Experience the home of modern Chinese food at Oriental House
Modern Chinese food is everywhere in Shanghai nowadays, but few places does it as fluidly as Oriental House. They combine traditional Chinese flavors with modern cooking techniques, bringing more taste, texture, and complexity to your favorite Chinese dishes. To find out more, we talked to founder Victor Ruan on his inspiration, dining trends, and what he enjoys eating at home.
在上海到处都能看到现代中式料理，然而很少餐厅能做到醉东的层次。他们使用现代烹饪技法，传承传统中国滋味，为你最爱的中式菜肴增添更多风味和口感。想了解他们是如何做到的吗？那就跟着我们一起和创始人阮博平聊一下他是如何获得创意与灵感的，他对餐饮趋势的看法，以及他最爱的家乡菜。
Where are you from and how did you get into the f&b business in Shanghai?
I was born in southern China, and I grew up enjoying the food in my hometown. I was in fashion industry in Shanghai, but I’ve always loved food and wanted to open a restaurant that infuses my hometown food into global cuisines.
你来自哪里？你是如何进入上海餐饮行业的？
我出生在中国南方，从小特别爱吃家乡的美食。之前一直在上海做服装，但自己是个特别爱吃的人，由于这份对美食的热爱与执着，特别想开一家能把家乡味道融入世界美食的餐厅。
Victor Ruan 阮博平
What is the concept of Oriental House and what inspired you to create it?
Lu You, a prominent poet during the Southern Song dynasty, wrote, “I return to my house by Lake Mirror, and drink good wine by the fence every day.” We wanted to recreate that feeling of being home and treating yourself. We initially started with the name 最东 (zuì dōng), which means the furthest east, to convey that we’re an authentic Chinese restaurant. Then we changed the name to 醉东, which sounds exactly the same but means to indulge in the charms of the orient. That’s how we got our name Oriental House 醉东.
Oriental House背后的涵义是什么？是什么激发了你创造它的灵感？
“言归镜湖上，日日醉东篱。”——陆游《读吕舍人诗追次其韵》初心是“最东”，想要呈现“最”东方的情怀，沉醉于迷人的东方，于是我就借用了陆游诗词中的“醉东篱”的意境来命名自己的餐厅——醉东Oriental House。
What are your signature dishes?
Crispy pork intestines is one. It's crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. We use the intestines from free-range pigs, marinate them in our homemade sauce, and let them dry naturally. To get rid of the fat inside the offal, we put a piece of fresh garlic stem, which we found out only after many experiments. Quail eggs boiled in rum is another signature dish. You can taste the mixture of rum, Chinese medicinal herbs, and tea in them. Then there’s our mapo tofu. It was invented by an elderly lady in Sichuan, and in Japan I tried one version made by her descendant. We now cook it in that style here.
你们的代表菜是什么？
“脆皮肥肠”是本店的创意招牌菜之一，外脆里嫩、肥而不腻！特选农家土猪的肥肠，利用秘制老汤卤制，自然风干而成。在料理的过程中，研发小组也为了去除肥肠的油腻，经过了长时间探讨实验，最终决定在大肠中间加上一段新鲜蒜苗。朗姆酒茶叶鹌鹑蛋也是本店招牌，朗姆酒的香味渗透到鹌鹑蛋中，有一种复合的酱香味，重点不是吃出酒味而是鹌鹑蛋中有一种中草药、朗姆酒、茶叶的复合香味，是我们的创举！"麻婆豆腐”也是我们的特色菜，由一名四川老奶奶发明。我在日本吃到了陈阿婆后裔做的正宗麻婆豆腐。在陈阿婆关门弟子的指导下，终于研发出我们今天吃到的这道传统正宗的豆腐料理。
How do you compete against similar and more established concepts in Shanghai?
Our interpretation of Chinese dishes infuses both Chinese and Western cooking philosophies. We source our ingredients as close as possible to their places of origin, and cook them using traditional Chinese methods and Western techniques such as molecular gastronomy, sous-vide, and smoking with oak. Although we cook with modern techniques, we try to adhere as closely as possible to the traditional flavors of a dish.
相较于目前在上海已有的类似理念，你们的竞争优势在哪里？
醉东虽是中餐但又区别于其他中餐馆，怀着对世界美食探寻和挖掘，加入了我们自己对美食的理解，中式美食运用新式烹调方法、创意设计搭配，中西碰撞，给客人带来上海首创的全新味蕾融合体验。选取每道菜品原产地最正宗的原材料（大肠、羊排、海鲜等），即使以较现代的手法加工烹饪，仍然能够使顾客清晰理解和感受到每一道菜品里对传统口味的敬意。
What are some dining trends you see happening?
This industry is getting younger and more diversified. Young people are becoming the main consumers and this changes the entire f&b business. For example, restaurants can become popular online and this attracts a younger crowd. Many of these restaurants also offer food that are plated beautifully. But we should always keep in mind that taste lies at the heart of the f&b industry.
你认为目前有哪些餐饮趋势正在流行开来？
多元化，年轻化。八零、九零后成为餐饮的消费主体大军，那么餐饮行业随着改变也会发生改变，比如从消费习惯和消费概念来说，那些在网络上曝光率极高，被网民传播率极高的网红餐厅，更加的符合年轻消费群体的观念和习惯。大多数所谓的网红餐厅都是好玩好看并且有着好吃产品的创业类餐厅，这让人喜欢新奇和多元化个性的年轻人十分喜欢。但做餐饮要记住，味道永远是本质。
What do you eat back home?
I grew up eating a dish of braised pork with meigancai (a preserved vegetable). Nowadays few people would make this dish because it’s oily and salty, and not very healthy. I wanted to preserve this dish from my childhood memory while incorporating some modern touches, so I added fresh mozzarella. Now on the menu is braised pork with meigancai topped with cheese.
你的家乡人民一般都吃些什么菜？
在我童年，有一道菜陪我走过几乎整个童年的料理。那就是“梅干菜扣肉”!现如今，因为人们对自身健康意识的提高，已经很少有人去做这道口味油腻偏咸的料理。我很希望这道传统却富有童年记忆的料理能够传承下去。为了适应现代人的口味和对食客健康的保障。使用年轻人喜爱的新鲜马苏里拉芝士对其进行改良。这就是现在这道传统却新颖的醉东原创料理“奶酪焗梅干菜肉末" 。
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