Exclusive "Madame Xi's Dim Sum Set" — only 50 servings per day at Green Wave Pavilion

Green Wave Pavilion’s “Madame Xi’s Dim Sum Set” is something no other restaurant can replicate. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The coconut-scented Shunfeng Leaf is crystal-clear, with shredded coconut mixed with peanut candy bits. A bite delivers a non-greasy taste with layered flavors. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The date-scented Longevity Peach is a small dim sum that delights both the eyes and the palate. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The pepper-salted Gourd Crisp, also known as Ruyi Crisp, is the most labor-intensive dim sum of all. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The mini Red Bean Zongzi may not have special seasoning, but the glutinous rice paired with the zongzi aroma gives way to a red bean filling that melts in your mouth. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The mini Red Bean Zongzi is wrapped in a single zongzi leaf, with 13 neat loops of string tied around the outside—symbolizing the 13 strokes of the Chinese character “Fu” (fortune), representing happiness and completeness.(Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The adorable "Handbag Crisp." (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The Osmanthus Rice Cake carefully selects two main ingredients: glutinous rice flour and osmanthus sugar. The ratio of sugar, water, osmanthus sugar, and glutinous rice flour is a secret recipe. (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

The Osmanthus Rice Cake claims to be “sticky to the plate, sticky to the chopsticks, but not sticky to the teeth.” (Photo by Chen Qiquan)

When visiting Shanghai, you’ll definitely explore Yu Garden. And after visiting Yu Garden, you might as well dine at Green Wave Pavilion. It may sound like a travel cliché, but even old clichés can sprout new branches — and that new branch is the “Madame Xi’s Dim Sum Set,” something no other restaurant can make.

After Xi Jinping had buns at Qingfeng Bun Shop, his order became known as the “President’s Combo,” drawing streams of visitors. Similarly, after his wife Peng Liyuan tried the dim sum at Shanghai’s Yu Garden

This Empress Tea Set was launched in 2015 alongside a state banquet and remains highly popular to this day.
Originally, in order to make state banquet desserts more accessible, the development goals were for them to be delicious, attractive, easy to make, and easy to pass on. In the end, two signature classic desserts and two creative new ones were developed — a set of four small pastries including Shunfeng Leaf, Longevity Peach, Gourd Pastry, and Mini Zongzi.

Shanghai Yuyuan Commercial City's Green Wave Pavilion Restaurant Deputy General Manager and National Senior Technician Lu Yaming said that these four types of dim sum embody an eight-character philosophy: “Traditional, Shanghai-style, Classic, Cultural.”The four desserts also symbolize “everything going as you wish,” and the staff proudly introduced the four small treats.

The coconut-scented Shunfeng leaf uses the same dough as crystal shrimp dumplings. Because it’s made with low-gluten flour that has high viscosity and transparency, it looks crystal clear after steaming. It’s then wrapped with a filling made from fresh spinach juice, peanut powder, butter, and coconut milk. The shredded coconut mixed with peanut candy bits gives a bite that’s not greasy and has layered flavors.

The Date-fragrant Longevity Peach is a dessert that combines visual appeal with taste. Its filling consists of date-scented walnut kernels and salted egg yolk, giving off a rich sweetness reminiscent of red dates with their skins on. The bright “rouge red” color on the peach is dyed using the juice of a vegetable very familiar to Shanghai residents — “red amaranth”. Aside from its delicious taste, its lifelike appearance also makes it hard to put down.

%Salt and pepper gourd crisps, also known as Ruyi Crisps, are the most labor-intensive dessert. The plump gourd shape has a hawthorn “belt” wrapped around its middle, forming the shape of a gourd, symbolizing good fortune. The sweet and salty nut filling offers a delightful mix of flavors in every bite, fresh and flavorful.

The mini red bean zongzi is a sweet zongzi with a red bean filling, wrapped in a single zongzi leaf and tied neatly with 13 strands of string on the outside, symbolizing the 13 strokes of the Chinese character “Fu” (fortune), representing happiness and completeness.The zongzi itself isn’t particularly seasoned, but the sticky rice pairs well with the fragrance of the zongzi, and the red beans melt in your mouth.

Although these four dim sum items are mostly sweets, each one offers a unique kind of sweetness.
The four colored pastries are like the beginning, development, turn, and conclusion in a good piece of writing, perfectly concluding the banquet.

In addition to the First Lady set of dim sum, Green Wave Pavilion also offers several other recommended items, such as the super-cute “Handbag Crisp.” The brown handle of the handbag is made from cocoa powder and flour, the body is a flaky pastry, decorated with white sesame seeds on both sides, and the filling comes in two flavors: crab roe and spicy salted cashews, giving foodies options.

There’s also the famed osmanthus rice cake, known for being “sticky to the plate, sticky to the chopsticks, but not sticky to the teeth.” Made with carefully selected glutinous rice flour and osmanthus sugar, the precise ratios of sugar, water, osmanthus, and rice flour are part of the secret recipe. This dessert is best served cold to achieve a smooth, soft, and richly sweet taste that’s decadent yet not cloying, fragrant and delightful.

The Chinese public calls Peng Liyuan 'Peng Mama,' which feels very warm and familiar, so the 'First Lady Set' can’t be expensive—it’s just 38 RMB for a plate of four colorful small dim sum, and only 50 portions are available each day.Other specialty dim sum items are also generally priced at under 30 RMB, allowing the general public to enjoy the same VIP dishes as heads of state and dignitaries, and the taste is definitely not compromised.