Before the "Suzhou Ten Banquets", the Suzhou Cuisine Association had set up a "Master Studio" for Suzhou's retired celebrity chefs to exert their spare heat. In the past, the master's studio only had a single table, and it was not advertised to the public, and only senior gourmets knew about its existence.
At the beginning of 2018, led by the Center Hotel, the master studio moved to the Suzhou Convention Center, and initiated the inheritance of Subang cuisine together with the Suzhou Food Culture Research Association. Suzhou advocates "not eating from time to time", and the master studio and research association regularly launch "local banquets" based on the seasonal characteristic ingredients of Suzhou's ten major districts and county-level cities, thus converging into the "Suzhou Ten Banquets". In a lament lamenting the decline of Subang cuisine, the "Suzhou Ten Banquets" appeared at the right time, which also made all diners regain confidence in Subang cuisine.
On March 19, 2018, as the first banquet, the "Taicang Zhenghe Banquet" was released at the Suzhou Central Hotel. Since Zheng He went to the West more than 600 years ago, he set off from Liujiagang in Taicang City, and the banquet was designed with this as the background. The banquet dishes are in charge of Mr. Zhang Ziping, the master of Subang cuisine, Mr. Dong Jiarong, the national first-class dim sum chef and the inheritor of Suzhou boat point, which combines the historical blueprint, with the products of Taicang Liujiagang waters as the main ingredients, from cold cuts to staple food, a total of 16 dishes, including steamed anchovies, Yangtze River three fresh soup, fragrant dried Ma Lantou, sesame oil double bamboo shoots are very seasonal characteristics. Considering that Zheng He is a devout Muslim believer, so there is no pork on the table in the banquet, the chef also set up a grandmother Suza, pumpkin, taro, yam and evenly cut into thick pieces, braised in oil, like a sauce recipe in Suzhou, the taste is refreshing, and it is made of straw, the appearance is interesting, and it can be seen that the sincerity is full.
Most of the dishes in this banquet are traditional Subang dishes, the presentation is simple and simple, and the dishes are combined with the creativity of the masters, and you can taste the classic flavors of Suzhou stew, stew, and simmer in one banquet. The lobby of the Central Hotel is mainly used for public entertainment, and the per capita is not high, and the taste is homely. The dishes of Suzhou Ten Banquets are not cooked by the chef of the central hotel, but by the disciples of the master, and the production level is absolutely superior compared to other old Subang restaurants; And only two tables a day, the chef has enough energy to cook carefully, and the production is very stable. When the food is served, there will be staff at the table to explain the origin, cultural background and eating method of each dish, and the service is warm and thoughtful.
According to the hotel staff, the banquet is set up in strict accordance with the meal standard for ten people, which are 6 cold dishes, 6 hot dishes, a soup, 2 dim sum and 1 staple food, with an average of 200 yuan per person. If the number of diners is less than 10 people, the portion size can be lowered according to the needs of the guests, but the dishes and the 2,000 yuan meal standard remain unchanged; If the number of diners exceeds 10 people, in addition to the fixed menu of the banquet, the chef will also add some classic home-cooked dishes of Su Bang, depending on the ingredients of the season. Only two tables per day are accommodated, and it is recommended that guests book at least two days in advance due to the cumbersome and time-consuming dishes. The current Taicang Zheng He banquet will be served until the end of June, and diners are advised to pay attention to the official announcement of the Central Hotel for the subsequent banquet themes and menus.
The Central Hotel was renovated in 2000, and the private rooms are relatively old. According to the staff, the restaurant will be renovated at the end of 2018, and the dining environment will be improved at that time. Suzhou Ten Banquets is served by a dedicated waiter, so guests do not need to worry about their professionalism.