Delicacies
Escape to the Tropics: Dai Restaurant in Beijing
By Angela Pruszenski (CRI)
Updated: 2011-02-15 17:37
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Baoqin Daiwei Restaurant is one of many ethnic selections near Minzu University, but the cuisine, native to the Dai minority of Yunnan province, stands out for its light, tropical, but dynamic flavors.
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A Dai Feast: Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken; Ban San Si (sliced chicken, cabbage, noodles, and potato powder); Fried Potato Balls, and Steamed Pot Chicken. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
The restaurant was opened on July 1st 1997. "It was the same day that Hong Kong was returned to China, so we thought it would be a lucky day," explained owner Ma Shoubing. "We opened our doors at exactly twelve noon that day."
The former Minzu University philosophy professor, who also taught Chinese language to foreign students, is a native of western Yunnan and part of the Dai ethnic group.
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The Pineapple Sticky Rice is served in a hollowed pineapple. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
While many of the common ingredients, such as the meat, are bought locally, the ingredients that create the distinctive flavor of Dai food are sourced from Yunnan. Many of the special ingredients cannot be bought locally, including sour bamboo. The rice wine is made in-house from alcohol and fermented sticky rice, though the alcohol content is weak compared to other Beijing liquor.
Lemon flavorings and sour cabbage are also popular in Dai cuisine, along with cuisine cooked with pineapple or papaya. The pineapple sticky rice, actually served in a pineapple, is a special treat, as is the sweet and sour pineapple chicken. The lemongrass-flavored roasted fish rivals any from a tropical island.
Dai cuisine is also famous for being spicy; the Shuan Shuan La pepper is an important ingredient with an interesting story behind its name. Shuan means "to rinse" in Chinese. "A family would stir the soup broth with the pepper, and that would make the soup very spicy," said Ma Shoubing. "They could give it to another family, and they would do the same. One pepper could make spicy soup for a whole village."
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The Qi Guo Ji, or Steam Pot Chicken is prepared in a special pot for steaming. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com] |
The restaurant's steam pot chicken has more neutral flavoring, with the broth reminiscent of western home-made chicken soup. But, the soup is not what draws western guests to this restaurant; Ma Shoubing noted that his restaurant's fried potato balls are particularly popular among his foreign guests, with many groups having to order more than one heaping plate of them.
While Ma Shoubing admitted he has toned down the intensity of the flavors just a bit for Beijing tastes, he has found other ways to bring the Dai atmosphere to his restaurant. The dining room is decorated with green bamboo, and the beverage bar near the front resembles a tiki bar. The chopsticks are made of reusable bamboo; they are washed and boiled at the end of the day.
The staff all come from Dai villages in Yunnan; Ma Shoubing travels to the province to recruit staff for his Beijing restaurant. The servers all wear Dai ethnic costumes consisting of long, silky skirts, and in the warm weather, yellow short sleeved blouses.
