Description:
Anonymous, yet yummy, Hunan food restaurant in a local neighborhood.
Address:
132 Yanqing (pronounced Yan-ching) Road, on the corner of Huating Road. Yanqing Road is a small one-way street that many taxi drivers might not know, so use Huating Road to tell them where to go.
Metro Line 1, Changshu Road station - exit toward Huating Road, the restaurant is the only one at the intersection of Yanqing and Huating Roads.
Neighborhood:
French Concession
Cuisine:
Hunanese (spicy)
There is a big brown ceramic pot outside where they brew (in smaller, individual clay pots) an amazingly flavorful duck soup. Think your mom's homemade chicken soup, Chinese style. If you can get over the unsavory looking parts of the duck floating in your soup - just dish up the broth - then order one of these on a cold, dark winter's evening and you'll be in heaven. Take home your leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.
Price:
Inexpensive - 150rmb for 2 people
Hours of Operation:
Daily 11-2:30 lunch, 5:30-10pm dinner.
Guide Comments:
- This restaurant is right down the street from where I live and every time I walk by, it's packed with locals and foreigners alike. There's a big brown ceramic pot outside that I've seen kitchen staff fishing in for pots of steaming soup. The soup is delicious, some of the tastiest stock I've ever had.
- There's no need for reservations here, just walk in. The staff will show you an English menu. They'll enthusiastically recommend the soup from outside (go for it) as well as some other specialties including the shrimp on skewers. Order this only if 1) you don't mind hand-peeling your own shrimp, and 2) you really like shrimp - it's a huge order. Besides the soup, I like the spicy chicken, sword beans with pork and peppers and the pork spare ribs.
- This is a very local, no frills kind of place. It's great if you're in the neighborhood or just want some local-style dishes at a place that doesn't cater to foreigners.
