Nothing says spring more than the scent and site of fresh flowers. As Beijing shifts from being a gray, dark place into a colorful, lively one, chefs throughout the city are also using bright petals to bring a bit of spring to your dinner table. Here are some of the best floral dishes on offer.
A nice bunch
Invented by Huaiyangfu, a restaurant that serves Huaiyang cuisine from Henan Province, feizixiao is a cold dish that contains flowers like carnations, roses, chrysanthemums and hydrangeas. In order to preserve the original scent of the flowers, they don't stew or fry them, but directly use them after being soaked in clean water. "It is only available in spring since this is the season when flowers grow," the Huaiyangfu manager surnamed Wei said. Enjoy this dish with fish and a shot of baijiu.
Address: 198 Andingmen Waidajie, Dongcheng district
Contact: 6426-5858, 6426-5959
Princess jasmine
Rid yourself of the idea that jasmine is only suitable for jasmine tea. In the vegetarian restaurant Sanmodi, jasmine is not served in a cup but instead as a dish. Since the petals are fragile, Sanmodi's jasmine dish is cold. The strong smelling flower is also a good medicine to cure aches. So, if you have a stomach ache or generally feel a bit sore, order their dish of jasmine to give your body a boost.
Address: 2/F Shifang Haoting, Xinyuan Nanli, Chaoyang district
Contact: 8453-1644
Loved up beef
Besides being the number one flower of choice for romance, roses can also be used to cook, which means everyone can taste the message of love. In this dish at Haitangju the beef is served with sesame and infused with the scent of roses. This dish does not use fresh petals, but instead oil from the flowers that is combined with baijiu. Then they marinade the beef in the rose oil, allowing it to absorb the scent before it is fried and served.
Address: 202 Denei Dajie, Xicheng district
Contact: 8328-3188
Sea flower
Quanjude Shuangyushu branch reminds you that Beijing roast duck restaurants do not need to be traditional to be delicious. Instead they serve one dish with sea cucumber and rose. Sea cucumber is very nutritious and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Here Quanjude make it into jelly and use rose petals to add more scent to it. The end result is something that melts in your mouth.
Address: Hengyun Guoji Dasha, 32, Beisanhuan Xilu, Haidian district
Contact: 6219-9990
Orchid garden
Yunnan Province is famous for its flowers and mushrooms. There are about 300 kinds of edible flowers there, which provides ample opportunity for some nice floral dishes. In the Yunnan restaurant Yiwangyizuo, fried orchid with pumpkin and asparagus is a must order dish, with the flowers being directly delivered from Yunnan. Orchids also help prevent blood clots and can relieve pain.
Address: 1 Beixiaojie, Sanlitun, Chaoyang district
Contact: 8454-0086, 6467-5235
Crunchy chrysanthemum
This combination of flower and vegetable from the restaurant called The Peninsula is refreshing during the warmer days. Served as an appetizer, this dish features lettuce and asparagus infused with the scent of chrysanthemum.
Address: Junwangfu, 19 Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu, Chaoyang district
Contact: 6507-7888, 6506-0888
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