Shanghai Nosh Advisory, has teamed up with City Weekend to show you some of the best authentic local fare in Shanghai. In this blog, we visit Kong Yi Ji Restaurant to check out some tasty Shaoxing cuisine.

Two common terms to used to describe the cuisine of Shaoxing are pickled (yān, 腌) and mildewy (méi, 霉). The collective Shaoxing kitchen is a petri dish where molds, yeast and bacteria are used to preserve and manipulate the flavors of foods. The result being a trio of hallmark ingredients which are often described as the “three stinkies” (sān chòu, 三臭), in reference to fermented tofu, plus similarly pungent pickled mustard greens and winter melon. Not surprisingly, Shaoxing food is poorly received in comparison to most other Chinese regional styles, but after a recent trip to Shaoxing, I have gained at least a limited appreciation for these acquired tastes.

Perhaps you were repulsed by your first experience with blue cheese or kimchi, but then developed a fondness for these strong flavors after repeated exposure with proper food pairings. Acquiring any appreciation for dishes such as fried stinky tofu (chòu dòufu, 臭豆腐) or cubed pork belly braised with pickled mustard greens (gāncài mènròu, 干菜焖肉) requires a similar process, as Shaoxing food is strange by any standard. Moss fish sticks, which I took to quickly, are perhaps one notable exception and I describe these later on.

Many Shaoxing favorites are often dubbed bar snacks (xià jiǔ cài, 下酒菜), which literally help the “booze go down”. The local beverage of choice is huángjiǔ (黄酒), a wine made primarily from glutinous rice, which to me has a taste similar to cooking brandy. It is in fact very well suited to preparing food, such as meats braised with soy, if used sparingly. If you want to give the Shaoxing dining experience a fair chance you must drink this. I found that the warmth and sweetness of huángjiǔ is a prerequisite for a barrage of fermented dishes, to be eaten slowly with drink over time.

On a scale of expat palatability – with thousand-year egg rating a one and kung pao chicken a maximum ten – stinky tofu would rate a two and pork belly braised with fermented greens a mere three. But once you are a few catties into the huángjiǔ, a phenomenon occurs. The stinky tofu is less repulsive and the crunchy outside, pungent taste and soft innards are reluctantly enjoyable. Fatty pork belly with sharp preserved greens seems less salty and rich, especially when eaten with white rice. The tough exterior of a pickled bamboo shoot lends way to a tender core after a leisurely chew.[1]

There are at least four main categories of Shaoxing huángjiǔ, which are differentiated by sweetness and alcohol content. The jiāfàn (加饭) variety, fortified by the addition of extra rice during the fermentation process, is a popular option with locals. Classified as a semi-dry huángjiǔ variety, the strong alcohol taste made this my least favorite choice. Save jiāfàn huángjiǔ for the stew and instead choose a semi-sweet variety, such as diāowáng (雕王) or shànniáng (善酿).

If you are curious about sampling the Shaoxing dining experience while in Shanghai, Kong Yi Ji Restaurant (孔乙己酒家), located in the Huangpu Old Town area, is perhaps the best choice. There are a wide of huángjiǔ and snack food options available in a charming little dining hall, decorated in homage to famed Shaoxing author Lu Xun.

Kong Yi Ji serves baskets of moss fish sticks (táitiáo xiǎo huángyú, 苔条小黄鱼) with vinegar dip and these are simply astounding. A moss batter gives the fish stick shell a subtle green hue and aside from an earthy touch, the taste is all croaker and fry-up. Marinated broad beans (huí xiāng dòu, 茴香豆), a famed Shaoxing bar snack, are a fine accompaniment.

[1] Note that the Scale of Expat Palatability is wholly based on the opinions of Shanghai Nosh Advisory and is not the result of any statistical sampling or formal study.

DETAILS

What:Kong Yi Ji Restaurant (孔乙己酒家)

Where: Xuegong Street (at Lao Xi Men Wenmiao), 黄浦区学宫街36号(近老西门文庙)

Tel: 021-63767979

English menu: no