Ma Mindong and his wife originally just wanted to open a small private restaurant, but they didn't expect to become the best restaurant in the hearts of Hangzhou people. In 2015, the restaurant moved to the foot of the Liuhe Pagoda, where tourists are crowded every day, but they don't know that there is a secret shop right under their noses. Yema Tea House has been open for more than ten years, and the quality is as good as ever, and in recent years, after appearing in the "Taste of Jiangnan" documentary and "Olive Restaurant" magazine, celebrities and gourmets from all walks of life have come one after another. In April 2018, Yema finally opened its first branch in Kerry Centre, much to the excitement of gourmets in Hangzhou.
The restaurant focuses on Hangzhou cuisine, the dishes are refined but not too much, and there is no shortage of wonderful dishes for cold and hot dishes. All the ingredients in the restaurant are controlled by Lao Ma himself. Burbot eel, burbot perch, grouper, etc., which is authentic and wild, and how big you have to choose to cook, Lao Ma knows in his heart. Native chicken, duck and other agricultural products are supplied from designated farms, maintaining the simplest and most original flavor. He is in the store almost every day, without this soul man guarding, it is difficult for the production to be stable for more than ten years, and there will be no people queuing up at ten o'clock in the evening, they know how to eat, can eat and are willing to spend time, this is Lao Ma's ability.
If the ingredients are good, the dish is half the battle. The cooking method is exquisite, the taste is mellow without covering up the original flavor of the ingredients, fresh but not bland, and the other half of the dishes are successful. Wine-flavored hairtail, sweet and sour loin, salted pig's trotters and duck soup, ginger pig's trotters, local chicken stewed soup, etc. are representatives of heavy dishes, mellow and not throaty, especially duck soup and yellow croaker rice cake, in the early years, the waiter will remind the waiting people to make these two dishes on the stove first, and the slow simmering time is longer and more delicious. Celery 1,000 sheets and steamed white strips belong to the latter, and the sensitive tongue will definitely be able to distinguish the rich taste layers, all the dishes are not fancy, the names of the dishes are real, and the ingredients and methods are clear at a glance, making it convenient for customers to order.
Interested diners can try the pork sausage developed by Lao Ma himself, which is different from the salty aroma of northern sausage, the fragrant hemp of Sichuan-style sausage and the sweet aroma of Cantonese style, with a layered wine aroma, and the meat is lean, and does not deliberately increase the proportion of fat to increase the flavor. It turned out that Lao Ma mixed Jiannanchun with other wines, and it was difficult for a single wine to bring out the strong aroma of wine.
The restaurant is very popular, and there is often a queue for about half an hour, so you must book a private room in advance. The décor is simple and atmospheric, with leather sofas and dark dining tables, making the meal very comfortable. The waiter will be busy, but in terms of restaurant prices, there is no obvious problem with the service, and it is suitable for banquets or daily dinners.
The newly opened Kerry Centre store retains 70% of the dishes of the old store, and the classic dishes mentioned above can be eaten in the new store, and the individual dishes have been adjusted.
