Nanjing and Huaiyang cookingworth planning ahead for.

Start with salted duck for a taste of Shan Shan’s Nanjing cooking. The meat is firm and clearly seasoned, without a thick sauce taking over. Sweet-and-sour ribs bring the familiar balance of Jiangsu and Zhejiang cooking. One cold dish and one hot show the attention given both to the meat itself and to its sauce.

Three-delicacies crisp rice is another distinctive choice. The crunchy rice contrasts with the ingredients and sauce poured over it. Alongside salted duck and sweet-and-sour ribs, it gives a clearer sense of the restaurant’s character than a table of similarly rich stir-fries.

Some larger dishes need preparation in advance. Ask about Yangzhou lion’s head meatballs, Nanjing old duck casserole, squirrel-style carp and Jiangning chicken wrapped in pig’s stomach when booking. The meatballs are soft, the duck casserole centres on broth and meat, and the carp brings a crisp fried preparation. Choose with the size and tastes of your group in mind.

Everyday visits have plenty of options too. Duck blood and glass noodle soup, red-braised pork, Hunan beef, steamed buns and pan-fried dumplings mean you need not come only for a special dish. Jiangnan’s sweet-savoury flavours sit alongside stronger, spicier choices.

The small restaurant on Gleimstraße has an unpretentious atmosphere. It is worth discussing what you would like to try; the website asks for a day’s notice for dishes that need preparation. That conversation helps make a special regional meal something to anticipate before you arrive.

What makes Shan Shan worth a trip is this group of dishes seldom found together on an ordinary Chinese menu. Salted duck, lion’s head meatballs and old duck casserole each carry a particular taste of home. Bring people who enjoy them, choose a main dish in advance and let the meal take shape around it.