Sculpted Delights: A Culinary Journey

Date: October, Companions: Friends, Activities: Gourmet Dining, Photography, and a Touch of Bohemian[...]

Date: October, Companions: Friends, Activities: Gourmet Dining, Photography, and a Touch of Bohemian Lifestyle. Published on 2019-10-28 07:19.

A dinner invitation from a friend led me to believe I had entered a miniature sculpture culture-themed museum, with brick, wood, and stone carvings permeating the entire restaurant. The lobby with its octagonal windows is exquisite, and the private dining rooms feature carved beams and columns, creating an ethereal atmosphere reminiscent of a jade palace.

[Restaurant Name] Sculpted Delights.
[Address] Level 1, L110-111, Star Plaza Center, No. 328 Tiandong Road.
[Transportation] Option one: Take metro line 10 to Tiandong Road Station, exit at gate 3, and walk 550 meters to reach the destination. Option two: Take metro line 12 to Tiandong Road Station, exit at gate 3, and walk 470 meters to reach the destination.

Reservations are required for the 11 private rooms, which are usually fully booked on the day. The lobby offers ample seating, and weather permitting, one can sit outside the restaurant to enjoy the food while watching the beautiful people pass by.

The restaurant entrance.
The private rooms.
The lobby.

The semi-open kitchen enclosed by glass allows a clear view of ducks being roasted in an electric oven with jujube wood.

#Yunnan Ham Pomegranate Parcel# Thin bean leaves wrap the wild shepherd’s purse tofu, shaped like a pomegranate, delicate and small. When served, dry ice releases a misty aura, giving a sense of returning from the mundane world.#Qianlong’s Cabbage#
This simple cold dish has a moderate amount of sesame sauce on the cabbage, without excessive soup. The rich sesame sauce with a sweet and sour taste, combined with the crisp and refreshing texture, is extremely appetizing. I practically ate it all by myself, making it the best cabbage dish I’ve ever tasted. No wonder Qianlong named it ‘Qianlong’s Cabbage,’ turning it into a famous dish in the capital, transforming a common vegetable into a delicacy. It is said that during his incognito visits, Qianlong once tasted it in a humble restaurant and praised it highly. Later, he named the dish ‘Qianlong’s Cabbage,’ and the reason must be the superb taste. The secret of this dish lies in the ratio of the sauce: since sesame paste is thick, it is better to dilute it with old vinegar to achieve a viscous texture, and with the addition of honey, the sauce can evenly coat the cabbage leaves, ensuring a balanced flavor. Secondly, do not dilute the sauce to a watery state, as it would lose its texture, so no water should be added when mixing the sauce.

#Shanghai Style Goose Lip#
It is rare to eat the soft skin around the goose’s beak in restaurants. This restaurant marinates the goose lips with its own secret seasoning, allowing the flavors to permeate the meat. The texture is tender yet chewy, with a smooth, refreshing, and robust flavor that lingers in the mouth, making it a small yet satisfying delicacy.

#Roast Duck with Fruit Wood#
Truly lives up to the shop’s signature dish.

A bite into it is incredibly refreshing.The chef’s on-site duck slicing and plating performance is impressive. As the knife glides through the duck and it lands on the plate, the thin skin and mutton-free duck meat roasted with fruit wood are presented. The pancake skins, separated by paper each, wrap seasonings (cucumber, scallion, hawthorn, sugar) placed in a four-compartment wooden box. The combination of skin and meat is just right, and the tender and fragrant flavor overflows in the mouth.

#Pan-Fried Steamed Buns# Dip it in vinegar and take a bite. As soon as it enters the mouth, the delicious juice flows out as the dough skin breaks, slowly flowing down my throat. The juice is not greasy, not too hot, not too salty. With careful tasting, one can even feel a hint of sweetness.

#Wasabi Prawn Balls# Have one while it’s hot. At first, there is a slight stimulation of wasabi that crashes into the mouth, instantly opening up the appetite. Then take a gentle bite, and the springy prawn meat immediately brings a fresh and fragrant taste, leaving a lasting aftertaste.

#Hot and Sour Crystal Vermicelli# When the hot and sour vermicelli is served on the table, each translucent strand is immersed in the delicious soup. The razor clam meat is like scattered stars on the soup. The aroma permeates the internal organs, making your mouth water uncontrollably. Pick up a slippery vermicelli like a loach and put it in your mouth. Before you can savor it carefully, it slides down into the stomach. The sour and spicy taste dances on the tip of my tongue, and the taste buds play between the lips and teeth.Take another sip of the soup. The soup seeps into every cell of the body. Sometimes it is mellow and not greasy, and sometimes the aroma overflows in every cell of the mouth. It’s a pity that this taste should only exist in heaven. How many times can one taste it on earth? #Flavorful Radish# Yunnan sandy radish is cooked with high soup made from Jinhua ham, dried scallops, sea cucumbers and other three treasures of sea cucumbers. The radish absorbs the flavor of the high soup, turning an ordinary and mediocre dish into a nutritious delicacy that makes people’s index fingers twitch. #Radish Seedlings# Tender and fresh. After eating too much meat dishes, having a serving of radish seedlings can remove excess grease. #Fresh Fruit Napoleon# A meal without dessert is like a beauty missing an eye. This post-meal dessert is an extremely large Napoleon with three layers: mango on the top layer, dragon fruit on the second layer, and blueberries on the third layer. The sweetness of the fruits and the saltiness of the cheese are combined, and the rich layers come together in the mouth, surely satisfying diners who like this dessert.