Songhelou in Suzhou is a century-old restaurant and one of the representative establishments of Suzhou cuisine (Su Bang Cai). The famous dish, Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish (Songshu Guiyu), was actually created here. Basically, if you come, you have to try it at least once—whether it’s good or not, you won’t know until you’ve tasted it yourself. At another restaurant earlier, I already saw this dish on the menu, but I deliberately skipped it (luckily I did, because later I found out that place wasn’t very good) since I was saving the experience for Songhelou.
In fact, there are many well-known restaurants in Suzhou, and it’s impossible to try them all in a short time. So you can only be selective. It’s better to start with the ones that are most famous and representative, and then consider whether to try others. When we went to Pingjiang Road, we already planned to visit Songhelou, so it was part of our schedule. The only thing was that we didn’t make a reservation, but we were lucky enough to still get a table.
The roasted bamboo shoots—I regret not ordering a second plate. We all agreed it was delicious. Tenderness is the key!
The braised duck was also quite tasty. These appetizers were all well executed. The sauce’s dark color might shock you at first.
And here comes the signature dish: Squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish. This one is not cheap—258 RMB—and the portion isn’t very large. With four of us sharing, there wasn’t much to go around. What you see on the fish is basically all the meat there is, and after just a few bites, it was gone. The sauce is sweet and sour, perfect for those who like that flavor profile. What stands out is the cooking difficulty and the impressive presentation. That said, the fish itself was tender and fresh, and the sauce didn’t completely overpower its flavor.
We also had Duck Blood and Old Goose Soup, which was exactly the taste I had in mind and something I really wanted to try. Unfortunately, I wished it had included some vermicelli—it would’ve been much better. The ingredients inside were too few, with too many goose bones. The duck blood was nice and tender, and the broth was a proper stock. But it felt like the elements didn’t quite blend together—like each part was on its own, as if the cooking wasn’t carried out long enough to integrate the flavors. Sounds contradictory, but that’s how it felt.
Overall, the restaurant maintains a certain standard, though prices are probably slightly higher than other places. And when it comes to traditional dishes, younger people might not always find them appealing. Still, it’s important that establishments like this continue to preserve and pass down these traditions, or else there may be fewer chances to taste them in the future.
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