Tracing the origins of rice

A simple braised beancurd dish. [Photo by Pauline d. loh / shanghai star]

The other poultry that is commonly used in the region is duck, and anyone familiar with Hangzhou cuisine will instantly think of the classic Old Duck Soup, lao ya tang.

We had duck soup as well, and while we are not told if it was a young or old bird, the addition of bamboo shoots and Chinese ham made it a bowl to linger over. Intensely flavored but not overwhelming, it was a welcomed tonic to start the autumn season with, a soothing soup to warm the stomach and the heart - especially if you were going to feast on hairy crabs in the same meal.

These freshwater crabs from neighboring Yangcheng Lake are notoriously "chilling" to the constitution, and should always be eaten with "warming" foods to neutralize the consequences. That is why hairy crabs are often served with ginger julienne in dark vinegar, and washed down with cups of sweetened ginger tea.

Another "farmer's dish" that was excellent with our bowl of rice came in a steaming earthen pot. Beancurd, first fried and then braised with a palate-pleasing assortment of vegetables, was unexpectedly good, and devoid of pretentions. It could have come straight from the farmer’s primitive stovetop.

My favorite vegetable of the day could have come straight from the farmer's backyard as well. It was a platter of crisp, lightly pickled Chinese white cabbage. What makes this so special is that only the young tender hearts of the cabbage are used, and a slightly spicy sweet and sour pickling liquid transformed the vegetable from mundane to delicious in just 24 hours.

Zhao Yilian is the young lady owner of the restaurant. A Tianjin native, she and her husband put down roots in Suzhou because they saw the opportunities for growth here. Obviously, they have found their niche, because they now manage two restaurants.

While they are proud of their local executive chef, they have added little Northern Chinese touches to their promotional menus. For instance, there is a cold braised beef shin, sliced into wafer-thin discs and served as part of a classic appetizer.

And then, they are planning to offer mutton hot-pot as the weather cools.

Most of all, they have hit upon a growing trend and have exploited it to their advantage. Modern diners are tired of fancy restaurant food, over garnished and over-embellished. What we want now is honest down-home flavors, with seasonal ingredients, locally sourced, prepared simply, but well.

Suzhou Industrial Park is an easy two-hours'drive from downtown Shanghai, and is a good weekend escape on an excursion that includes Yangcheng Lake and the newly-opened Suzhou Village retail outlets.

If you go

Shuidao Tian Jiangnan Flavors Address: Jiuhua Road, Block 11, Unit 101 Suzhou Industrial Park 江蘇省蘇州工業園區 九華路中央景城11棟101室 Tel: 0512-6262-1717