2019-07-22

【Aiden in English】

        Fine dining just took on a new meaning for me. 

        When people eat gold, it's the equivalent of running expensive wine through a wire mesh and throwing out the wine that passes through as if expecting to retain some nutrients. Luckily, I did not eat gold tonight. No, what a waste that would be. But I bring up gold because it certainly feels like we dined as wasteful aristocrats today.

        When the bathroom entrance includes an automated sliding curved glass door, I knew I was in for a show. I also knew whoever designed the bathroom was kind of an idiot for making the bathroom door out of transparent glass.

        The restaurant, Jiexiang Lou (Fragrance Pavilion), is known for its great food and atmosphere and ridiculous prices. Through reservation, we happened to receive a private dining room on the second floor, fitted with private servers. Greeted with hot towels and gracious waiters, I felt like a fish out of water, suffocating in the air of the upper class.

        Obviously, we weren't the only individuals to enjoy tonight's dining experience. Mother finally decided to meet an editor of my books in person from Shanghai. Before entering the room, I felt a slight nervous tingling; that tingling dissipated after a handshake and smile. While meeting his son, Maomao, I sat at the table in preparation for an experience I will not relive until who knows. Being the type of person she is, mother took the menu by force and ordered for all ─ deservingly, as the check was all hers as well.

        And on came the dishes. In a top-notched restaurant, appearance absolutely becomes a new flavor in the pallet. Sweet yams and rice cake? Sure, topped with a golden strand of sugar that looked like a bow tie. While the decoration tasted like cotton candy, the eye candy was surely worth the however overpriced amount of money listed.

        It didn't take long to discover that the price of food did not necessarily correlate with its tastiness. Much like classical music, if one pushes the difficulty too high, it becomes contemporary music -- spectacular, but only for professionals. This fine dining experience flirted with that crazed food experimental dishes, but never relinquished that household taste. The best way to describe it is like having a gourmet chef make your mac and cheese. He'll have macaroni and cheese, but not only will both the macaroni and cheese be the most expensive items at the supermarket, but there would also be three black truffles shaved on top. Is it still mac and cheese? Technically.

        Not that there wasn't a notable dish, but all the dishes were exceptional (except this one dish that was like a veggie wrap). I enjoyed a boatload of seafood in many ways previously unexplored: Sea Urchins in Tofu, Abalone on Eggplant, Traditionally Braised Yellow Croaker with Scallions, Signature Jellyfish Heads, King Prawns Fried with Crispy Garlic Hong Kong Style, Baked Sea Cucumber en Casserole, etc. Never losing a home-cooking feel, I thoroughly enjoyed even the vegetable dishes. Perhaps that was the highlight of the meal: seafood-flavored Chinese mustards, the purely green dish. Mixed in a mysterious yellow sauce and covered in garlic, a spinach-like vegetable shined through with a creamy, tender taste. In normal dining occasions, any leaf on the table equaled a chewing nightmare. In this case, the extra money spent paid for an unbelievably smooth trip down the throat. That is a great accomplishment: creating enjoyment out of the unenjoyable.

       I cannot say I expected more from such a pricy restaurant, but what I received definitely was unexpected. Enjoyable and unforgettable memories created over food might highlight this vacation, but in China, that is predictable. And while other delicacies laid beside my plate, the marvel of the night may have gone to the devil's invention: leafy greens.

【紅霞譯文】

        我才對雅宴有所認識。

       人若以黃金為食，等於把昂貴的葡萄酒倒進鐵絲網裡，酒流光了，有用的東西也蕩然無存。幸好今晚我沒饌玉炊金，否則奢侈乃惡之大也。我為何搬出黃金說事，肯定與今天咱過了把貴族生活脫不掉干係。

        當我走進裝備了自動滑移弧形玻璃入口的盥洗室，恍若出場作秀，不管誰用透明玻璃材料設計廁所大門，在我看來簡直是個瘋子。

        這個名叫解香樓的餐廳素以美食精緻、環境優雅和價格離譜而著稱，為此我們提前預定，如期約到二樓私密性良好的單間客房，並配備專人全套服務。笑容可掬的帥哥美女先用暖洋洋的貼心毛巾迎候我們，讓我反倒感覺像一條離水之魚，渾身憋得毫不自在。

