Hubin 28 Restaurant at Grand Hyatt Hangzhou 湖濱28中餐厅 杭州君悅酒店 (Hangzhou, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We didn't have to go very far for dinner tonight as the restaurant was conveniently located on the lobby level of our hotel.

Hubin 28 Restaurant (湖滨28 中餐厅) is known for its modern interpretation of classic Zhejiang dishes.

Fueled by a recent feature on a popular Hong Kong TV programme, Hubin 28 has become a hot spot for tourists from Hong Kong. Not surprisingly, guests at two of the neighboring tables were both from Hong Kong, enjoying their Easter break in Hangzhou.

Boiled “Song Sao” Fish Soup (宋嫂魚羹) (¥88) – I am typically not a fan of fish soup but I am more than happy to make an exception tonight as this is a signature dish from this kitchen.

The fish soup is deeply savory, with a tantalizing umami richness. To my surprise, it didn't come with a ton of fish but instead there were thin strips of mushroom, black fungus, cabbage, bamboo shoots and carrots to add to the bite. I could really see why it was listed as a house specialty.

Braised “Dongpo” pork, chestnut pancakes (金牌扣肉) (¥388) – The main reason why we were here. 

While the classic Dongpo Pork (东坡肉) consists of braised pork belly cubes simmered in soy sauce with ginger, scallions and other aromatic spices, the head chef here offers a modern spin to the dish, a striking tower of thinly sliced pork belly. Placed underneath the tower were crunchy dried bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage. Very nicely presented dish.

This was really tasty and intensely addictive. Yes, it was slightly tilted like Tower of Pisa but nobody was going to care.

We were supposed to enjoy the pork belly with these chestnut pancakes but their rough texture led us to skip them altogether.

Deep-fried mandarin fish, sweet and sour sauce (松鼠桂魚) (¥458) – Another signature dish here obviously. It was a classic and visually stunning dish that was executed to perfection. The texture was a delightful interplay of a crispy, golden crust matched with the tender, flaky flesh hidden within. 👍👍

Wok-fried button mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bok choy (菜心小笋炒口蘑) (¥88) – After two excellent dishes, this looked (and tasted) a little too "ordinary" for us.

Steamed meatball, crab roe, chicken broth (蟹粉獅子頭) (¥88) – I was expecting a meaty meatball made with pork but they threw me a curveball. The meatball made primarily with diced shrimp and shrimp mousse was a little underwhelming (way too soft in texture) but I thought the chicken broth stole the show here with its clear, deep flavors while the spring peas added some lovely crunch to the dish.

We were apparently too full for desserts immediately following the meal so the plan was to go out for a leisurely walk around West Lake and hopefully, we will have the appetite for a late-night dessert to finish the night.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: ¥¥¥¥

Address: G/F Grand Hyatt Hangzhou, 28 Hu Bin Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China 

浙江省杭州市湖滨路28号君悦酒店1层

Closest Metro Station: Longxiangqiao (龙翔桥)

Tel: +86 (571) 8779-1234

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:00pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/88/ygf