New Paris Food Hall Introduction
New Paris was originally the first Western-style bakery in Xindian District, and in an era when Western pastries were not popular, it was a very fashionable and trendy shop at that time. The private braised dishes gained a good reputation when the shop unexpectedly shifted from trendy pastries to traditional braised foods. The current owner’s father, Li Zhengchao, could not only bake bread but also cook well. He often made braised dishes for his children as snacks. By coincidence, regular customers of the bakery were introduced to Li Zhengchao's private braised dishes and were greatly impressed, leading to the novel idea of "coming to a bakery but specifically asking for braised dishes." Thus, the delicious braised dishes of New Paris became well-known, prompting the shop to transform from a bakery into a braised dish vendor. With the addition of fragrant spices, the braised dishes became even more flavorful. After the second generation took over, the Li brothers were responsible for making bread while their sister-in-law, Huang Suli, took charge of the braised dishes. She studied under her father-in-law, Li Zhengchao, for more than a year before officially taking on the kitchen. Realizing that traditional braised dishes often contained excessive amounts of star anise and other strong spices, and considering the popularity of herbal cuisine at the time, Huang Suli attempted to incorporate lemongrass and verbena into the braised dishes, unexpectedly discovering a sweet aftertaste. Later, she also added Thai chili peppers to enhance the spicy flavor. Initially, her father-in-law questioned the acceptance of spicy braised dishes, but customers embraced it enthusiastically, and the herbal spicy braised dishes became the signature of New Paris.
