No need to embark on a lengthy journey across snow-capped mountains to satisfy a craving for sliced yak tongue anymore. Foodies from near and far have been enjoying Tibetan food, culture and hospitality in the very center of China's capital.
"Not only is the food different and delicious, but everything feels so exotic here," said Li Zhang, a regular of Tibetan restaurant Makye Ame. "This place is just 30 minutes from my home, but it feels like I travelled 3,000 kilometers to Lhasa."
Established in 2001, Makye Ame is one of the oldest Tibetan restaurants in Beijing and one that honors the friendly traditions of the high plateau.
"Our staff is made of young Tibetan people who come from all three of China's Tibetan regions - Tibet, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces," said 24-year-old Mima Lhamo from Shigatse City, the Tibet Autonomous Region, who is staff manager of the restaurant. Dressed in a colorful national dress, she skillfully manages a team of young Tibetan cooks and waiters. "As for our clients, they come from everywhere, including Tibetan, Han people and foreigners."
Makye Ame is only one of the many Tibetan restaurants that have sprung up in recent years all over Beijing, catering to a small but growing customer base. In addition to taking guests on a unique culinary adventure, these restaurants have become platforms for highlighting Tibet's unique culture to residents of Beijing.
The authenticity dilemma
Founded in 2001 by Zelang Wangqing, a prolific entrepreneur from Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in western Sichuan, Makye Ame is renowned for providing a genuine culinary experience, even if it means unsettling customers who may not be used to Tibetan's love of meat and milk.
Lhamo, who was born and raised in Tibet, vouches for the authenticity. "The meat dishes are exactly what you can find in Tibet, same preparation and same taste," she said.
Reflecting Tibetan people's legendary carnivorous lifestyle, the menu is as meaty as it gets with dozens of yak and mutton dishes in all forms and sizes. Guests can quench their thirst with a cup of butter tea, Tibet's salty traditional drink, or with various kinds of highland barley liquors.
While fresh meat is sourced from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, other ingredients, such as dairy products and dried yak meat, are flown in directly from Lhasa. "Most of the things we serve here are simply unavailable elsewhere in Beijing," Lhamo said.
The restaurant's insistence on providing authentic dishes, without trying to make them more palatable to local taste, is both commendable and risky. Some customers are visibly satisfied, others not as much. "Avoid the tasteless tsamba at all costs," reads one online review, referring to Tibetans' favorite staple food of roasted barley flour.
