Pingjiang Road has been undergoing a major facelift for the last two years. But strangely enough, apart from a few hole-in-the-walls that have already been there for ages, all of the places that have opened in the last two years have served western food and drinks with the exception of one very nice teahouse. This is despite the fact that Pingjiang Road is quintessential Suzhou in both the architecture and the way of life of the people who live nearby. Pin Fang, or Pin Von as the English sign says, changes all of that. It is two floors of homey, relaxed, traditional Suzhou. As a matter of fact, Pin Fang is the first establishment on the street to represent everything that Suzhou was in the past. It’s not just the architecture but the music, food, and drinks.
Pin Fang keeps things simple and it works very well for them. Downstairs the space is fairly open and you can see everything that happens around you. Upstairs is a long hallway with half enclosed rooms on either side that give seclusion and privacy as well as a better view. You can order ten different kinds of tea by the glass or the pot and most of them only RMB20. They also serve more than a dozen types of amazing snacks and dim sum.
We went upstairs, picked a table and as soon as we sat down we were handed a menu (in English and Chinese) and a pen. We checked the items that we wanted and gave it back to a passing waitress and it was only minutes before our food began to arrive. Much of what we ordered is usually not on the top of our “favorites list” but Pin Fang does what they do better than anybody. The Eight Delicacies Shaomai and Pan Fried Steam Buns were extremely good. We surprised ourselves with how quickly they were devoured by everybody at the table. Seconds were definitely in order. The same has to be said of everything else that we ordered. We are constantly looking for the best dumplings in town and this is a good spot to use as a reference point. The skin on the Shrimp Dumplings is so delicate you can count the pink shrimp inside. Since our first visit we’ve returned at least a half a dozen times for lunch, an afternoon snack, or a cup of tea and never spent more than 20 yuan per person. We’re finally starting to believe that old saying about Suzhou being heaven on earth.
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