Jin Bao Jie: eat street of golden treasures

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-22 14:26

厉家菜 Family Li Imperial Cuisine

A mouthful of what looks to be a duck chop has a crisp, golden sesame topping and tender mashed shrimp in the middle. A slice of smoked pork is made with a secret recipe to taste super smooth. Mashed green bean is made to taste similar to rough bean curd.

Most dishes here have local connections, but a pleasant modern twist makes them both different and succulent. That include appetizers such as cabbage roll with mustard, fried green bean curd, and sweet and the sour tasting dessert fried hawthorn fruit.

Recommended main courses are prawn rolls (鼓板大虾), oil prepared grouper (焌油石斑鱼), sweet and sour pork rib (糖醋排骨), and spicy baby cuttlefish soup (乌鱼蛋汤).

The elaboration of the dishes justifies the fame of the mysterious Hutong restaurant that used to offer only a few tables of good food for each meal. The new branch in a traditional Chinese courtyard house has seven private rooms capable of seating 80 people. Some decorative highlights include a porcelain column, door frames in one private room with Chinese calligraphy works, and plenty of the owner's Chinese furniture and antiques.

Founder Li Shanlin is a professor of math and descendant of a Qing Dynasty high official, who was said to have kept secret recipes for four generations. It is the sixth branch of the restaurant. The other ones, besides Houhai, are in Shanghai, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. The restaurant in Tokyo won two Michelin stars.

The restaurant provides set meals from 400-2,000 yuan per person for lunch, and 600-2,000 yuan per person for dinner. There is a bar at the center of the entrance hall offering both good wine and good tea.

Reservation is a must. 11am-2pm, 5pm-midnight. 77 Dongtanzi Hutong, Dongcheng District, next to west side of Legendale Hotel. 6522-0008. 东城区东堂子胡同77号(励骏酒店旁) ;Deshengmen branch: 11 Yangfang Hutong, Deshengmennei Dajie, Xicheng District. 6618-0107. 德胜门店: 西城区德胜门内大街羊房胡同11号

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