A Feast of River and Sea Flavors, Rediscovering the True Taste of Ingredients

In early summer, Shanghai's Zhongganghui Tower's 50th floor is redefining the sophistication of premium Ningbo cuisine with a grand feast celebrating river and sea flavors. This elegant space, featuring panoramic city views, river-facing private rooms, and a dynamic fireplace, masterfully blends the freshness of seafood, the richness of mountain delicacies, and the artistry of cooking techniques into one exquisite dining experience. **Mansion's Secret Pepper-Marinated Crab:** Selected live Zhoushan red-paste swimming crabs are freshly marinated and chilled, resulting in crab meat as smooth as jade and roe shimmering like amber. The interplay of savory, umami, and mild spice, with peppercorns perfectly balancing the oceanic coolness, creates an unforgettable bite. **Live-Cooked Wild Yellowlip Croaker with Pickled Mustard Greens & Bamboo Shoots:** The chef prepares this tableside, using freshly shredded pickled mustard greens and bamboo shoots as the base, enhanced with crispy pork lard and celery. Sliced fish is swirled into boiling broth, curling into jade-like perfection in just 15 seconds, while the bamboo shoots' natural sweetness elevates the dish's umami to its peak. **Braised Silver-Mirror Oily Beltfish with Garlic:** Radar-net-caught beltfish, renowned as the "King of East Sea Beltfish" for its mirror-like silver scales and rich fat, is braised until garlic infuses every fiber. The fish's own oils meld into an amber-hued sauce during cooking. **Salt-Grilled East Sea Live Sand Shrimp:** East Sea red shrimp, flash-frozen at sea to lock in freshness, are grilled simply with coarse salt and a few ginger slices. The shells char lightly while the flesh remains translucent and tender. **Crispy-Skinned Roasted Squab:** A fusion of Cantonese technique and Ningbo flavors, the squab at Chen Mansion boasts skin as crisp as cellophane and meat so tender it melts, bursting with juices when torn apart. **Braised Sea Cucumber with Beef Mince:** Simmered in a rich sauce of beef brisket and dried scallops, the rehydrated sea cucumber absorbs the deep savoriness of beef and the sweetness of seafood. Perfect paired with rice or steamed buns. **Steamed Salted Sand Eel with Rice Straw:** Naturally air-dried after salt-curing, the eel's fat transforms into amber marbling. Wrapped with salted pork and steamed, the flesh stays firm yet moist, with the eel's briny aroma mingling with the fragrance of rice straw. From raw marination to live cooking, from braising to salt-grilling, every dish at Chen Mansion embodies the relentless pursuit of "freshness." If you're weary of heavy, spicy flavors, let this river-and-sea feast guide you back to the true essence of ingredients.