Songhelou

Songhelou traces its origins to 1757 in the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, near the old-town district of Guanqian Street. It is one of the oldest surviving Suzhou-style restaurants, its name evoking the longevity symbolized by pine and crane.

The celebrated dish squirrel-shaped mandarin fish is said to have been created here, and folklore links it to the Qianlong Emperor's southern tours. Its seasonal menu embodies the Suzhou maxim of eating only what each season offers.

Suzhou cooking prizes precise knife work and heat control. For the signature fish, the flesh is cross-scored into a pinecone pattern, battered and fried into a squirrel-like shape, then dressed in a sweet-and-sour glaze that balances the crisp exterior and tender interior.

It was named a China Time-Honored Brand by the former Ministry of Internal Trade in 1999 and re-certified by the Ministry of Commerce in the first batch in 2006.