Spring Feast in Suzhou Episode 9: Golden View Restaurant Blooms in the Spring Sunlight

When dining at Jinsha Hall, Chef Wang worries: "You've tried everything; I don't know what else to cook for you." I once criticized Chef Zhang's dishes when Golden View Restaurant first opened in Suzhou Four Seasons. The cold dishes were brilliant, but hot dishes remained the weakness. Chef Wang mentioned the other day: "You made Chef Zhang cry with your criticism back then." However, how can one grow without pressure? For a chef to overcome challenges is like being reborn. Internal drive is one thing, but external pressure that forces growth is also motivation. Over these years, with each meal served, the improvement has been remarkably swift. The growth is visible to the naked eye. Weaknesses can become strengths. Their recent Michelin recognition proves that no effort goes unnoticed. The soft-boiled egg, though a veteran dish, has lost its initial wow factor amid waves of sensory competition. It's challenging to reinvent dishes with good foundations to provide fresh surprises. The fava bean puree, layered with tempura Chinese toon and enhanced with toon oil, creates a sophisticated flavor while reducing the intense taste. Among the cold dishes, my favorite is the Yunnan gherkin stuffed with Western-style walnut sauce and topped with spring cherry blossom jelly. It's both visually appealing and delicious, several levels above the overused tomato-walnut combination. Among the hot dishes, the Chinese chive sauce with Donghai yellow croaker prepared in Cantonese-style claypot, and the steamed pine needle crab with shrimp paste and pork belly are standouts. The braised fish offal with Gaozhuang tofu and the off-menu piping hot stinky tofu are also noteworthy. Once Chef Zhang overcomes this hurdle with hot dishes, a whole new world of possibilities will open up. The finale is perfect - the butler's noodles with spring bamboo shoot oil, shrimp roe noodles, Indian aster ice cream, and strawberry pudding. Outside the window, spring is in full bloom, and the Jinji Lake Ferris wheel shines anew. As spring romance fills the air, Golden View Restaurant flourishes in the sunlight!