Best Food In China

Location

Located on the second floor of the Guomao Ritz Carlton, Yu is a tea-themed Cantonese restaurant with a modern flair. The interior is swathed in lucky red and dark wood with golden beige accent pieces, which creates a feeling of warmth and comfort. Attention is paid to even minute details, from the tea corner to the silk wrapped menus. But while the entrée menus are impressive, the tea list is simply unique. The menu includes a dozen tea samples encased within the menu next to a detailed description and benefits of each type of tea. Our waiter mentioned the house tea sommelier could help guide our choice of tea towards the perfect mealtime pairing.

We started out with a tasting of xiaochi, including marinated seaweed, glutinous rice stuffed lotus root and delicately sliced meat terrine. The plate was artfully decorated with the tasty morsels whose flavors were as impressive as the plate presentation. The pork rib with Chinese yam and fox nut soup, offered in a traditional porcelain pot, was a savory, milky broth studded with chunks of tender pork and barley. Delicious. Next we sampled a plate of sautéed filet with asparagus and bell peppers in a black bean sauce. The sharp tang from the fermented beans paired well with the richness of the beef. The sweet and sour king prawns with crispy rice crust and jiangye sauce was a table favorite. Despite the connotation of sweet and sour dishes with a foreigner’s palate, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the light, crunchy crust on the meaty shrimp. The rice crisp added a lovely textural dichotomy. We also tried a new dish from the chef, braised chicken ball and sweet pumpkin in a coconut broth. The pumpkin was perfectly tender and the broth was lightly scented with coconut, which lent a slightly Thai feel to the dish. Our vegetable course was a bowl of simple, yet superbly cooked kongxincai (morning glory) with garlic in superior soup. My Chinese tablemates commented that the taste was especially light and flavorful. The chef also presented us with a serving of his famous fried rice, with bits of egg, Chinese chives and topped with fried garlic. The chef used non-traditional jasmine rice which gave the fried rice subtle nutty undertones. The final fruit plate, including ripe firm pieces of dragon fruit, peach, kiwi and watermelon, was an appropriate end to our light and flavorsome meal.

The service at Yu is quick and alert, with particular attention paid to the pace of our meal. Our Pu Er tea was a robust match to the lightness of our Cantonese meal. In a town with few high end Cantonese options, Yu offers quality food, good service in elegant surroundings sure to impress work colleagues or out of town guests.

-- by Phoenix Torrijos

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