Most foreigners in Beijing might think of another salt-themed restaurant, but the Salt Merchants restaurant, by the Purple Bamboo Park, is the only one for me. I could happily go to Jinfu Yanbang (锦府盐帮) anytime for its unique and utterly delicious Zigong cuisine, which you might think of as a regional variation within the varied [...]
Posts Tagged ‘bamboo’
Sup Nawmai (and chicken too)
Sup nawmai was one of my favorite dishes in Chiang Mai, and no surprise: it’s got a winning combination of bamboo shoots and chili pepper. This spicy salad of fermented bamboo can be found at places that serve Isaan, or northeastern, styles of food. It’s usually pounded with a mortar and pestle, which is a [...]
Poyanghu Dajiulou 鄱阳湖大酒楼
I’ve been a fan of Jiangxi food since visiting Nanchang Fandian (南昌饭店), the restaurant run by Nanchang (the provincial capital) government’s Beijing representative office. I had heard that Poyanghu Dajiulou, named for a famous lake in Jiangxi, was even better, but unfortunately, it took me nearly two years to come here – anything in Haidian is not exactly convenient for we city dwellers. I’m already regretting the wait.
A mint salad, and then some 宝琴傣味
One of my favorite Yunnan restaurants is Bao Qin Dai Wei (宝琴傣味), run by a Dai minority family, with Dai chefs and Dai waitstaff. Very nearly as good is its neighbor, two doors down, Golden Peacock (Jin Kongque 金孔雀), operated by another Dai family. Related to the Thai, the Dai people live in the Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan province, on the border with Myanmar and Laos. Their food owes more to Southeast Asia than China: lemongrass, papaya, limes, bananas, and pineapples all make frequent appearances, mellowing the more assertive spicy and sour flavors in Dai cookery.