liking,  but they did tried to add in stripes.   It did split a bit in the end and fillings were leaking out… But that all happens when you try to push the edge and try to re-define the next stage of Shanghainese and nearby cuisine.  ~ 7/10

 

The Night View -
Good Night beside the Bund and the Pearl Tower.  Nice bed and room to rest finally.  It was only like 11pm. 

 

 

 

Dinner Price:  RMB $1380 with Wine
Food:   ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 to  ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Address: 111 Pudong Road (South), Pudong, Shanghai 200120, China
Ph:  +86 (21) 2082 9888