Dish upon a star

(Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2006-07-20 14:17

Restaurant name	Owner	Prawn curry
Shudi Chuanshuo (Legend of Sichuan)	Mainland actor Ren Quan
Photographs of Chinese stars who have dined here feature on the walls of this restaurant. The menu includes Ren's recommendations and the star's photo printed on it. The restaurant's big-plate catfish is tender with few bones, but costs 58 yuan (US$7.25) for 500g serving. It is a hot spicy dish but you can ask for a milder version (wei la). Yam with yoghurt is a refreshing cold dish. Assorted vegetables is another good cold choice. Dry pot tea tree mushroom is of good value at 22 yuan (US$2.75). Fragrant pot chicken is tasty, but it is a bit too oily and salty. Generally, the environment is better than the taste. Average spending is 60 yuan (US$7.50), and the menu is only in Chinese.
Location: 3 Laitai Food Street, Xingba Lu, opposite Women's Street Opening hours:11am-11pm Tel: 010- 84543276

Restaurant name	Owner
Cha Ma Gu Dao SOHO branch	Chinese painter Fang Lijun
Even food becomes expensive when it is linked with high art. The Yunnan restaurant looks rather like a caf or a bar, with modern and arty decorations and oil paintings on the walls. The restaurant's upstairs floor is made from transparent glass, so girls wearing skirts, please take note. Rice noodles come in an amazingly big bowl, but the actual serving of noodles is not as big as it appears. Chicken slices in the noodles have a tender alternative weever. The rice wine is good and worth trying. Fungus and preserved sausage are both Yunnan specialities. Steamed pork with ground rice is served in a pumpkin container, and grilled fish with citronella is bundled by bamboo threads, and is stuffed with caraway. Average spending is 100 yuan (US$12.50).
Location: 3/F SOHO, Bldg D, 88 Jianguo Lu. Opening hours:10am-10:30pm Tel: 010- 85804286

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