PS We Ate You: Rumi, Country Kitchen, Xianlaoman, and More

Robynne Tindall, Contributing Editor | Nov 16, 2015 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 1370 reads

Every month, in PS We Ate You, we like to shine a spotlight on the most delicious dishes we’ve stumbled upon recently. Chow down!

sweet and sour mandarin fish
Country Kitchen, RMB 270
We love Country Kitchen for their faithful renditions of northern Chinese noodle dishes, but their southern cooking is equally as satisfying. Their version of the Suzhou dish “squirrel fish” (songshu guiyu) is among the best we’ve had, with the sweet and sour sauce made from real fruit juices, and the underlying fish crisped to perfection.

laoman xianbing
Xianlaoman, RMB 28
Xianlaoman’s hefty stuffed pancakes come in sets of three, but we challenge you to make it through even one on top of all those dumplings. The signature non-vegetarian version come stuffed with an umami-rich mixture of Chinese chives (jiucai), pork, and dried shrimp.

three-cup black cod
Jing Yaa Tang, RMB 238
The traditional version of this popular Taiwan dish cooks chicken with a cup each of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, with added ginger, garlic, and basil. Jing Yaa Tang’s version is elevated with tender cubes of flaky black cod, plus the addition of sneakily hot fresh chilies.

lox and cream cheese bagel
9cmBagel, RMB 30
From the ashes of now defunct Tavalin Bagels comes 9cmBagel, a new company focused on bringing the bagels to you. Order your lox and cream cheese bagel – a serviceable rendition of one of our favorite carbs – on WeChat (ID: beiguoke9cmbagel) or over the phone. There are still some kinks to be worked out, but former fans of Tavalin won’t be too disappointed.

gheimeh bademjan
Rumi, RMB 79
An on-a-whim order from Sherpa’s led us to discover this delicious wintery dish, perhaps our favorite thing on the menu at Rumi. Tender lamb and grilled eggplant are stewed with yellow split peas in a fragrant tomato sauce. Dried Iranian limes add a palate-pleasing sour note.

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