Zhenzheng Lao Lugaojian

Founded by Lu Bugao, who around 1880 opened the Lugaojian meat shop beside Gongyun Bridge in Wuxi. Seeing the city's busy waterways and thriving trade, he hired the renowned cook Li Rongxiang to refine the craft of stewed meats.

Its braised ribs and sauced meats are tender to the bone yet never greasy. Alongside Sanfengqiao, it is a defining name behind Wuxi's braised ribs and a long-respected presence in the region's cooked-meat trade.

Bamboo mats line the pot and bundled spices form the base; the meat is braised over alternating gentle and strong heat, finished with rock and white sugar. A master gravy is simmered each day for the next, giving the ribs their distinctive color and aroma.