Explore different flavors at some new restaurants

Christmas and New Year are coming, and the city is getting into the festive spirit. Here are some of the city's newly opened restaurants where you can enjoy a dazzling time with family and friends during the holiday season.

Yema 叶马 (The Grand Gateway 66 mall branch)

Yema, originated in Hangzhou in 2007, now opens its second branch in Xuhui District in Shanghai. This restaurant features mild, delicate flavors and emphasizes fresh ingredients, putting a new twist on the original style.

"Freshness is the key to our success," said Ma Mindong, head of the restaurant.

Every morning, Ma leads the team to choose the ingredients, from fresh pork, chicken and seafood, to bean curd, bamboo shoots and black fungus.

The highlight of the menu is the braised yellow croaker topped with hand-made rice cakes. With only three seasonings like sugar, soy bean sauce and Huadiao rice wine, this dish takes hours to simmer and highlights a wonderful match of fish and rice cakes.

Also, don't miss the sea urchin tofu in stone pot. Based on chicken broth, the pot has a great combination of sea urchin, taro, zhuyouzha (the fat dregs), shrimp and beans. The hot stone pot can keep the freshness and temperature.

The duck soup is worth trying too. The chef chooses the duck from Jingshan, in the northwest of Hangzhou City, and cooks it with both fresh and salted pork trotters and bamboo shoots. These ingredients all blend together, creating an unforgettable umami flavor.

Hours: 11am-2pm, 4:30-9pm

Tel: 3356-9998

Address: 6/F, 1 Hongqiao Rd

虹桥路1号6楼

Chaimenhui 柴门荟

At the Taikoo Li Qiantan mall, this Sichuan cuisine restaurant adds a bit of "winter luxury" to your palette, and the venue is the perfect spot to catch up with friends with well-designed inner decor and private dining rooms.

It is high time to preserve yang (hot) energy for winter. Start the meal with its signature chicken meatball soup. The broth is stewed for more than eight hours with chicken, duck, ham, pig bones and pork. The chef minces the chicken into meatballs, giving this dish a warming flavor to comfort the stomach.

As for the main dishes, definitely try the braised beef ribs cooked with homemade sauce and spices. The baby spinach on the top is cooked with mustard sauce, adding a fresh taste to the dish.

Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-9pm

Tel: 5883-7779

Address: 4/F, No. 1-9, Lane 500, Dongyu Rd

东育路500弄1-9号4楼

Aged Ground Beef & Rice 肉肉大米

This newly-opened restaurant blends the flavors of a beef burger patty and Koshihikari rice. Customers can watch the the patties being made and the rice milling through the half-open kitchen.

The chef puts the medium-well beef patty on the pan oven in front of you, and you can cook it by yourself. There are eight homemade sauces including garlic and pepper, fresh onion, yellow mustard and pepper salt. You can also enjoy a dipping sauce of raw egg to coat the patty and rice.

Besides the plain patties, make sure you try one topped with cheese.

All the sets have rice, vegetables and soup.

Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-9:30pm (Mondays-Fridays); 11am-9:30pm (weekends)

Tel: 1660-1937-757

Address: Rm 28, B1, 1111 Zhaojiabang Rd

肇家浜路1111号B1-28