Songhelou is the most prestigious Subang restaurant in Suzhou, which was founded in the early years of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. Due to its special historical status, Songhe Tower has always been regarded as the representative of Suzhou cuisine, a must-visit place for tourists to Suzhou, and is often seen in literary and artistic works. In a sense, Songhelou is the benchmark of Subang cuisine, and for a long time, it represents the top level of Subang cuisine. However, in recent years, Songhelou has been reduced to a standard "tourist hotel", and its reputation is sluggish, and the quality of ingredients, cooking skills, and final taste are unsatisfactory, and it has lost the tone that the old restaurant should have.
There are indeed obvious traces of assembly lines in Songhelou products, frozen ingredients are commonplace, semi-finished products are reheated is the default general rule, and the existence of the central kitchen also makes the upper limit of quality greatly compressed. However, this does not mean that Songhe Tower is without merit, in this old restaurant, although the tone of Subang vegetable oil and sugar has not changed, but the taste combination is relatively more reasonable and coordinated, not as blindly heavy on oil and sweet as other Subang restaurants on the market, which is greasy. For diners who taste Subang cuisine for the first time, Songhelou has more advantages.
The number one signature of Songhe Tower is none other than squirrel mandarin fish, and this dish has also become a representative of Subang cuisine. In terms of sauce seasoning, Songhelou has taken out the standard that an old restaurant should have, with red sauce and moderate sweetness and sourness; However, the dishes of Songhelou today are semi-finished products, the knife work is sloppy, the food is fast, the food is not fresh, and even occasionally the dishes are shaped and lacking corners, the quality is rough, and the price of nearly 200 yuan per case seems unconvincing. Another dish of Subang classic stir-fried river shrimp, the shrimp used is of average freshness, the starching is thin, the taste is salty, and the sweetness of the vinegar sauce is insufficient. The eel paste is warm and cool, the meat of the lion's head is hard, the fat is insufficient, and there is no excellent style of sunflower meat.
In terms of cold dishes, Gusu braised duck, miso grilled fish, aged wine drunken snails and mustard double vegetables are the signature specialties of Songhelou, among which Gusu braised duck is the most famous. Gusu braised duck is a rare dish without the slightest negligence in the Songhe Tower, the skin is red and the meat is white, the meat is thin and delicate, the entrance is fresh and soft and delicious. The marinade of the roasted braised duck is the exclusive recipe of Songhelou, with rich sweet layers, strong and direct but does not hide the duck fragrance.
Taihu Erxian has a high probability of appearing on the table, but the performance is disappointing, whitebait and lettuce are tasteless and warm, and the egg whites are overwhelming, almost equivalent to a bowl of egg custard, the water starch is too thick, and the taste is clear and numb. The quality of green bean chicken head rice is average, and the rest of the fried vegetables taste salty, while the Cantonese cooking techniques of boiled kale, olive oil kale seedlings, etc., are fresh and refreshing, crispy and fresh, which can alleviate the sweet and greasy taste of Subang.
Songhelou chain stores are blooming everywhere, and the most famous is the old store on Guanqian Street. Compared with other chain branches, the Guanqian Street store is still the most recommended, with a bright atmosphere, a vermilion decoration and full of aura. The first floor is the welcome desk, the environment is simple, the façade is luxurious, the hall is located on the second floor, there are about 30 tables on the third floor, and there is a box on the third floor. The service level of the restaurant is decent, the welcome and guidance are in place, but the manpower is slightly insufficient, the service enthusiasm during the meal is poor, and the tea and water are all self-helped. Parking in the area where the Kanzen store is located is extremely inconvenient, so it is recommended to travel by public transportation.
