"When I recall the south of the Yangtze River, I remember Hangzhou the most; looking for osmanthus seeds in the moonlight in the mountain temples, watching the tide on my pillow in the county pavilion. When will we come again!" More than a thousand years ago, Bai Juyi, a scholar of the Tang Dynasty, wrote "Three Poems on the South of the Yangtze River", including one of them. The first poem expresses nostalgia for the beauty of Hangzhou. Since I haven’t been back to my hometown of Hangzhou for three years due to the epidemic, why don’t I feel this emotion? The beauty of this city is like a gentle whisper, not suddenly overwhelming, But it always leaves ripples in people's hearts and triggers endless aftertaste. Like the first snowfall in winter, the broken bridge is covered with a thin layer of snow. From a distance, the stone bridge looks broken but not broken, cold and mysterious. Or when the spring breeze blows, the West Lake reflects the red peach and green willows on Su Di, swaying in the wind, and blooming with various styles.
The fragrance of osmanthus is probably the smell that every Hangzhou person remembers most. Golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, and red osmanthus bloom in autumn, creating a sharp visual contrast with the green leaves. The sweet-scented osmanthus falling in the wind forms a scented rain, which is refreshing. Guiyu Shanfang, a high-end restaurant hidden in the valley, is located in Manjuelong, the place with the densest concentration of osmanthus trees in Hangzhou. As soon as autumn arrives, Guiyu Shanfang is surrounded by the mellow and gentle aroma of Manjuelong osmanthus. This iconic smell of Hangzhou extends to the restaurant interior – Guiyu Shanfang uses customized osmanthus fragrance to make people feel happy all year round. You can sip tea and dine accompanied by the faint scent of cinnamon.
The name Manjuelong comes from Yuanxingyuan (later renamed Manjueyuan), a Buddhist temple that was built here. Probably in order to pay tribute to the Zen culture of this place, the design of Guiyu Mountain House is also full of pure and peaceful Zen. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows are lush trees and a clear pond, giving people a sense of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle. Just using a few plants, such as a winter wintersweet, is enough to brighten up a simple indoor space. Guiyu Shanfang embodies the less-is-more life aesthetics everywhere.
Whether it's Hangzhou cuisine, fusion cuisine or creative cuisine, Guiyu Shanfang's interpretations often surprise people. Scallion pancake is a collective childhood memory of Hangzhou people, and Guiyu Shanfang pairs it with hazelnut foie gras sauce. The hot scallion pancake is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the foie gras is plump and not greasy. In addition to hazelnuts, Zhejiang's famous pecan kernels are also added, the silky foie gras paste, and crispy nuts make the scallion pancake a snack that is also delicious. The memory is still fresh. Hupao Spring Beef, beef shank and pickled peppers are soaked in the pure soup. It looks too plain, but after tasting it, you can experience multi-layered sensory stimulation. The soup is made from water from Hupao Spring, which is famous for its refreshing and mellow taste. When the spring water beef enters the mouth, the tip of the tongue first feels the spiciness from the pickled peppers, which gradually turns to the plumpness of the beef, and then the sweetness of Hupaoquan enhances the freshness of the meat. It seems simple, but the flavor is very complex.
The pace of life in the city of Hangzhou is not fast, but when you are in Guiyu Mountain House, it feels like time goes even slower. Surrounded by such a Zen-like environment, with the faint fragrance of osmanthus floating in the air, while sipping tea and tasting exquisite and thoughtful dishes, it is difficult not to sigh from the heart, life is sometimes as beautiful as poetry.
