Nanjing Impressions 南京大牌档 @ Nanjing

When our Didi driver (Chinese equivalent of Uber) recommended us to go to Nanjing Impressions, we were skeptical. We didn’t have good impressions (no pun intended) the last time we tried it in Shenzhen. But she insisted that this is Nanjing, the headquarters, so the standard is different.

Red lanterns, swollen and luminous, swinging from the rafters; a row of wooden snack stalls with vendors peddling bamboo steamer baskets of dumplings; lacquered tables packed with animated parties of diners – it’s the kind of romantic vision of dining in Nanjing along the Qinhuai River. In 2013, Nanjing Impressions won the Golden Tripod award for “Top Ten Brands of Chain Restaurants in China” given out by the Chinese Restaurant Association.

The place doesn’t just serve authentic Jiangsu cuisine but is also wonderfully atmospheric. There are “Welcoming Old Waiters” or elderly greeters dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes at the front of the restaurant, loudly welcoming guests into the beautifully renovated premises depicting old Ming and Qing Dynasty courtyard houses and market stalls. There are “Pingtan” performance to complete the dining experience, in the fashion of the extravagant restaurants along the Qinhuai River in the Ming Dynasty.

Braised Lion’s Head Meatballs 清炖狮子头

If you take your fatty pork neat, order the braised lion’s head meatball 清炖狮子头, as pale, soft and rich as a Wall Street banker’s hands. Don’t be fooled by the single portion, it is large enough to be shared by two if you have ordered other dishes.

Nanjing Roast Duck 金陵烤鸭

Nanjing Roast Duck is the predecessor of Beijing Roast Duck. When Zhu Di moved the capital of Ming China from Nanjing to Beijing, the roast duck chefs moved with them. The style is completely different from the Peking duck and much closer to Cantonese roast duck, except that there’s a savoury sauce that drowns the duck. As a result the skin is not crispy, but the duck is really tender and flavourful. For those who like their poultry drowning in sauce, this is heaven.

Signature River Eel Rice with Chives 金牌响油缮糊韭香拌饭

Followers of my blogs know that I always order these oil-laden river eels in thick sauce. Here, they made like it like a claypot rice 煲仔饭. The eels and the sauce are poured over a claypot of rice, and you mix them up. The burnt rice on the bottom of the claypot was the highlight of this dish.

Signature Salted Duck 招牌盐水鸭

Nanjing’s famous 盐水鸭 salted duck has a deceptively simple name, but it is a 400-year old recipe that involves a complicated procedure of more than 10 steps including dry rubbing, seasoning, brining and hang-drying. The resulting bird is tender with layered depths of flavour that should please duck aficionados. 

Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao 蟹粉小笼包

Xiaolongbao may not have been invented in Nanjing, but it sure is available and popular here as well. It was alright, more savoury that the ones you get in Shanghai and Wuxi.

Our trip to Nanjing was fraught with rain, so sometimes we decided to just order Meituan and get the meal delivered to us. Luckily for us, this restaurant is close to our hotel and delivers straight to the comfort of our room.

Thirteen-spice crayfish 十三香小龙虾

Crayfish, or what the local calls “little lobster” 小龙虾, is in season and they offer freshly prepared crayfish in a Louisiana boil style using a local mix of 13 spices called “Shisanxiang” 十三香. Shisanxiang is a spice mix invented by Wang Shouyi 王守义, and for whatever reason it became the favourite spice mix for Chinese to add to many things like BBQ and crayfish. Not a fan.

Spicy Duck Blood 麻辣鸭血

Mala Duck Blood Pudding 麻辣鸭血 was so much better than the ones I got in their branch in Shenzhen. This is something that we can’t get in Singapore (not yet). Since the ban of poultry slaughter in Singapore, we have stopped imports of blood-infused food items for fear of infection from blood carried diseases. So I always order duck blood pudding whenever I can and when I can be sure of their hygiene. This one was quite delicious, and satisfied my cravings.

Dried tofu with Indian asters 香干马兰头

Indian aster 马兰头 originally grew as a wild flower plant by the waysides of the old Chinese roads, the fields and hillsides. It is slightly bitter, slightly grassy, kinda herby, a very unique taste comparable to rocket lettuce. The one we had today was the classic rendition of the Indian aster with dry bean curd 豆干; the two ingredients are chopped and mixed together with sesame oil and other condiments and served as a salad.

Stir-fried river shrimp with wild garlic oil 野蒜油爆小河虾

Darling’s favourite, something she always orders. These shrimps are so small that you can eat them whole when deep fried. But you need to eat them hot, so it was quite soggy when delivered.

Traditional boiled dried bean curd strips 家传云斗煮干丝

Disappointing. The portion was big, but everything was not blending together. Regretted ordering this one. Overall some food are meant to be enjoyed in the restaurant, some are not suitable to be packed and delivered.

Overall, this is definitely A LOT better than the ones I have tried elsewhere. It was so good that we ordered deliveries twice in a row. Quality of different stores may differ, but I do recommend to come to this particular one.

Nanjing Impressions 南京大牌档
48 Dashiba Road, Qinhuai district, Nanjing 大石坝街 48号

Visited Apr 2026