It has been five years since Lanxiang Essence entered Suzhou, and in terms of dishes alone, it may not be the most authentic Sichuan restaurant in Suzhou, but if it comes to terms of comprehensive taste, richness of dishes, stable production and service, it can be said that Lanxiang Essence is the first place.
Founded in 2007, Suzhou Lanxiang Essence Restaurant is a subsidiary of Shanghai Lanxiang Catering Company, which has opened a number of Sichuan restaurants in Shanghai and Suzhou. In addition, Dingniu Chaoshan hot pot located in the era of harmony is also a restaurant under Lanxiang Catering.
In terms of materials and taste, the chefs combine traditional Sichuan cuisine with Jiangnan characteristics to create a Sichuan cuisine suitable for the taste of Suzhou. In terms of the shape of the dish, they also incorporate a lot of creative elements to make their products more refined. In 2015, the restaurant was renamed from the original "Lanxiang" to "Lanxiang Essence", and the menu was also upgraded simultaneously, adding a number of Shanghainese and Suzhou-style dishes such as Shanghai smoked fish, salted water goose, Yangzhou dried silk, squirrel osmanthus fish, etc., and the menu selection was richer.
Bowl Chicken is the restaurant's signature cold dish, and almost every table must be ordered, however, the fragrant bowl chicken is not like the Sichuan Leshan Bowl Chicken, which is skewered with bamboo skewers, and its preparation method and flavor are closer to saliva chicken. Saliva chicken is also from Sichuan cuisine, after the chicken is cooked, it can be poured with spices such as red oil and spicy seeds, the preparation method is simple, and most Sichuan restaurants have it. In addition to adding salt and peppercorns, the master also added a small amount of white sugar to enhance the flavor, numb, spicy, salty and sweet, and the four flavors are balanced just right. If diners find the bowl chicken not enjoyable enough, they can consider trying the fairy pepper sesame chicken, which has a similar taste and even more flavor.
The shrimp selected from Kung Pao Shrimp Balls are all fresh and robust, with excellent quality, the seasoning dried chili peppers are fried in place, the surface is a little burnt black, and the sauce made of sweet and sour, soy sauce and starch is viscous and sweet and sour, which perfectly presents the characteristics of Kung Pao cuisine "spicy lychee flavor". Sichuan cuisine pays attention to the taste and shape of the side dishes to match the main dish appropriately, Sichuan cuisine lover lard gang master in the book "Sichuan Cuisine Rehabilitation" has used "crispy with crispy, soft with soft, diced with diced, strip with strip, block with block" to describe the law of the two matching. In order to match the "snail-shaped" shape of the shrimp, the green onion knots in the dish are cut into short cylinders, and the traditional peanuts have been replaced with spherical macadamia nuts, which are not only more uniform in shape, but also have a crispier texture than peanuts. When the shrimp balls are served, there is a layer of crispy skin on the surface of the frying, and after a long time of cooling, the taste will decrease, so it is recommended to eat them as soon as possible.
In addition to the two signature dishes, Ginger Jumping Frog, Fragrant Boiling Fish, Dadao Back to the Pot Meat and Chongqing Spicy Chicken are all classic Sichuan-style dishes, which are stable and can be ordered with confidence. Hot and sour fern root powder, mapo tofu and fish-flavored eggplant are home-cooked side dishes, which have basically not changed much, and the taste can be regarded as authentic. Hibiscus hand-peeled shrimp, steamed crab with flavored wine and fragrant incense and family portraits are made of high-quality materials and are stylishly arranged, which are suitable for business banquets.
There are 3 branches in Suzhou, among which Xintou Store and Yuanrong Store are directly operated stores, and Huilin Store is a franchise store, and the dishes of the franchised stores are slightly different from the directly operated stores, so it is recommended to go to the 2 directly-operated stores for dining. The decoration style of the Xintou store and the Yuanrong store is similar, the dining area is spacious and bright, revealing an elegant and beautiful style everywhere, and the corners are decorated with green plants, which is pleasing to the eye. The restaurant service staff are well-trained, friendly and courteous, familiar with the dishes, and can answer the questions raised by customers one by one, but during peak hours, one person needs to take care of multiple tables, and the response speed will be reduced.
