As a well-known traditional dish of Songhe Lou Restaurant , the First Dish On Earth is highly appreciated by guests from home and abroad.

It is not identical how this dish has come into existence. One of the various stories follows that in the year of Emperor Zhu Houzhao of Ming dynasty, Gu Ding-chen, the minister of rites and grand secretary to the emperor, had a meal at a country woman ' s house while he was on an errand of investigating the taxes and corvee of the common people. After serving the stir-fried spinarch and the tofu with watercress, the clever woman made a bowl of delicious soup with saute rice curst, which was highly appreciated by the official. When asked about the name of the soup, the woman smiled and said “since you are the first to taste such soup, we may call it First Dish On Earth”. Thereafter, the name of “First Dish On Earth “ rose into fame. Along with high-level flavorings of shrimp meat, chicken slivers and rice curst soup, its gay color and deliciousness would win high praise from the clients.