Founded in 1981, Xianheng Hotel is one of the most prestigious time-honored restaurants in Shaoxing. Most of the Zhejiang restaurants in Nanjing specialize in Hangzhou cuisine, and there are not many restaurants like Xianheng Hotel where you can taste Shaoxing cuisine, so diners who want to change their taste may wish to give it a try.
In addition to Zhejiang cuisine, the restaurant also offers Huaiyang cuisine, Jinling cuisine, as well as Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine and other cuisines. On Huaiyang cuisine and Jinling cuisine, Xianheng Hotel is not outstanding in Nanjing, and the highlight of the restaurant is still in Shaoxing cuisine, a major representative of Zhejiang cuisine. Stinky tofu is the signature dish of Xianheng Hotel, and it is also a must-order at every table. Stinky tofu is a compulsory course in Shaoxing cuisine, which is characterized by "smelling stinky and eating fragrant". After the stinky tofu is dehydrated and cut into pieces, it is soaked in the marinade of marinated musty amaranth stalks, removed and fried. Stinky tofu is firmer than ordinary tofu and is not easy to break, its taste is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the tofu is soft and creamy. The restaurant also serves diners with spicy sauce, sweet sauce, and stinky tofu eaten with dipping sauce has a rich taste and various layers.
Braised pork with dried vegetables is a classic dish in Shaoxing cuisine. Dried vegetables, also known as "moldy dried vegetables", are pickled and dried with mustard greens, which are the native products of Shaoxing, and the flavor of dried vegetables is also one of the characteristics of Shaoxing cuisine. The stewed pork with dried vegetables is carefully stewed and flavorful, and the pork belly gravy is mixed with the aroma of dried plum vegetables, and the two complement each other. The dried vegetables stewed meat produced by Xianheng Hotel have a slightly sweet taste in the dried vegetables, and the pork belly has a soft and glutinous taste, which is very flavorful, but the pork belly is easy to produce a greasy feeling, so it is not suitable to eat more. In addition, dishes such as Huadiao drunken crab and salty Hengdiao chicken are also recommended to try.
Drinking rice wine and eating fennel beans has become a tacit understanding between Shaoxing restaurants and diners. Fennel beans are made from broad beans as raw materials, added fennel, salt, cinnamon and other ingredients and cooked slowly, which is a good wine to accompany the wine. The fennel beans of Xianheng Hotel are named "Kong Yiji", but the taste is average, not glutinous enough, and more like a sentimental dish.
Xianheng Hotel is located in the Confucius Temple, and the restaurant service is average, and when business is booming, it cannot take care of every diner. Due to the considerable daily flow of people, the restaurant did not update the menu balance information in time, and it was not uncommon for diners to be told that the dishes were sold out after ordering.
