CheLi serves impressive and authentic Shanghainese (Jiangnan) regional cuisine in a nostalgic, rustic setting. The menu features fresh ingredients and clean, subtle flavors in traditional dishes you may not find anywhere else in NYC. Read on to learn more about the place and some of its tastiest dishes.
CheLi: Elevated Jiangnan Cuisine in the East Village
When I heard that the team behind Sichuan Mountain House was opening a new restaurant in the Jiangnan (the region including Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) style, I was excited. It opened late last year and I’ve been lucky enough to eat there a few times since then.
Jiangnan (浙江) cuisine is quite distinct from other Chinese regional cuisines. It focuses on freshness and cleanness of flavor, so you really taste the essence of the main ingredients, which may be fish, shrimp, chicken, or pork. Chefs use Shaoxing wine very effectively to create an aromatic umami that enhances the flavors (not coincidentally, the city of Shaoxing is located in the region). It does not typically use strong spicy or salty flavors and its beauty is often subtle.
CheLi serves a great variety of Jiangnan specialties, and from my experience with the cuisine back in China, they present the dishes quite accurately and I found many of them to be uniquely delicious.
The Dining Experience at CheLi
Before we dive into the food, I’ll tell you that CheLi has a lovely rustic ambience and is very smoothly-run.
The decor creates the immersive nostalgic vibe of an old Chinese village. Wooden structures, straw roofs, red lanterns, and festive signage make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a cozy village restaurant somewhere in rural Zhejiang.
After dining at CheLi a couple of times, it still impresses me how quickly the dishes come out. It helps if you order a cold dish or two, to get things started, but even the more complicated dishes involving multiple processes arrive at the table in short order.
The dishes, for the most part, are small- and medium-sized, so it’s possible to try quite a few dishes with a party of two and not be overwhelmed by too much food.
My Recommended Dishes at CheLi
The menu contains a good variety of different regional dishes.
Jiangnan Specialities
A large proportion of the menu at CheLi is dedicated to the regional delicacies of Jiangnan. Their “Jiangnan Reminiscence” section consists of some quite traditional recipes from the region and the other sections are at least heavily influenced by the region’s cuisine, if not from the region outright.
They make it very easy to order the regional cuisine and it’s hard to go wrong, though in my mind the region does not really specialize in spicy food, so I would avoid the spicy dishes if authenticity is your goal. (I don’t doubt that their spicy dishes are also very tasty.)
Longjing Shrimp
These still-translucent shrimp are presented mysteriously and dramatically on a bamboo leaf in a cloud of fog.
Dipping a shrimp into the vinegar sauce and taking a bite, the flavor is clean and simple – a taste of the sea with the aroma of Shaoxing wine. But there is some subtle beauty there as well. The texture is a unique sticky-firm and there is a hint of the longjing tea used to cook the shrimp.
The dish may sound unusual but it is quite special and I highly recommend it – it is among my most favorite dishes at ZheLi.
Crispy Eel in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Bite-size pieces of freshwater eel are deep fried until perfectly crispy and airy (almost like pork rinds) and served in an irresistible and familiar sweet and sour sauce (though not TOO sweet). The flavor of the eels is very mild and not at all fishy.
This dish is less filling than some others, but it’s great fun! The texture of the eel and bright pop of flavor just make it a joy to eat. This dish is hard to execute and they do it really well here – another of my favorites.
Steamed Fish
There are several different steamed fish dishes on CheLi’s menu. I’ve tried a few of them and can say that they are very strong in the steamed fish department. Steamed fish is less known outside of China but is a regional specialty in Jiangnan, as well as some other Chinese regions.
If you have never tried Chinese steamed fish and generally enjoy fresh fish, you can’t go wrong with these two.
Steamed Yellow Croaker with Special Wine Sauce
The whole croaker is stuffed with ham, bamboo, fermented rice, and mushrooms and served in a rich, golden, wine-based broth. The tender, flaky texture of the fish is exactly as it should be. The combination of ingredients is wonderfully aromatic and the slightly oily fish is nicely balanced by the other ingredients.
West Lake Fish with Chef Special Vinegar Sauce
The visual presentation of this dish is striking – a butterflied whole fish in a pool of deep brown sauce and garnished with colorful flower petals. The aroma of Zhenjiang vinegar and Shaoxing wine are very pleasant.
The fish is perfectly tender, with a delicate flavor that isn’t overwhelmed by the gentle sweet, sour, and umami notes of the sauce.
Jiangnan Appetizers and Dim Sum
Wine-Soaked Chicken
This dish may sound unusual – chilled poached chicken soaked in a sauce of Shaoxing wine, herbs and berries – but it is refreshing and very satisfying.
The broth is cool and flavorful, with a hint of sweetness from the goji berry. You taste the aroma of the wine but there is no boozy flavor. The texture of the chicken is at the sweet spot between firm and tender.
Overall it’s a pleasant way to warm up your palate, as it’s both appetizing and provides a taste of the type of understated subtle flavors that are characteristic of Jiangnan cuisine.
Check out my recipe if you’re interested in how the dish is prepared.
Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
One of the best-known Shanghainese specialties, these soup-filled steamed dumplings come with a choice of pork, pork and crab, or pork and black truffle filling.
We tried both the pork and pork and crab xiao long bao and were very pleased – very delicate thin-yet-strong wrappers around a rich and juicy umami filling.
Accompanying Dishes
A properly balanced Chinese meal has a few iconic centerpieces (which I recommend choosing from the ones above) and some accompaniments that are great in their own right but should balance the meal and not take attention away from the star dishes.
Green Veggies – Loofah, Water Spinach, and Pea Shoots
The Stir Fried Loofah with Garlic is my favorite veggie dish here. The texture is somewhere between cucumber and zucchini and the flavor is slightly sweet and slightly nutty. It’s a really refreshing yet flavorful dish and it makes a nice palate cleanser.
The water spinach and pea shoots are also worth trying, both because they are among the less common veggies you see and because they are both delicious.
Golden Seafood Fried Rice
Sometimes called Yang Zhou Fried Rice, this fried rice features shrimp, mushroom, ham, crispy egg strands, and pine nuts. It’s on the luxurious side as far as fried rice goes, but the ingredients work really nicely together and create a round, rich umami.
Braised Rice with Boletus Mushroom
The rice is cooked together in boletus (aka porcini) broth and the warm aroma of the mushroom is lovely. That earthiness is balanced by a touch of sweetness and some very mild green chili peppers. The stone bowl is very hot and crisps up the rice on the bottom, making for a fun texture contrast.
Final Thoughts
I hope this review gives you a good sense of what you can expect at CheLi. The regional Jiangnan cuisine they serve is quite uncommon outside of China and they do a very nice job with it.
If you happen to be in or near New York City and are interested in trying some very well prepared and less-known regional cuisine, I really recommend giving this place a try. The atmosphere, service, and food quality will transport you somewhere special for a little while.
