THE HOUSE OF RONG

A Night of Abalone at the Ancestral Home Scrolling through my WeChat Moments, it's been seven years since I last hosted a dinner with Mr. Zhang Yong, the founder of Xin Rong Ji. Last night, thanks to the Golden Phoenix Tree Restaurant Owners Club event, I was finally able to reunite with this legend of the Chinese catering industry to savor and discuss culinary delights. I've been to many Xin Rong Ji locations, even dining at the flagship store in Linhai, Taizhou, for eight days straight. But this Rongfu Banquet was my first visit. I learned that this is actually Xin Rong Ji's "ancestral home," the starting point of its illustrious culinary history. This Pei mansion, now a protected historical site, nurtured the enduring legacy of Chinese architects and has become a cradle of culinary excellence. The Golden Phoenix Tree Chinese Restaurant Guide's influence and appeal are growing. Yesterday's "Owners Club" brought together Shanghai's culinary elites, and it was an honor to host this dinner and enjoy the company of so many friends and mentors. Yesterday's wine selection was equally enchanting, featuring the latest vintages of Dom Pérignon Champagne, Lafite Rothschild from France, Sassicaia from Italy, Opus One from the US, and Glenmorangie from Australia, all to complement the other star of the evening – Yu Ji Fu Aged Dried Abalone. The banquet was prepared by renowned chefs Yang Yanbin and Ma Lin from Rongfu Banquet. I had previously dined with Chef Yang at Fu Man Lou, where he presented Fujian cuisine and impressed me with his youthful energy and culinary flair. However, I was surprised by his masterful handling of dried abalone. His "Braised Abalone with Wine" was a masterpiece – the skin was crispy and fragrant, the texture soft and chewy like brown sugar rice cake, sticky to the knife and the palate, with a rich and lingering flavor, truly befitting a master. As a wanderer in the world of culinary delights, my Cantonese cuisine journey began with poached chicken and has continued until I encountered dried abalone, finally feeling a sense of accomplishment. Top Cantonese cuisine masters are all experts in abalone preparation; several of the most renowned chefs in the culinary world are also abalone masters. The quality of the ingredients determines 70% of a dish's fate, and selecting top-quality dried abalone is as difficult as gambling on jade. The industry standard is to establish reliable and stable supply channels. If you haven't learned how to buy it, and you haven't learned how to cook it, then just learn how to eat it! On my journey to mastering dried abalone, I encountered three benefactors. Master Ou Jinhe, known as the "King of Southern Abalone" at the end of the last century, helped me "unseal" my knowledge of dried abalone. On that day, this poor student just entering society learned that eating dried abalone should be like eating steak—cut only what you need, instead of tearing the whole thing apart as soon as it's served. My second benefactor was Brother Cai Hao, who had just returned from the United States over twenty years ago. At that time, he hadn't yet founded "Haojiu Haocai" (Good Wine, Good Cai). In his private kitchen in Panyu, he taught me not to slice dried abalone, but to cut it into "sugar cubes" to fully appreciate its texture and flavor. I understood then that the verb for savoring dried abalone is "chew"—to chew and savor the taste of the sea breeze! My third benefactor is Brother Lin Weihui, a man with a "fervent" obsession with dried abalone. As a "top-tier gourmet," Brother Hui has sampled dried abalone from all over the world. He not only treated me to a whole dried abalone but also shared what he considered the finest—the perfectly cooked Hao Ge dried abalone, with a soft center and perfectly round edges. Xin Rong Ji can master the most luxurious flavors in the world. Mr. Cai Lan once told me that true deliciousness is simply good ingredients meeting good craftsmanship. Last night's dried abalone night...

The dishes are really delicious, and the environment is very good. It's great to be able to experience such authentic dishes at this price.

It is worth a try. The dishes are delicious. The shrimp soup, spring bamboo shoots, seasonal vegetables and tofu pot are amazing. The service is thoughtful, the privacy is good, the environment is great, suitable for business banquets and friends gatherings~

It is just across from Nanyang Building and only 5 minutes walk from Plaza 66, so I prefer the company to treat guests here, and it is convenient to go home. The bronze plaque at the door is quite exaggerated, and the interior is even more exaggerated, just like the decoration of the homes of rich people (can you say nouveau riche), anyway, it is quite face-saving to treat guests to dinner. The dishes are quite exquisite, and the ingredients are very fresh. My favorite flower crab feels more tender than the frozen flower crab I ate in Chaozhou. The matsutake mushrooms I ate before were also very cute, and the sauce with them was very interesting.

Xin Rong Ji was founded by Mr. Zhang Yong in Linhai, Zhejiang in October 1995. The company takes "Xin Rong Ji" as its core brand, and its extended brands include: Rong Xiaoguan, Rong Ji Hotpot, Rong Zhuang, Rong Fu Family Banquet, Rong Shu, Rong Shu Yellow Croaker Noodles, Furong Wushuang, etc.