Ningbo 2015 - Dinner at Ningbo Hai Long Chen Restaurant

The F&B business is big business in China. Restaurants everywhere used to do brisk business with big-spending customers and government officials on expense account who seem to have very big wallets. After the recent crackdown on corruption however, things seem to have died down a bit. On this trip, we have been to quite a number of restaurants - and most of them seem to be a bit empty.

Ningbo Hai Long Chen Restuarant is one of those restaurants where you bring your guests if you want to impress them. It is a huge restaurant - and very lavishly decorated. This was one of the dinners included in the tour - and we were surprised to be brought to a restaurant that looks quite expensive.

Dinner was an extensive multi-course affair. As usual, it started with several appetizers - pickled bamboo shoots, steamed pumpkin, chicken in spicy sauce and smoked fish.

Among the mains - most were good but not great.

The standout dishes were steamed crab with yam cubes - very fresh and sweet, and the steamed clams which were simple but very tasty.

One of the classic Chinese home-style soups is sweet corn with pork ribs, and the version here includes carrots. Simple comfort food that is really delicious.