Most recommended restaurants in Beijing's Houhai area

Tag : fresh chinese yam

Collin, a diner at Barbeque JiRestaurant in Houhai with his American friend Laurie isreacquainting himself with this "renowned Muslim restaurant", whichhas hosted figures such as former U.S. President George Bushand isadjacent to the former residence of Soong Ching-ling.
 
They are enjoying a plate of stir-fired snow pea and the roast lambkept hot on a candle stove, a must at the eatery founded by chef JiDecai during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) that has catered todiners for 160 years.
The century-old recipe includes several critical steps: selectchoice lamb and beef, pickle and barbecue them on the speciallymade grill with onion, coriander and other spices. The dish was afavorite with the nobility living in the lake area when therestaurant opened. The best way to eat the meat is to make a Chinese "beef/lambburger" by stuffing the meat into a pre-sliced baked wheaten cake.
 
Chinese beans, vegetable hors d'oeuvres, quick fried white turnip,spiced beef and laurel-lotus roots are most popular starters. Beijing roast duck here is less greasy compared with some otherroast duck eateries in the city as Barbeque Ji has its own finelyselected duck breed.
 
Other popular main dishes include curry beef, savory beef, roastlamb back, braised ox tail, grilled beef cutlets, diced chickenwith chili pepper, chicken with cashew nut, deep-fried prawns,stir-fried asparagus and sauted celery and lily.
The small dish is enough for two and the large for more than three.
Sipping 5-year-old Chinese rice wine beneath pictures from ancientChinese mythology at the lakeside restaurant is a very orientalexperience.