Where:
Tai Er, Chinese sauerkraut fish – 太二，酸菜鱼
Raffles city shopping mall, DaQing south road 99, 3rd floor, NINGBO – 大庆南路99号来福士广场L4层24-26号，宁波
(Pinned on Monsieur Baozi Map)
Ⓜ️ Waitan Bridge (2)
💵 +/- 200¥ for two (I don’t recommend going alone)
http://www.taieryu.com

A few days ago, I discovered a restaurant two minutes from my home. In fact, my wife told me about it at least 6 months ago, but for several reasons, it didn’t get my attention.
It has to be said that at that time, you had to queue for at least an hour to get a table, which is something that tends to irritates me.
There is another reason: I am quite wary of ultra-popular concepts, especially in China, because they are mostly based on powerful communication and marketing strategies, but not necessarily quality driven.

太二 has proven to me that a shop can combine these three facts: having a cool image, being ultra popular and delicious at the same time.
We still had to wait for at least 25 minutes before getting inside, although it was 8pm and restaurants are still affected by the coronavirus crisis. So I took my ticket, all my perseverance, and waited for my turn bravely.

The concept: 酸菜鱼 (SuanCaiYu), a popular dish from the Sichuan region, composed of a spicy broth (not too spicy for a Sichuan dish), fermented cabbage (sauerkraut), tofu, fish, rice noodles. It is full of Sichuan peppercorns, and therefore very “numby”.

Funny fact1: the restaurant does not accept tables of more than 4 people. Why? because beyond 4 people, according to the brand, one is less focused on the content of the plate than on his friends.

Funny fact 2: you can not, unlike many similar concepts (ex: hotpot), choose your “degree of spiciness”. The brand considers that it is impossible, anyway, to satisfy the whole earth, and chooses for you the “optimal degree of chilli” to enjoy this dish.

Funny fact 3: there are free napkins available, as well as telephone chargers, toothpicks and all-you-can-eat tea. Not a common timbale of hot tap water: real orange peels, hibiscus, served in a big mug with brand’s moto & logo. It might sound mundane, but it is actually very convenient not to look for it, and not having to pay extras for napkins.

Funny fact 4: the brand wants to be “cool” and opts for offbeat communication like this slogan on the plate of their emblematic dish: “Our sauerkraut is tastier than our fish”. Not only true, but it also reflects a real branding strategy that I think is inspiring.

Funny fact 5: for claimed quality reasons, the restaurant does not deliver (except during the period of COVID-19, exceptionally).

All these points are real choices that the brand has taken, and it count a lot in their quality image. By being so strict, the restaurant closes to many opportunities but also focuses on its target: millennials (which were largely representative on the evening of my visit) served at the table: no dissatisfaction to manage online, no packaging, no delivery drivers running in/around the restaurant, etc.

Bonus: taste is good! And by “good”, I mean very good… Their asset definitely is this sauerkraut, slightly acidic, with a smoky aftertaste. The broth is quite light, not oily, and the whole is hot & spicy yes, but not to the point of being reserved for the inhabitants of Sichuan province. For those who do not know, Sichuan dishes are usually prepared with Sichuan peppercorns, which have a slightly lemony taste and excites the front of our tongue (“numb” is the adjective to describe the sensation). I am personally a big fan of the taste and sensation caused by the consumption of Sichuan peppercorns.

I have not managed to find any weaknesses at this restaurant. Obviously, it is a powerful chain with numerous sales points in dozens of cities, well-established management, abundant and well-trained staff. But, as we said at dinner, it’s often like this in China: the best Chinese restaurants are (sadly?) very often chains, which have a long-term vision that passes, inevitably, through customer satisfaction…

As far as I’m concerned, 太二 Tai Er, you’ll see me again very soon.