Menu of success ensures a taste of culture
Huaiyang cuisine's subtle but elegant style is a diplomatic triumph, Li Yingxue reports.
One of Huaiyangfu's signature dishes, stir-fried crab meat on toast, was a popular choice at the table. Wang explains that they use the meat and roe from 10 crabs from Gaoyou Lake in Jiangsu province to prepare the dish.
"We serve it in a modern way, allowing diners to enjoy the crab meat by placing it on a slice of toast," Wang says.
According to Wang, Huaiyang cuisine is based on two types of knife skills: visible and invisible. While chrysanthemum tofu showcases visible knife skills, dishes like gourd duck with eight treasures highlight invisible knife skills.
"In the case of this dish, the bones are meticulously removed from the duck using a knife. Then, eight ingredients are added before the duck is shaped like a gourd, which symbolizes auspiciousness," Wang explains.
"Our Dutch guests truly relished our food, as most of the dishes were devoured," he says.
For dessert, Wang served Kalimeris ice cream, which they also thoroughly enjoyed.