CITY GUIDE >Food Reviews
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CITY GUIDE >Food Reviews
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Enjoy upscale Cantonese cuisine
By Jerome Yuan (bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2008-11-24 10:29
 Hello Kitty is proposing. Wearing a white tuxedo with an oversize head to match, he is down on bended knee in front of his girlfriend at the table next to the window. While this certainly isn’t an everyday scene, it just seemed to fit here among the grandeur at Yu Zhen Xuan restaurant in the Grand Hyatt. One of the five star Shanghai Grand Hyatt's dining concepts inside the 88 floor Jin Mao tower, Canton occupies the whole 55th floor, with dining areas and private rooms circling the building’s central elevators. Diners can enjoy upscale Cantonese cuisine in a sleek main dining room, accented by decorative room separators and dark stone flooring. The outlying dining area creates a cozier ambiance by employing a pastel palette with full carpeting and plump cushioned seats. Like the Hyatt’s other restaurants, the view is one of the best in the city, even on rainy days. The menu never ventures into any pan-Chinese fare, staying Cantonese in nature and regularly displays the kitchen’s skill with exceptionally executed dishes. Starters range from the familiar to the deliciously inventive. Chashao roast pork is moist and lightly sweet, truly a classic when done right. The skin on the roasted goose is perfectly crisp and the meat deeper in flavor than duck. A vegetarian “abalone” is slices of pressed tofu in the shape and texture of the eponymous shellfish and tastes amazingly like the braised version of the cherished mollusk. Consommés are a true test of a cook’s skill (and patience) and Canton’s cooks are very able indeed. The cuttlefish egg and ginseng consommé is an oceanic revelation: with thin strips of starch coated shrimp sprinkled in, it tasted like a pure expression of the sea’s bounty- truly a soup to be savored. Seafood delights continued with sautéed shrimp with crab roe laying on a bed of broccoli, both the roe and shrimp wonderfully light in flavor and tender in texture. Boneless filets of cod are coated in an airy, crispy batter and just barely coated in a sauce that is perfectly balanced in sweet and sour, with a healthy kick of heat from dots of chili pepper. But seafood is not the only star on the menu. Cubes of beef tenderloin strike a balance of chew and tenderness and are quickly sautéed in a spicy XO sauce. House made noodles are thin golden colored strands with wonderfully responsive elasticity and are housed in a bowl of yet another great consomme. Beverage options are broad, with a fairly expensive wine list (it is the Grand Hyatt after all), alongside a selection of vintages of Chinese rice wines. Tea is especially well done; each choice has a detailed explanation and is served in clear glass cups so as to observe tea leaves unfurl. I was pleased to see the Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) tea I ordered dropped on top of the hot water, allowing for the delicate leaves to release their initial aromas without harsh agitation from pouring, a custom tea aficionado swear by. Desserts such as classic dotted hearts (egg custard in pastry shells) are also all made on premises, and even options that seem deceivingly simple arrive with a flourish. A seasonal fruit platter included a selection of crisp jujubes and dragonfruit, and came artfully arranged upon a bowl of dry ice that released a cloud like mist. A classic and elegant way to end the meal. Cantontruly aims to make all customers feel well taken care of, from businessmen to the casual hotel customer, for their dim sum or a la carte. The manager was always available for answering questions about presentation and technique, and service was very accommodating, switching dwindling courses onto smaller plates and replacing cutlery as the meal went on. With an elegant atmosphere, a high standard of Cantonese cuisine, and a top-of-the-world view, it wasn’t hard to see why Mr. Hello Kitty chose this restaurant to pop the question. And as for his proposal- she said yes. Canton
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