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大贵 -Da Gui (Guizhou)

Directions: It is a small restaurant in a relatively small hutong.  They will give you Andingmen Neidajie and Pingan Dajie as street references to find the hutong, but these are the old names of the streets.  To find the hutong on a current street map, look for Jiao dao kou Nandaji—Da xing hutong is about half way between Jiao dao kou Dongdajie or Di’anmen Dongdajie.  Head east down the hutong, keep an eye out on your left as the sign is quite unassuming. 

What we think

Recommended dishes (see our Yunnan/Guizhou regional food guide for photos of these dishes)

炒汤圆  - chao tang yuan: Da Gui has also transformed the tang yuan from a dessert of boiled soft glutinous rice balls stuffed with sesame paste served in hot syrup into a savory sweet dish, still stuffed with gooey sesame paste, but fried lightly until crispy and coated with savory herbs and spice
酸汤鱼  suan tang yu: rich, tart and spicy sour fish soup

 

Directions: Heading north on Hui Xin Dong Jie/惠新东街 from the 3rd Ring Road (head/exit north from He Ping Dong Qiao/和平东桥), at the second traffic light after the Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital/中日友好医院 (you will cross over a very slight concrete bridge/overpass for a canal), turn left and immediately enter the side road. Jia 21 Hao will be visible on your right about 50-100 yards from the corner, hard to miss the light purple paint job.

What we think

Jia 21 Hao proves that you can have an arty and stylish decor and still deliver authentic flavors with down to earth service. The interior here is reminiscent of Ai Wei Wei's Yue Lu Shan Wu, with a clean, modern feel, punctuated with splashes of contemporary art. Billed as southwest minority cooking, Jia 21 Hao offers Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi dishes, including plenty of wild greens and mushrooms, preserved and fermented vegetables, and dishes accented with the tartness of lemongrass or lime. The flavors are rich and varied combinations of savory, sour and spicy, and except for the rare fried dish, tend to be fresh flavored and light on oil.

Three of our favorite dishes that complement one another well are the light, tart hand shredded black chicken salad, in the style of the Jing Po minority of Yunnan province; the fried baby ribs, smothered in a fragrant combination of chilies, pickled local vegetables and other aromatics; and the perch grilled covered with a thick layer of leeks, with the leek infusing the flesh of the fish and its browned edges adding a mild smokiness.

Great dishes (see our Yunnan/Guizhou regional food guide for photos of these dishes)

景颇手撕鸡 - Jin Po shou si ji: Jing Po style hand shredded black chicken salad
金葱竹网鲈鱼 - jin cong zhu wang lu yu: Grilled fish with leeks
馋嘴骨 - chan zui gu: Fried baby Ribs
乡村茄子 - xiang cun qie zi: country style eggplant
凉拌蕨根粉- liang ban jue gen fen: wild fern root starch cold noodles
火腿炖娃娃菜 - huo tui dun wa wa cai: light soup of southern style cured ham and baby napa cabbage

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大理 - DaLi  (Yunnan)

东城区鼓楼东大街小经厂胡同67号
Gulou Dongdajie, Xiajingchang hutong, number 67
Hours: 10am-9.30 pm
Tel: 010-8404 1430
$: Set menu starts at 100rmb/person, not including drinks
WiFi wireless internet access

Directions:  Dali is tucked off of an alley off of a small hutong.  Xiao jing chang hutong runs north off of Gulou Dongdajie, just west of the Jiaodaokou/Andingmen intersection.  Walk into the hutong and turn left into the very first small alley on your left (there is a red lantern hanging there, but it is hard to see except at night).  Dali’s entrance is through the wooden doors on your left about 10 yards into the alley.

What we think: (Updated November 2008)

Dali Courtyard used to be the perfect place for visitors to get interesting, well-prepared Yunnan food and experience a unique rustic Chinese courtyard environment. The secret is out. Our last few visits found the once tranquil and idyllic courtyard packed to the gills with large (and loud) tour bus groups. The food is more or less the same but you have to be patient waiting for it, as the kitchen and service staff was finding it hard to keep up with the much larger volume. The fixed price menu has also increased from 100 to 130RMB/head (food only). 

Dali can still be a great space with an interesting and tasty set menu, making it an easy stop, especially if you don’t want the headache of navigating a menu.  Definitely call to book a table (our favorite is the covered corner alcove in the courtyard) and see if they’ll tell you if there is a quieter night that week—reports are about 50-50 for experiencing the old relaxed Dali. The winter months also tend to be far less crowded and the inside rooms can be more private, but Dali’s charm is best experienced in the outside courtyard. [November 2008]
Read our original recommendation below…

 
[What we think: Original review]

 
Recommended dishes

Dali serves a set menu only. Items change slightly each night but include a wide range of dishes usually including: a grilled fish, a spicy mushroom dish, Yunnan sausages, sometimes Yunnan cheese, a spicy meat dish (chicken or yak), wild mountain vegetables, shrimp, spicy and sour noodles or rice to finish. Most of it is good and there is an occasional standout. 

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Middle 8

Directions:  Enter from Sanlitun Bar Street (Sanlitun jiu ba jie), heading east into a small alley across from the 3.3 mall; at the next small intersection, the restaurant will be on your left on the northwest corner.  OR, you may enter from Gongti Beilu.  Head north into the alley just west of the pedestrian traffic light in front of Pacific Century Mall; at the next intersection, the restaurant will be in front of you on the left, on the northwest corner.

What we think 

Middle 8 serves up more typical Yunnan cooking, offering a lot of mushrooms, wild herbs/vegetables, and dishes with a lighter, tarter touch.  This place is often jammed in the evenings, and getting a table can be impossible.  If you get stuck, never fear – you are not too far from Zhu Lin! (See jia chang cai)

Recommended dishes (see our Yunnan/Guizhou regional food guide for photos of these dishes)

玉鬼鸡  yu gui ji: fresh and bright salad of chicken, lemon pieces, chili and greens
布依野菜  bu yi ye cai: light salad of various Yunnan edible wild herbs
头人蟹味菇  tou ren xie wei gu: this spicy mushroom and octopus sauté is a nice combination of flavors and textures (not sure why the name says xie/crab, maybe a translation mistake)
凉拌棠梨花  jing ban tang li hua: delicious, textured, birchleaf pear tree flower, sautéed with garlic; this seasonal vegetable is also found in northern Vietnam which borders Yunnan
瓦罐牛肉米线  wa guan niu rou mi xian:  spicy sour vermicelli in claypot with beef

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Golden Peacock Dai Restaurant (Dai Minority)
 金孔雀傣家风味餐厅 - Jing Kong Que De Hong Dai Wei Can Guan

海淀区魏公村街民族大学北路16号楼一层
Hai dian qu wei gong cun jie, Mingzu Daxue Beilu
16 Minzu Daxue Beilu, Weigongcun lane, Haidian District
Tel: 010-6893 2030
$: Cheap. Dinner for four, 115rmb

Directions:  Golden Peacock is located inside the northwest corner of the Third Ring Road. Wei Gong Cun Jie is a small lane running west off of Zhongguancun Nandajie, between the Polytechnic University (Beijing Li Gong Da Xue) and the Central College of Nationalities (Minzu Daxue).

What we think 

Recommended dishes

 菠萝饭  bo luo fan:  fragrant sticky rice cooked in a pineapple
蕨菜  jue cai: mountain vegetable with various preparations
乌骨鸡  wu gu ji: shredded black chicken
土豆求  tu dou qiu: fried potato balls with spicy dipping sauce
香蕉  xiang jiao: bananas fritters

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