Say Yes to Yunnan: The Delicacies of Dali

There is a certain softness of speech amongst the Bai women of Yunnan that elides the vowels and tapers off each word. Shanghai women have it too, in smaller measure. The Chinese describe it as dia (嗲), a dissonant adjective for an uncommonly sweet result.

Our waitress at Hudiequan was very dia, confirming orders in that little-girl voice. Combined with her gaudy pink dress and hat, it made for a charming scene. Service, though not up to the slick standards of In & Out, is a full head(dress) above many a Chinese restaurant.

Cuisine-wise, Hudiequan is no slouch either. Run by the Dali Representative Office here in Beijing, Hudiequan definitely keeps up with its Kashgar and Yunnan counterparts in terms of authenticity and quality. The rice wine (RMB 12/glass) is rich and grainy, a long fermentation making for a thickish brew with tiny flecks of rice. Their fried cheese curd (rubing 乳饼, RMB 36) is just as rich, with a similarly impressive depth of flavor. Paired with sugar and salt, it’s a great starter.

Authentic “crossing-the-bridge” noodles (guoqiao mixian 过桥米线, RMB 38/small) are impossible to find in Beijing due to water pH – the acidity here makes for a too-firm, slippier noodle – but Hudiequan’s is a good attempt. Portions are on the skinny side, however, and the soup stock could use a longer infusion. If you’re looking for a warming soup, opt instead for the ham and kidney bean stew (laotui dun yundou 老 腿炖芸豆, RMB 68). It’s filled with bamboo and giant slow-cooked bean, and every ladle brings up a trove of chunky, salted ham. However, what’s most notable about Hudiequan may be its comprehensiveness.

The menu, which weighs as much as a small child, contains a seriously extensive selection of Yunnan cuisine. With everything from the rarest of wild mushrooms (from RMB 600 per dish) and fried bee pupae to frog skin and sweet fan-shaped rushan rolls (乳扇, RMB 8 each), it’s enough even to impress your Kunming friends.

Hudiequan Daily 7-9am, 11am-1.30pm, 5-9pm. 1/F, Hudiequan Binguan (north of Picai Hutong), 55 Xixie Jie, Xidan Beidajie, Xicheng District (6615 6583) 蝴蝶泉, 西城区西 单北大街西斜街55号(辟才胡同北边) 蝴蝶泉宾馆1层