It’s a total gimmick. Honglou, an upstairs restaurant just opposite Times Square, promises to serve a type of cuisine known as “Huaiyang.” Allegedly, Huaiyang is one of four traditional cuisines in China, often served at state dinners and yet you’ve probably  never heard of it. The truth is, Huaiyang cuisine—particularly the one served in Honglou—is simply a roundup of the most popular dishes from different Chinese regions. The menu was made up mostly of Shanghainese staples like drunken pigeon, and chicken broth with wonton and xiaolongbao. The food was enjoyable, but we couldn’t escape the feeling that we were being fooled. We probably wouldn’t have even gone had we known it’s basically a Shanghainese restaurant—after all, there is one on virtually every corner.