Sheng Jin Lou 盛金楼

Sheng Jin Lou takes its cue from the sidewalk
food stalls (da paidang) of Wenzhou, a major city in Zhejiang province. Though southern in temperament, this food should not be mistaken for Cantonese or Fujianese. The cuisine is seafood-heavy, but also relies on a dizzying array of food preservation methods, suggesting that traditionally, this was suitable fare for the province’s many traveling merchants.
There’s no menu either – come prepared with a list of dishes (use our suggested menu for starters) or take a gander at the seafood, at the counter of brined and braised “deli” meats, and at the shelves of greens. Point at what you want, and within minutes it’s been stir-fried and on your table.
The vegetables here, dry-preserved and rehydrated, seem to take on intensified flavor and a snappy texture. Chunks of reconstituted celtuce (think of it as a mellow celery) practically squeak in the mouth; green cauliflower, thinned into florets, are also intriguingly al dente. Baicai, paired with fatty pork that’s been fried in its own drippings, is made unctuous and flavorful. Most, if not all dishes come stir-fried in lard, the time-honored cooking style of Wenzhou, but though rich, are generally not oversalted. The décor – in keeping with the night market theme – is strictly fluorescent lights and linoleum, and we noticed several similarly attired Wenzhou restaurants within a few blocks, which could suggest they sprang up to serve the homesick wholesale barons of nearby Alien Street Market and Yabao Lu.