Yongfoo Elite combines authenic Shanghai cuisine with flawless western service. Many Yongfoo Elite recipes are taken from the menus of delicacies enjoyed by aristocratic families in China's history. Some course have been re-creates from the family menu of Sheng Xuanhuai, a famous governor in the late Qing Dynasty. Yongfoo Elite's renowned chef Ding Yongqiang is the student of Li Borong, who was a founder of classical Shanghai cuisine. Chef Ding's approach to cooking is a reflection of the Shanghai attitude towards life: detailed and delicate. In our fastpaced modern society, this tradition is almost a luxury. In many languages, "the ability to appreciate culture and art" and "the taste of food" are described by the same word, like "taste" in English or "gout" in French. There are many ingredients in classic Shanghai cuisine which has been forgotten by modern people. Here crabs are chosen only in the best season; even the soy sauce is homemade. Take the Yongfoo dish "Shuguo": the ingredients include avocado, pomelo and other western fruits and vegetables, but they are flavored with Chinese soy sauce. It is western food combined with eastern cooking, a mixture of sweet and savoury. This dish reflects the complexity and scope of Shanghai culture.