Yangzhou Fried Rice

I can’t remember how it began. Sometimes, I’d doubt my memory and knowledge despite not being old enough for Alzheimer’s. Yet, I am certain of my growing interest in Yangzhou. This interest stemmed from its world-famous fried rice at first. Then, it grew for more reasons. 

Yangzhou fried rice can be found in various parts of the world, from western countries to eastern shores. Singaporeans are no strangers to Yangzhou fried rice. However, if you ask us what makes a plate of Yangzhou fried rice so famous or special, we are likely to draw a blank look.

Embarking on a quest for Yangzhou fried rice 

Since Yangzhou is just a 2hr+ HSR ride from Shanghai, I was determined to visit and learn the stories of this unassuming world-famous dish. I planned to have 5 plates of Yangzhou fried rice to make the most of our trip a decent comparison. On our first trip, my friends and I managed 4 plates of fried rice over 2.5 days. 

To our amazement, Yangzhou is a celebrated UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy (as of 2019). There was a lot of yummy food for us to try! I ate that last plate of fried rice on an impromptu return trip one month later (though I already had a winner in mind).

Yangzhou: UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy 

The ignorant me was excited to learn that Huaiyang cuisine in Yangzhou is one of China’s “Four Great Traditions”. Great emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients, delicate flavors, and exquisite knife skills. By exquisite, just look at Wensi Tofu. The main highlight of this savoury comfort dish is a slab of soft tofu cut into more than 5,000 threads! The threads are all equal in length and shape, and thin as hair! But I digressed. 

Let’s get back to Yangzhou fried rice. Here are some interesting facts that have attributed to its popularity:

• Yangzhou fried rice originated during the Sui dynasty (581-618 CE). It’s amazing how the tradition of using leftover rice from such a long time ago carries on till today!
• There are traditionally 18 ingredients in a plate of Yangzhou Fried Rice. Today, some chefs even upped the stakes to include 25 ingredients!
• All ingredients are cut to the same size to ensure they are cooked evenly. Yes, I think Yangzhou chefs have OCD. 
• No, Yangzhou fried rice in its hometown does not taste the same in Singapore. I doubt it tastes the same in any other city.

In Yangzhou, you can easily find fried rice everywhere. Be it from high-end restaurants (claiming UNESCO-heritage!) or hole-in-wall eateries, no two plates of fried rice are the same. We made our selection through reviews from Dianping and Red Note apps but the fried rice that really stood out came from a local driver’s recommendations. 

It was a no-frills hole-in-wall eatery that one can easily overlook on the bustling Guangling Road. The chef was relatively young, and very strong as he consistently tossed the rice in a sizzling wok. Imagine the smokey wok flavours that come in each spoonful of rice accompanied with fresh eggs, prawns, meat, scallions, etc. (I’m salivating as I type!)

If you are visiting Yangzhou, here’s a list of restaurants where we tried Yangzhou fried rice, which you can consider. Don’t take my word for it though, go try everything and make your own verdict. 

Restaurant	Taste*	Ambience	Price	Service
新吴记Xin Wu Ji	⭐⭐⭐	😊😊😊😊	$$$	👍👍👍
大毛 Supermao	⭐⭐	😊😊😊	$$$	👍👍
小吴蛋炒饭Xiao Wu’s Egg Fried Rice	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	😊😊	$	👍👍
香园茶社Fragrant Garden	⭐⭐⭐⭐	😊😊😊😊😊	$$$$	👍👍👍👍
杨舫记Yang Fang Ji	⭐⭐⭐⭐	😊😊😊😊	$$$	👍👍

*Note that taste is subjective to personal preference. Also, this rating is limited to Yangzhou fried rice and does not include other dishes we tried in the restaurants. 🙂

Lastly, I can’t help comparing Yangzhou with Guangzhou. Both cities reflect a strong tea culture and delicious food but they are very different. The former feels like an understated gem, something you may easily miss if you don’t pay attention whereas the latter is quite loud in amplifying whatever it’s got. 

Stay tuned for more on Yangzhou in upcoming posts.  

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The above information is based on personal experiences and should only be used as a reference.