A Mao Restaurant Tianyi 阿毛飯店 天一廣場店 (Ningbo, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We're finally ready to sit down for our first official meal of the trip, and no surprise at all that I am picking a restaurant that specializes in Zhejiang cuisine (江淅菜) to get a taste of some of the finest delicacies Ningbo has to offer.

A Mao Restaurant (阿毛飯店) is a beloved institution when it comes to Zhejiang cuisine in Ningbo thanks to its authentic recipes and more than wallet-friendly prices.

Like many restaurants in China these days, guests are welcome to walk right besides their open kitchen to observe what’s happening behind the scene.

Of course, they were showcasing some of their signature dishes in the kitchen counter, especially their 18-cut raw crabs (寧式十八斬). 🦀

Three Yellow Chicken (三黃雞) (¥38) – Not bad but I was expecting a little more umami-rich flavors from the local free range chicken.

Braised pork belly (阿拉紅燒肉) (¥42) – "阿拉" (pronounced like "ak-la") means "ours" or "us" in Shanghainese and the Ningbo dialect, so presumably this referred to the chef's own version of braised pork belly. I don't think anyone could say no to this pork belly that came with a nice proportion of tender meat and fat. The sauce made with soy, rock sugar, wine and vinegar was absolutely spot on.

Deep-fried tofu in claypot (秘方石鍋豆腐) (¥29) – For me, the best of the afternoon. The clever use of seaweed on top of the crispy tofu was the key, paired with a well-executed abalone sauce and we’ve got a winner here.

Drunken shrimps (花雕醉蝦) (¥45) – Very nice stringy texture and the chilled soy infused with huadiao wine (花雕酒) made it even more addictive. Second best dish of the afternoon.

Yang Chun noodles (陽春麵) (¥19) – Some noodles in soy sauce broth to go with our meat and seafood.

Ningbo sesame glutinous rice balls (寧波芝麻湯圓) (¥22) – It's been 12 hours since we arrived in Ningbo, and we still haven’t had a taste of the local specialty – Ningbo sesame glutinous rice balls. What’s up with that? 🤔🤔

I love the light, thin wrapper allowing each bite to deliver a lovely burst of black sesame sweetness and nuttiness.

A delightful Zhejiang lunch to kick off our first full day of action! Now time to return to the hotel to pick up our luggage and rush to the rapid train station.

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: ¥

Address: Ningbo Tianyi Square, 128 Qizha Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China 

浙江省宁波市海曙区碶闸街128号宁波天一广场

Closest Metro Station: Dongmenkou (东门口 - 天一广场)

Tel: +86 (574) 8763-3227

Opening Hour: 10:30am - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/46/MBUK