In the sunny March, with grass growing and birds singing, various fresh seasonal spring vegetables have made their way from the fields to the dining tables. Under the skillful hands of chefs and pastry chefs at New Zhen Jiang Restaurant, ingredients like Chinese Tapertail Anchovy, Indian Aster, Chinese toon, and spring bamboo shoot have rightfully become the “stars” of spring delicacies, allowing diners to experience the abundant flavors of spring starting from their taste buds.

Every year from March to Qingming Festival, the Chinese tapertail anchovy has the fattiest and most delicious flesh. This year, New Zhen Jiang Restaurant continues to offer over 20 visually appealing and delicious Chinese Tapertail Anchovy dishes, including Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Wonton, Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Spring Roll, Steamed Chinese Tapertail Anchovy, Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Lion’s Head Meatballs, and Lychee Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Balls. It also introduces a special six-person Chinese Tapertail Anchovy feast, which includes six cold dishes such as Mixed Chinese Toon with Dried Bean Curd and Emerald Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Jelly, nine hot dishes including Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Toast and Emerald Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Flower, as well as Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Spring Roll and Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Wonton as dim sum. This allows diners to have a satisfying culinary experience all at once.

In addition to the mouth-watering Chinese Tapertail Anchovy dishes, New Zhen Jiang Restaurant also presents a variety of spring seasonal dishes, such as XO Sauce Stir-fried Whitebaits with Peanut Buds and Seleng Wormwoods, Stewed Tofu with Freshwater Mussels, and Boiled Siberian Prawns with Spring Bamboo Shoots and Broad Beans. These dishes allow diners to instantly discover the right way to embrace spring. What makes diners even happier is that these delightful spring flavors can be easily replicated at home.

“For the whitebaits, it’s best to select slightly larger ones and when frying them, let them develop a slight sticky flour coating. The seleng wormwoods should not be blanched for too long, and when serving, add a little bit of light soy sauce to enhance the freshness of the entire dish.”

Wang Gang, head chef of New Zhen Jiang Restaurant, revealed the key points behind the new dish, XO Sauce Stir-fried Whitebaits with Peanut Buds and Seleng Wormwoods. For those looking to replicate the popular seasonal dishes, such as Boiled Siberian Prawns with Spring Bamboo Shoots and Broad Beans, and Stewed Tofu with Freshwater Mussels, Wang Gang also shared a few crucial tips:

When cooking broad beans, you can add a small amount of baking soda. This will help maintain the vibrant green color of broad beans and remove any beany flavor. The edge of the freshwater mussel meat is relatively thick, so be sure to give it a few taps with a wooden mallet before cooking. The optimal pressure cooking time of the pressure cooker is around 20 to 25 minutes. For firm tofu, it’s important to cover the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until it forms a honeycomb-like texture.

This spring, in addition to continuing to offer handcrafted Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Wonton, Chinese Toon Wonton, and Chive Wonton with Freshwater Mussel Meat and River Snail Meat, New Zhen Jiang Restaurant innovatively introduces Beef Wonton with Chinese Toon, Bamboo Shoot Dice, and Pine Nuts. With each bite, the fragrance of Chinese toons, the crispness of spring bamboo shoots, the freshness of beef, and the unique crunchiness of fried pine nuts blend together, making it irresistible to stop oneself from taking one bite after another. It’s simply impossible to resist the temptation.

These folding flavors of spring can be enjoyed either in the restaurant or conveniently taken home to share with family and friends. The prices are as follows:

Chinese Tapertail Anchovy Wonton:

10 for take-out, RMB 88; 6 for eat-in, RMB 78

Chinese Toon Wonton:

10 for take-out, RMB 68; 6 for eat-in, RMB 78

Chive Wonton with Freshwater Mussel Meat and River Snail Meat:

10 for take-out, RMB 50; 6 for eat-in, RMB 68

Beef Wonton with Chinese Toon, Bamboo Shoot Dice, and Pine Nuts:

10 for take-out, RMB 50; 6 for eat-in, RMB 68

For you expecting to embrace spring through culinary delights,

these seasonal limited-time delicacies are an absolute must-try.