Jin Jing Ge at Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou: Summer Elegance Through the Contemporary Su Bang Cuisine

Guided by Chef Charles Zhang, Jin Jing Ge at Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou embraces the philosophy of “eating with the seasons.” Deeply rooted in Gusu’s culinary heritage, he follows the rhythm of the seasons, chooses ingredients at their peak and reinterprets traditional Suzhou cuisine with modern techniques and aesthetics. The result is contemporary Su Bang Cuisine, delicate, contemporary and a seamless bridge between past and present.

This summer, the menu highlights local seasonal treasures, from appetizers to desserts, offering light textures and layered complexity. Each dish strikes a balance between the hearty soul of street food and the elegance of fine dining, capturing the rhythm and flow of a Gusu summer on the palate.

Cold dishes spotlight fresh, delicate flavours, showcasing Suzhou’s summer mountain-and-lake bounty and awakening the palate with a crisp, refreshing start.

The Chilled Tamarind Jelly with Sea Urchin, Coconut Crackers and Lotus Seed Mousse spotlights lotus seeds, a quintessential summer ingredient in Suzhou. The tender sweetness of fresh lotus seeds is balanced by creamy coconut, tangy tamarind and briny sea urchin, all encased in a translucent jelly that captures the freshness of the season.

The Marinated River Shrimps with Fermented Rice features seasonal white shrimp in house-made fermented rice, with a deep yet mellow wine aroma, a beloved summer memory on Suzhou tables, now reinterpreted by Jin Jing Ge. The Chili Baby Clams with Cold Jelly and Chili Oil draws inspiration from the summer street food scene on Fengmen Hengjie, refining the classic cold jelly with tender baby clams and a chili oil that adds flavour without being heavy, transforming a rustic snack into an elegant dish.

Soups aim to refresh, cleanse the palate and relieve the heat of a humid Gusu summer. The Hot and Sour Fish Maw Soup with Assorted Seafood served in Winter Melon uses local winter melon as the vessel, capturing the natural sweetness of the melon, and combines seafood, fish maw and a fermented tang that gently awakens summer-weary taste buds. The soup is warm yet vibrant, reflecting the flavours of summer in Gusu.

The mains are the core of the summer menu, rooted in local seasonal produce and artfully incorporating mountain and lake treasures. They honour traditional methods while introducing new flavours, showcasing the diversity of the contemporary Su Bang cuisine.

The Braised Snow Crab with Tomato and Calabash uses sun-ripened local tomatoes whose concentrated tart sweetness pairs with tender calabash and fresh snow crab meat, creating a rich interplay of sour, sweet and umami. The Steamed Pork and Chanterelles with Lotus Leaf Fragrance responds to summer rains that bring abundant mushrooms; it reinterprets the classic Suzhou Four Seasons, four braised pork dish, infusing tender pork with lotus leaf aroma and chanterelle umami, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and lingering, elegant fragrance.

Rice and dim sum lean toward home-style comfort, evoking summer memories of Gusu with warmth and care in every detail.

The Steamed Rice with Salted Pork Ribs, Long Cowpeas and Assorted Vegetables carries Chef Charles Zhang’s childhood memory of summer evenings when his grandmother would cook long cowpeas and salted ribs in an electric rice cooker, each grain absorbing the savoury broth. At Jin Jing Ge, crisp summer long cowpeas and lightly salted ribs yield fluffy rice with crispy scorched bits, a spoonful of summer comfort.

The Steamed Crayfish and Pork Dumplings, a traditional Suzhou snack known for its paper-thin wrapper, is filled with seasonal crayfish meat and roe; after steaming, the translucent wrapper is chewy and the filling savoury, combining the character of street food with the refinement of banquet dining.

The Mung Bean Ice Cream with Mint Jelly takes inspiration from Suzhou-style mung bean soup, a beloved summer cooler. Jin Jing Ge reimagines it: mung bean becomes a smooth, sweet ice cream, while mint turns into translucent jelly layered with cool jelly. Each spoonful delivers earthy mung bean, sharp mint and silky jelly in a refreshing combination.

As seasons change, flavours are renewed. Jin Jing Ge stays true to the Eastern philosophy of seasonal eating, with contemporary Su Bang Cuisine at its core, incorporating the freshest ingredients of each season. This meticulously crafted summer feast showcases the timeless elegance of Gusu’s culinary heritage and the flavours of a Suzhou summer.

Jin Jing Ge is located on the first floor of Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou, 88 Four Seasons Boulevard, Suzhou. For reservations and inquiries, call +86 512 6068 3338.