The Pinnacle of Cantonese Seafood in Dalian | Four Seasons Hotel Summer Menu

Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Xi Yue Xuan, as dusk falls and a light mist envelops the city, the view alternates between the deep blue seascape and the vibrant city lights—a mesmerizing contrast of tranquility and dynamism. This visit to Xi Yue Xuan was to witness the debut of the new head chef, and for a food enthusiast like me, the surprises brought by the {new summer menu crafted by the chef} were as endless as the waves outside the window. The selection of six exquisite cold dishes served as a perfect appetizer, quickly awakening the palate. Highlights included the marinated violet, shaped like a blooming flower with a refreshing flavor, and the spicy octopus tossed with charred chili oil, offering a delightful balance of heat and umami. Other standouts were the red oil beef tongue, razor clams with water bamboo shoots in marinated sauce, spicy moringa sprouts with termitomyces, and a medley of bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo. The mini winter melon and jasmine seafood soup was a seasonal delight, both nourishing and hydrating. The nine hot dishes were each so distinctive and exceptional that they nearly exhausted my vocabulary of praise. A standout was the {stir-fried mountain vegetable with sakura shrimp and garlic}, featuring rare sakura shrimp from Taiwan’s Donggang and the equally precious mountain vegetable unique to Taiwan’s highlands—a sweet, crisp, and utterly unique experience. Other highlights included the Boston lobster with Longkou vermicelli in home-style sauce, steamed snow crab with black pork in vinaigrette, and thick-cut conch slices stir-fried with asparagus in superior soy sauce—each dish a celebration of fresh, vibrant flavors. For the main course, the stir-fried rice with Wagyu beef, chives, and preserved radish showcased Chaozhou’s signature aged radish, offering a distinctive umami and a satisfying texture with every bite—a perfect finale to the savory courses. The meal concluded with a refreshing mango pudding with pomelo sago and a tropical fruit platter, the vibrant flavors of the fruits leaving a lasting impression of the summer menu. As Dalian’s summer arrives with its gentle rains, these culinary moments become yet another reason to fall in love with the season in this beautiful city! Xi Yue Xuan at Four Seasons Hotel Dalian