Once you leave the main drag, the winding alleys southwest of Qianmen fall quiet. Elderly residents move about with a measured ease; their hushed cobbled streets are inexplicably shielded from the din of country folk on their pilgrimage to Tiananmen’s marvels. We’ve made a pilgrimage of our own – a Hunanese restaurant has opened among the galleries and boutiques of Dashilar, and it’s high time we tried it.
Our cold dishes arrive promptly, albeit without introduction. The pickled options rotate daily. Today it’s a soft fermented tofu with chilli and tomato paste and a bowl of pickled radish, sliced into thin strips and braided into a neat wreath. The tofu is smooth and rich, like a soft cheese, and the spice warms as the creamy bean curd coats the mouth with a strong fermented tang. The radish is less exciting, but works to offset the heat of the tofu.
Next, a mortar of mashed green chilli and preserved egg appears, and promptly melts our faces off. The heat from the innocent-looking green mixture is immense, starting slow and building to volcanic. Yet the smoky char and vinegary preserved egg manage to hold their own. Thick slices of stewed tofu and cauliflower fried with garlic and scallion arrive to save us from ourselves. The tofu has a good bite, while the cauliflower is infused with nutty brown garlic and spring onion.
Next, the main event arrives: hot and sour fish head. We attack the milk-white flesh and devour every last bit of shimmering head jelly, slurping up spicy sour broth all the while. No matter where you fall on the fish spectrum – this fish head is good. The meat yields at the slightest prod of the chopstick, yet the gelatin within remains intact, revealing a practised hand in the kitchen. As we wipe the sweat from our brows and ask for the bill, lingering flavours converge in one final wave of sensory overload that carries us out the door.
The food is hot, the vibe is hip and the place, frankly, does Hunan right. The Southern Fish is a fiery gem that might take you out of the way, but is well worth the journey.
Address: 166 Yangmeizhu Xiejie, Dashilar, Xicheng District 西城区杨梅竹斜街166号
Source: timeoutbeijing.com
