Colour of the Night, in Ningbo

貼閣碧（Tie Ge Bi), Ningbo local cuisine

Tried a preserved veggie (like 梅菜) as the appetizer.  Though it's a bit salty, it was very rich in the preserved veggie flavour and it went well with the veggie rice porridge.  The next one is the house's signature dish - deep fried yellow fish filet in bean curt sheet.  Very impressive with this one as it's very moist inside but ultra crispy outside.  It's just HK$60 for this dish.  The mixed casserole was awesome too.  The shrimp was semi-sun dried - reminded me of my childhood in the fishing village.  The dessert was not to be missed - mini sticky rice dumplings in wine rice sweet.  A very big portion but just HK$25 (good for 8 servings).

天一廣場, Tian Yi Square, Ningbo

Yi Cafe, Shangrila Ningbo, China

The breakfast of this Shangrila impressed me a lot, from the selected fruits, cold cut, bread to Chinese pan fried pork bun, tea leaf soaked egg, Shanghai fried noodle and baked pastry.  Even the coffee was of some high quality.   I felt like I hadn't had enough for only 2 days of breakfast here.

Shangrila Ningbo, China

In stepping into the hotel, a familiar room fragrance told you "that's Shangrila".  The room is very spacious with bath tub and shower.  Somehow the bed is a bit too soft with a "human shape".  The housekeeping was a bit annoying to insist on opening the window each time they cleaned the room, though I told them not to open the window because there was a construction site outside.

It was very late when I arrived at the hotel but nice that I could try a very authentic Stir fried Kuay Tiew (Malay stir fried noodle).  It reminded me of the first time I visited Penang Shangrila.  See how impressive of flavour and scent it can be to imprint in your memory.

桂堂本幫菜，寧波 (Gui Tang, Shanghai restaurant, Ning Bo)

Besides sticky rice dumpling, there is another famous food from Ningbo - jelly fish of Zhou Shan island (舟山海蜇).  It's interesting to me in those restaurants I tried in Ning Bo, the flavour of most dishes wasn't too heavily seasoned but just sweet or salty.  Even though some food was in heavy sauce, it was that specific sauce used, but not complicated with different sauce and seasoning.  This way you can taste the original flavour of the food.  Just like the jelly fish (photo 4), it was just with a light touch of sesame oil and vinegar served on the side.  Next one was the mashed taro and veggie casserole.  It was very aromatic when it was served on the table.  The baked soy sauce chicken was very nice too and at least the chicken was in a normal size but not a super sized-breast only chicken.  The dessert mini sticky rice dumplings in black sticky rice was in a very large portion (good for 6) but it was just only HK$20.  

Ningbo, a city of rivers

寧波梅龍鎮酒家，南塘，寧波 (Mei Long Zhen restaurant, Ningbo)

The name of this restaurant reminds me of those old time Kung Fu movies.  I didn't order a pot of rice wine but just several local dishes.  Ordered chilled winter melon in salt, vinegar and sesame oil, smoked fish, seared fried short string beans, pork belly stewed with quail eggs and siu lon bao.  I'd like the way the chef made the pan seared beans.  It was first seared fried dried out but then sealed in a light preserved olive paste sauce and some chopped chili and minced pork.  The stewed pork with quail eggs reminded me of my childhood memory.  Siu Lon Bao should be a mini bun like that, not that thin wrap dumpling.