Jie Xiang Lou Seven Villas Hangzhou 解香樓 杭州紫萱度假村 (Hangzhou, CHINA) ★★★★★

Thanks to the relentless effort by Grand Hyatt Hotel's Concierge Team, we finally managed to secure a table at Jie Xiang Lou (解香樓). Nestled in a bamboo forest within the Seven Villas Hangzhou resort (杭州紫萱度假村) beside West Lake, Jie Xiang Lou serves modern Jiangnan cuisine made primarily with local produce from Zhejiang province.

Opened in 2005, Jie Xiang Lou, is not only one of just eight Michelin-starred restaurants in Hangzhou, but also one of a selected few to earn a two-diamond rating in China's prestigious Black Pearl Restaurant Guide (黑珍珠餐廳指南). This speaks volumes about its exceptional quality.

The famed restaurant is currently helmed by Executive Chef Jacky Yu (俞斌), one of the most influential chefs in Jiangnan cuisine. The restaurant itself was intimate, comprising a main dining area on the ground floor and 13 private dining rooms upstairs.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and immediately led to our private room upstairs.

While the main dining room offered a more vibrant dining experience, our private room was a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of West Lake (and city life in general) highlighted by the peaceful view to the bamboo forest.

Some welcoming snacks while we were presented with the food menu. This was a pretty extensive menu with a lot of colorful images. It took me a while to go through it page by page. 

Assorted cold dish platter (玲瓏錦盒) (¥238) – First up was the award-winning cold appetizer platter of the restaurant. This was really too beautiful to pass up and the fact that guests could tailor-make their own combination made it an absolute must to start off the meal.

Crispy pork with caviar and homemade bread (魚子醬松阪肉) – Delicate crispy pork belly served on a thin layer of scallion, zucchini and homemade bread, topped elegantly with caviar from Thousand Island Lake (千島湖). Flavors of all the ingredients really came together nicely. What a dream start! 

Fermented crab paste with avocado tart (沁香蟹膏牛油果撻) – The fermented crab paste trapped underneath a sheet of jelly, provided a nice burst of umami-rich flavors to complement the clean flavors of avocado and zucchini. 

Tofu bun with portherb and ham (雲腿野菜石榴包) – Finely chopped Shanghai parsley (馬蘭頭), Jinhua (金華火腿) and pine nuts were carefully wrapped in a delicate tofu skin. A pretty nice vegetarian dish.

Chestnut foie gras (板栗鹅肝) 🌰 – The foei gras pate has been soaked in wine so some extra kick and flavors to go along with buttery foie gras.

Green pepper flavored celtuce and zucchini (藤椒窨雙蔬) – This was probably the most visual stunning starter of the bunch. I had to take quite a number of photos of it just to make sure that I didn't miss.

Thin slices of crunchy celtuce and zucchini were layered with a piquant green Sichuan pepper sauce, finished off with a simple garnish using two pieces of the same Sichuan pepper on top. A dish as pleasing to the eye as it was to the palate.

Deep-fried pork belly wrap with fried bean curd and black truffle sauce (黑松露響鈴豉油肉) (¥368) – I knew all about deep-fried tofu bells (or bean curd) being a specialty in Hangzhou cuisine but this was a clever modern spin by the chef to serve it in a wrap.

Underneath the thin pancake wrap, we have the deep-fried tofu bells with thin strips of zucchini, succulent pork belly, and a subtle black truffle sauce to tie things up brilliantly. There were a lot of flavors and textures underneath that soft pancake, with the lovely crunch of the tofu bells leading the way. 

Braised fresh abalone with shrimp roe (濃味蝦籽鮮鮑) (¥680) – It's been a while since I last had braised abalone served tableside.

The flavorful sauce was being absorbed slowly into the abalone.

Of course, some photos before it's ready to be served.

This was almost as big as my palm. Interestingly enough, the abalone was served up alongside a slice of poached pumpkin and glutinous rice roll for a change.

 

The abalone was incredibly tender and full of flavor thanks to the rich and thick sauce. The shrimp roes certainly did its part to elevate the flavors of the dish.

The accompanying rice was wrapped with a lotus leaf. Didn't think it worked too well with the abalone though. 

Boiled Chinese white cabbage with stock soup and dried shrimp (開陽妙煮毛毛菜) (¥78) – As usual, some vegetables to balance things out a bit.

I was planning to order dessert but thought better of it as I had way more than I could chew at this point. So, right before we settle the bill, a simple (and most importantly, complimentary) fruit platter to finish things off on a sweet note.

Initially intended for my pre-birthday celebration, this meal totally surpassed my expectations. From the moment we stepped through the doors, the team here made us feel like valued guests and in this day and age where I thought we have all forgotten how to serve (at least in Hong Kong, they did), it made an absolutely unbelievable experience. The quality of cooking was certainly at the very best, highlighted by the appetizer platter, tofu bell and abalone dishes. Each dish showcased a fine balance of precision, finesse, and creativity. The exclusive private room, with its tranquil atmosphere and picturesque bamboo forest backdrop, also added a layer of serene indulgence to the experience. For me, this was by far the most memorable dining experience in 2025.

Food Rating: 7.5/10

Price: ¥¥¥¥

Address: Seven Villas, 1 Bapanling Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China 

浙江省杭州市西湖区八盘岭路1号紫萱度假村

Tel: +86 (571) 8886-7888

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 1:30pm, 5:00pm - 8:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/ee/0o1i