2016 Haike Capital Certified Restaurant Recommended Dishes: Sesame Salad, Orange-Sauce Squid, Curry Flower Crab
Wearing a blue apron and a small floral headscarf, the ever-smiling proprietress, Ms. Ye, is greeting a new group of guests. It turns out they came after reading online about her no-menu cuisine. “The chef at Lanyang Snacks is a magician,” they say. “Once the seafood passes through her hands, it turns into rare new flavors!”
Only after asking around did I learn that Ms. Ye specializes in no-menu cooking. Unlike the big-portion, quick-stir-fry fare common in fishing harbors, she prefers to “talk” with her ingredients, creating distinctive textures and brand-new tastes.
Small portions, great variety, and a firm commitment to no-menu dining—you can get a star-level presentation at Lanyang Snacks. From appetizer to thick soup, through several main courses to dessert, each small, varied dish is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. Even the plates are special: Ms. Ye had porcelain custom-made in every size. “I’m a bit particular,” she says shyly. “I think the whole experience should feel unified—makes the meal more enjoyable.”
“The mains depend on the day’s catch,” she adds. When Pacific threadfin is in season, she steams a plate of fish with pickled tree seeds; when grey mullet is abundant, she fillets, fries, and serves it over rice vermicelli, finishing with sakura shrimp...
