Sating a crustacean fixation

Wang stocks three basic types of huangjiu at Shaoshisan, each using different proportions of rice and water to create different colors and flavors. As a general rule of thumb, the darker the liquor, the stronger the taste.

"Each year we start to make huangjiu in November at Shaoxing with freshly harvested grains and it keeps on fermenting in jars until the following April or May. The longer the ingredients ferment, the richer the flavors become," says Wang.

Wang also serves his customers a special huangjiu named Dafan, which is a blend of three types of liquor which presents a more well-rounded flavor.

The 53-year-old Shanghai chef moved to Beijing in 1994 and started cooking Shanghai cuisine, which is essentially a combination of Huaiyang and Cantonese cuisine.

After having spent two decades as the executive chef at the Jiangzhe cuisine restaurant chain, Kongyiji, Wang opened Shaoshisan in 2017 to focus on his love for fresh ingredients and authentic flavors.

"There is nothing more important than eating," says Wang.