If the prices don’t tempt you into this cosy courtyard restaurant, the authentic home-style cuisine and family ambiance will. Hidden down a hutong off Meishuguan Dongjie, this siheyuan has been home to the Liu family for over a century and used as a restaurant for the past 13 years.

Settle at one of the wooden tables and listen to the chatter of the Beijingren. In the corner, ducks roast in an open oven, while jars filled with Chinese medicinal wine (the odd snake can be seen through the glass) line the entrance. If you have 45 minutes to spare, order a duck for a steal.

Liu Zhai Shi Fu practises wok chi, a school of cooking that sees dishes served straight out of the wok in no par ticular order to preserve their freshness. An extensive menu has Verdict Step back in time to old Beijing-style dishes and prices an entire section dedicated to local Peking specialities. Traditional snacks include madoufu, a Chinese-style hummus made from mung bean pulp cooked in a choice of lamb or vegetable fat.

Once seated, a piping bowl of noodles with mutton and pickles in casserole arrives. The pungent, gamey broth, punctuated by small pieces of meat, is filling, if a little too heavy on the mutton for everyone’s taste. Wontons stuffed with caraway in two sizes are easier on the palate, folded tortellini style and served with duck and shanyao in a broth.

If you’re still hungry, order the stewed rabbit with Chinese herbs, which comes garnished with yams, goji berries and red dates. The sautéed bitter melon with ginkgo and walnuts offers an addictive and crunchy side dish that will have you scooping away down to the very last piece.

Address: 8 Meishuguan Dongjie, (opposite Sanlian Bookstore), Dongcheng District 东城区美术馆东街蒋家大院胡同8号(三联书店对面)

Source: timeoutbeijing.com