Chef Zhou Xiaoyan, the so-called “godfather of Huaiyang cuisine”, leads his team in preparing the most authentic dishes possible from this culinary tradition that, by some estimates, dates back more than three millennia. Once through the front door, the restaurant opens up like a classical Chinese garden, with winding paths offering glimpses of the surroundings, and interiors that flow into each other, evoking the Huai and Yangtze rivers near where Huaiyang was born. Food here is characterised by fresh, light yet complex flavours, and consummate knife and cooking skills. Exquisite dishes to sample include – to pick just two – stir-fried river shrimp meat with biluo green tea and steamed hilsa herring fish served with 20-years huadiao wine.