Traditional and Authentic Taste of Old Shanghai at Wulixiang
We've given Pacific Century Place some flack lately for being so crowded at lunch, but as Gretchen Weiners said, "It's not their fault they're so popular." In fact, it deserves its newfound demand, as it gets more and more charming, with Dubujib, Cinker Cinemas and PIC Café, Bruno Boulangerie, Levante’s, Cup One, and Matchall. But with all this posh-ness floating around, the booming new food court has proven it can also provide some classic, down-home flavors, too, with the addition of homestyle Shanghainese cuisine at Wulixiang.
Located on the ground floor of the bustling center, Wulixiang has an elegant dining area and three private rooms, with merely 40 seats in total. Wulixiang roughly means “home” in Shanghainese, which suits the concept that Shanghainese chef Zhu Haifeng wants to offer his customers: authentic Shanghainese homestyle cuisine. With a culinary career spanning over 20 years that brought him countless awards, Zhu first started a small homestyle private restaurant, with meals only available with a reservation three days in advance at Xiezuo Hutong four years ago, and this new restaurant is his new attempt to cater more customers' cravings. “In the face of so much creativity and innovation in today’s restaurant scene, many old dishes are being forgotten. I want to make sure that these dishes are passed on to the next generation, no matter how intricate the cooking methods are or how specific the ingredients.”
Fried shrimp (youbao xia, 油爆虾, RMB 128)
Signature dishes include drunken chicken (RMB 58), sweet-and-sour ribs, red-braised pork belly (RMB 108), and scallion oil noodles (RMB 28). We kicked off the meal (naturally) with some of the starters – we tried the fried shrimp (yóubào xiā, 油爆虾, RMB 128) with crisp, sweetened shells; the smoked fish (RMB 58), a popular dish on the Shanghainese table during Spring Festival, which was seasoned to perfection with sweetness and a nice brown glaze; and baked spongy gluten (kǎofū, 烤麸, RMB 38), which was soft and marinated with a mix of mu’er.
Stuffed river snails (RMB 88)
As for the mains, the stuffed river snails (RMB 88), a traditional dish that is hard to find today even in Shanghai, were a rare treat. The snail meat was removed, and the shell stuffed with minced pork and steamed. The sizzling eel (RMB 88) is more like a performance than a dish, for which the waiter pours the fragrant oil in front of you onto the freshly cooked strips of wild-caught eels, to bring the pepper and umami aromas to another level. We especially enjoyed the pepper beef (RMB 138), which featured garlic, butter, and loads of black pepper. The beef was cooked tender, and every bite was like a little pepper bomb in your mouth, making you crave more.
The star of the meal was the "eight treasures stuffed duck," which is also a common highlight of Shanghainese Spring Festival feasts, and can be dated back to 1750. It requires a lot of effort and high-quality ingredients – sticky rice, lotus seeds, ham, chicken, dried scallops, dried shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots – combined in a four-hour cooking process including a cycle of roasting and steaming to allow the flavors to penetrate the duck completely (think stuffed turkey at Thanksgiving). Once done, the beautifully glazed skin demands to be shared with your lovely family and friends. The rendition here was amazing, the skin was crisp, and the stuffing was rich with the cornucopia of ingredients' savory and spicy flavors. Indeed, the dish made us feel like celebrating.
Shanghai-style pepper beef (RMB 138)
True to his Shanghai roots, Zhu has successfully managed to provide traditional and authentic Shanghainese dishes through his meticulous eye for ingredients and his dedicated effort, without relying on dazzling or eye-catching plating. It is probably the best Shanghai cuisine we’ve had in Beijing. Make sure you call them at least three days in advance to reserve the true specialty dishes.
Wulixiang
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10pm
1/F, Pacific Century Place, 2A Gongti Beilu Chaoyang District (6539 8660)
屋里厢：朝阳区工体北路甲2号
Photos: courtesy of Wulixiang, Tracy Wang
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