In the early days of reform and opening up, most of the Chaozhou restaurants in Shenzhen were not from Chaoshan, but from Hong Kong, which is only across the river from Shenzhen. Like Shenzhen, Hong Kong is home to a sizable number of Teochew immigrants who brought Teochew cuisine to Hong Kong, which has long since become a symbol of high-end dining during the decades-long slump of mainland dining. In 1983, Teochew Hong Kong businessman Ma Kai-cheung opened two Carrianna restaurants in Hong Kong, operating high-end Teochew cuisine. Five years later, Ma Jiezhang brought Carrianna to Shenzhen, which was also the first foreign-funded Chaozhou restaurant in Shenzhen and even in the mainland.
As the originator of Chaocai restaurants in the mainland, Carrianna Shenzhen in the early days of its opening brought in a large number of chefs, chefs and managers from the Hong Kong head office, and even most of the ingredients had to be imported from Hong Kong. Carrianna's current executive chef, Jiang Benhua, is also one of the chefs who came to Shenzhen with the team in the early days of Carrianna's opening. In 1990, Shenzhen Carrianna was among the top 50 restaurants in China at that time, ranking 6th in the country in terms of turnover, and became a phenomenal high-end banquet restaurant in Shenzhen at that time.
Carenina has been cultivating Chaocai for many years, and many dishes have become very classic signature dishes. Frozen red crab is one of them, and it is also a classic of Hong Kong-style Chaocai. Carinna selects high-quality red crabs with thin shells and thick meat, weighing 1 to 2 catties, the original crabs are cooked and cooled, the crab shells are smashed and chopped to the table, and the crab meat is dismantled and eaten. The main dishes such as abalone and ginseng wings are top-notched with Carenina's elbow wings, and Jinhua ham elbows and old chicken are stewed to make a thick soup, with shark fin in a large skirt, which is fragrant and sticky, mellow but not greasy. Braised Teochew wings stewed in ancient ways, and Hong Kong conch on the soup soup, are also classic and high-quality Teochew dishes.
Carrianna has made subtle changes to some of the classic Teochew dishes, and the results have been impressive, as evidenced by decades of popularity. The classic Chaocai oyster roasting, Carrianna changed the traditional "branding" (frying) to semi-frying, with burnt aroma on both sides, and the cake body is stiff, which highlights the crispy taste on the outside and tender on the inside. The dish that regular customers must order is also fish ball soup, which is different because Carinna's fish balls are made of three kinds of fish: yellow eel, mackerel, and nine sticks. The vegetarian pomegranate balls evolved from the traditional Chaocai pomegranate chicken are also Carningna's proud work, changing meat to vegetarian, with thin skin and fragrant filling, and the appearance is also very refreshing.
In terms of traditional dishes, Carrianna's offerings are also remarkable. The marinade of each branch of Shenzhen Carrianna follows the 30-year-old brine gall of the Hong Kong head office, and the brine has been slightly improved, the taste of medicinal materials is not strong, and the flavor is more fragrant. Spring vegetable pot oil soup clear, the dish taste is sweet, sour plum mullet is soaked in the open oven, the taste is fresh and fragrant, all kinds of traditional dishes can be above the average level, there are few flaws, and the quality of the production is excellent.
Carenna currently has three branches in Shenzhen, the old one is located on the second floor of the Jingdu Hotel Shenzhen, and the other two are located in Carrianna Plaza and Marco Polo Good Day Hotel. The three branches have been renovated in recent years, the decoration is not old, the style is quiet and elegant, with black and gray as the main color, spacious space, and elegant tableware. The service staff has a good sense of service, sincere service attitude, and sufficient manpower, but the details are still rough, there are often young waiters who are not familiar with the business, and there are often waiters talking to each other, the kitchen communication is inefficient, and the speed and rhythm of serving are also quite problematic, which makes the whole meal experience not smooth. Carrianna's kitchen is undoubtedly trustworthy, but for more formal business dinners or guests who value the service experience, Carnanna's service is not very reassuring and needs to be carefully considered.
