Stay Healthy in the Dog Days with Temple-Worthy Cuisine!

As Minor Heat fades and Major Heat arrives, the Jiangnan region steams like a cauldron. The ancients had their own ingenious ways to beat the heat—Bai Juyi savored chilled lotus root at summer banquets, while Li Yu found respite with melons and plums submerged in cool water. **Floating Rocks Amid Clouds: A Jiangnan Garden Feast** Step through the corridor adorned with abstract Taihu rock installations, where gilded lights scatter like gold dust over linen drapes. Ceramic walls ripple with hidden currents, as if condensing West Lake’s misty rain into a folding screen. This Michelin-starred restaurant, honored for nine consecutive years, transcends the ordinary—it’s a miniature Jiangnan garden nestled in Lujiazui, distilling the romance of Qiantang into 812 square meters. From Minor Heat to Major Heat, Jiangnan’s seasonal delicacies evoke the most poetic moments in literati lore. Like the slowly waving fan emblem of Mandarin Oriental, this summer feast arrives as a gentle breeze: minimal yet profound. When the last dessert’s lingering sweetness fades, what remains isn’t satiety but a tender anticipation for the next season—perhaps the most touching essence of Chinese culinary philosophy. **Yong Yi Ting’s entrance reimagines Jiangnan gardens with suspended Taihu rocks and ceramic walls.** The ceiling’s abstract rock installations, crafted from lightweight metal, defy tradition with their "floating" illusion. Below, ceramic walls ripple like water, merging classical elegance with modern design. This "solid above, ethereal below" composition immerses diners in a scene of "rocks adrift in clouds, shadows dancing on porcelain." Private dining rooms, encircled by warm wooden railings and linen drapes, offer serene seclusion. The renewed Yong Yi Ting draws inspiration from Lujiazui’s sunken urban garden, blending Jiangnan charm with contemporary sophistication. Natural stone, ink-wash walls, and gilded accents create a shifting panorama with every step. **Signature dishes like the "Gold Medal Braised Pork" use only premium Jinhua two-end black pork**, celebrated for its marbled richness. **West Lake Longjing Shrimp** pairs tea fragrance with tender shrimp, while **West Lake Vinegar Fish** balances sweet and sour with finesse. These innovations make Yong Yi Ting a standout, showcasing Jiangnan’s culinary allure. As Major Heat looms, Chef Wu Rongbo’s summer menu awakens dulled palates. A rustic "Fisherman’s Seafood Medley" kicks off—shrimp, crab, and clams bathed in a bright, spicy broth, evoking the briny vigor of a dockside haul. **Mint-Cooled Fruit Lotus Root**: Crisp lotus root meets passionfruit and mint oil for a refreshing bite. **Double Delicacy of Deer Antler Mushroom**: Stir-fried with pickled chili and water bamboo, it’s a umami symphony. **Drunken Ice-Crawfish**: Marinated in Shaoxing wine, topped with a savory roe jelly. **Night-Blooming Flower & Stone Ear Abalone Soup**: Wild stone ear mushrooms from Qiandao Lake meet abalone for summer luxury. The star? **Steamed Mandarin Fish with Chicken Broth and Peppers**. Qiantang River’s prized fish, dry-cured and revived in rich broth, dances with subtle heat—a testament to the adage "perfect timing is life itself." **Eastern Glory Bayberry Pastry**: Purple pastry cradling sweet-and-sour ribs, a playful ode to Jiangnan. **Coconut Taro Pudding with "Water Eight Treasures"**: Lotus seeds, water chestnuts, and more hide in taro clouds, a cooling homage to summer wisdom. Behind glass, chef and protégé whisper over stoves. Twelve Michelin-starred years have elevated Yong Yi Ting beyond mere dining—it’s a living almanac of Hangzhou cuisine, where time is preserved in cures and balance found in bold flavors. As Chef Wu’s motto goes: *"Cook with heart, serve with love."* Here, the soul of Hangzhou cuisine becomes summer’s clearest intoxication. **Yong Yi Ting** 📍 LG Floor, Mandarin Oriental Pudong, 111 South Pudong Road, Shanghai 💡 Chef’s tasting menu requires 3-day advance booking; window seats showcase the floating rock spectacle. 💰 ¥700/person