For many in Taipei, Tien Hsiang Lo is a synonym for Hangchow cuisine, which, to many gourmands, is also a synonym for unique and exquisite delicacies. The original Tien Hsiang Lo restaurant in Hangchow dates back more than 100 years.
After the Chinese Civil War, in 1949, the main chefs of this famed restaurant fled to Hong Kong where they established the equally famous Hong Kong Tien Hsiang Lo. Thirteen years ago Stanley Yen (嚴長壽), president of Taipei's five-star Ritz Landis, dispatched chefs to Hong Kong with a mission to learn classic Hangchow cuisine from the chefs of the original Tien Hsiang Lo. Under a cooperative agreement, they returned to set up their own Tien Hsiang Lo in Taipei. The two restaurants are widely recognized as offering the best Hangchow cuisine in the world.
Hangchow cuisine can be summed up with the phrase "southern ingredients, northern style" (南菜北烹). This means that the varieties of fish, shrimp, and other crustaceans in Hangchow's much-celebrated historic West Lake are prepared in northern-style, sweet and sour-based flavors. Hangchow cuisine can be traced to 800 years ago, when the Sung dynasty moved its capital from the north to Hangchow, fleeing foreign invaders. The royal chefs, who had been accustomed to northern cuisine, had to make use of local materials. Hangchow style is, therefore, a kind of ancient imperial cuisine.
Sauted shrimp with long-ching tea leaves (龍井蝦仁) is a delightful representative Hangchow dish. Instead of using vegetables, the chefs saute the shrimp with freshly pickled long-ching tea leaves. The shrimp come out white and tender, while the tea leaves add an elegant presentation and delicate taste.
Madame Sung's fish soup (宋嫂魚湯) is a typical "southern ingredients, northern style" dish, according to Yang Kuang-tsung (楊光宗), sous chef of the hotel. This southern version of sour and spicy soup adds more vegetables and has abundant boneless fresh-water fish, mushrooms, egg yolk, bamboo shoots and a dash of Shaoshing wine.
One distinct plus about Tien Hsiang Lo is that dishes are presented in individual portions, which allows diners to sample a variety of flavors without having to order more food than one person can eat.
Autumn is also the best season to feast on giant fresh-water crabs, another Hangchow delicacy.
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