064Nan-En's Glistening Amber-Colored Soup

2021.3.15 Mon.

With Nan-En's whole shark fin soup, one will find a fine balance between the melty gelatinous texture and perfect chewiness of the golden threads, entwined in a glistening amber-colored soup condensed with umami-ness. Nan-En has kept their method of making this marvelous soup the same since its opening.

The ingredients are pork thigh, whole chicken and Jinhua ham. There are places that only use chicken carcass or other bones, however, Nan-en is very particular about simmering the meats to bring out a deeper flavor profile. It is said that the balance between pork thigh and the lighter flavors of the chicken is important to add depth to its taste. If the broth is brought to a boil, there will be an overpowering meat flavor. It takes about 7 hours of standing by a large pot while carefully overlooking the fire. When steam rises from the pot and a delicious umami-packed aroma fills the kitchen, the exquisite clear amber-colored soup is complete.

“Since shark fin itself has no taste and only has a smooth texture, the taste is determined by the soup. That is why the soup is important.” says head chef, Li Guo Chao, who has mastered this special soup since Nan-En's opening. This traditional fine soup is used exclusively for simmering shark fin and abalone. It is also the base of a variety of menus, for example adding chicken carcass for a lighter, more refreshing flavor for noodle soup or removing the Jinhua ham for other soups offered in Nan-En’s courses.

A traditional soup that carries on the taste of Nan-En through the ages, and in traditional or modern dishes. Part of the hotel's history can be found in the amber drops that enhance the taste of its ingredients and stimulate the appetite.