        顯然，我們並不是單獨享用今晚盛宴的，媽媽終於決定從上海邀請一位我的出版編審過來見面。沒到之前，我真有點局促不安，直至兩人握手相視而笑時，緊張的神情才消失得無影無蹤。跟他兒子毛毛寒暄過後，我坐到桌邊暗自揣摩想象不到的事情。媽媽拿出慣有作風，順手抄起食譜，三下五除二替大伙兒張羅起杭幫菜──反正過了這村沒這店，她請客，她買單。

        上菜了。但凡天下一流餐廳，其外觀賣相絕對獨領風味品牌新潮流，地瓜年糕能上檯面嗎？沒問題，頂部點綴一條金色糖漿打造的領帶，雖然裝飾品嘗起來像棉花糖，但養眼尤物確實令人忘乎所以，視錢財如糞土，看富貴為浮雲。

        要不了多久你便發現價格貴賤並不一定與味好壞道成正比，就像古典音樂，如果技巧過高，它會變成現代音樂──嘆為觀止，但僅供專業人士欣賞。這席精緻餐飲賣弄的無異於超乎尋常的食材搭配，輕奢浪漫且不失家的味道，恰當點說好比廚師給你做奶酪通心麵，他除了選用超市裡價格最貴的兩種材料外，再把三個切好的黑松露放在上面，這麼一來還算奶酪通心麵嗎？本質上換湯不換藥。

        不能說它不是名菜，何況全部佳餚都很特殊（除了那道像蔬菜卷例外），我非常喜歡別有創意的風味海鮮：豆腐海膽、茄子鮑魚、古法蔥油黃魚、招牌海蜇頭、美極大蝦菇避風塘、生焗海參煲、等等，家味香濃意猶未盡，我甚至更愛吃蔬菜系列，也許這才是浙江廚藝精華所在：海味妙煮雞毛菜，正宗純色綠菜，大蒜拌上神奇的黃醬，菠菜狀青翠嫩苗綻放出油滋滋脆乎乎細膩芳香。通常情況下，餐桌上任何帶葉子的菜餚都讓我難以下咽，而在眼前這個被評為杭州浙菜三甲之榜眼的解香樓餐廳卻是“滑嫩爽口”、“糯而不膩”、“清淡純鮮”，因此多破費一點錢財在所不惜，能從不盡人意的食（事）物中挖掘快樂是非常了不起的。

        雖說對高檔餐廳我不敢有太多奢求，但今晚收穫匪淺。杭州之行中，賞心悅目的地方風味令我終生難忘，其實這也是回國旅行必不可少的經歷。其它美饌佳餚固然可歌可泣，但值得大加讚賞的應該首推魔鬼發明：綠葉蔬菜。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2019: Hangzhou—Lingering Snow on Broken Bridge(杭州—斷橋殘雪)

2019: Hangzhou—Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake, CHN(杭州—平湖秋月)

2019: Hangzhou—Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, CHN(杭州—三潭印月)

2019: Hangzhou—Viewing Fish @ Flower Pond, CHN(杭州—花港觀魚)

2019: Hangzhou—Temple of Soul's Retreat, China(杭州靈隱寺)

2019: Hangzhou—Flying Peak, China(杭州飛來峰)

2018: Port of Barcelona, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那港)

2018: Barcelona—Public Arts, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—公共藝術)

2018: Barcelona—Emblematic Thoroughfares(西班牙巴塞羅那—地標建築)

2018: Barcelona the City of Gaudi, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—高迪之城)

2018: Barcelona—Gaudi's 7 Masterpieces, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—高迪七大傑作)

2018: Barcelona the City of Counts, Spain(西班牙巴塞羅那—伯爵之城)

2015: PSC B-Ball Camp─Just A Game(費城運動俱樂部籃球營─比賽就是比賽)

2014: Two Summer Camps(兩種夏令營)

2013: 水上派對(Pool Party @ Maplewood)

2012: Camp Report(夏令營簡訊)

Crosslink(相關博文):

China(出遊中國)