Fuhuazhai Chinese Pastry Shop, or Fuhuazhai bobo restaurant, was founded by Wang Xifu, the grandson of an imperial Qing dynasty chef. Following his retirement, Wang tracked down a number of ancestral recipes and recreated the classic flavors of pastries once eaten by royals in the palace.
That theme runs through the restaurant; the façade looks like a miniature Forbidden City, with its crimson wood doors, green window frames, and gold-on-black sign. There are also traditional kang armchairs or wooden beds with bright yellow cushions to choose from, a nice touch that'll send you back in time.
Pastries include méiguī dòuróng sū (玫瑰豆蓉酥, RMB 12), a flakey pastry with a soft rose and mung bean filling; "rolling donkeys" (lǘ dagǔn, 驴打滚, RMB 12 for six pieces or RMB 6 for three); sūzǐ cháshí (苏子茶食, RMB 6 per piece), made from shiso fruits mixed with black sesame; and wāndòu gāo (豌豆糕, RMB 19 for four pieces) pea cake.
There are also three dessert soups to choose from, which are similar to the Cantonese tongsui (sweet soup), such as xigua lao (西瓜酪), made with steamed milk and watermelon jelly. There's also plenty of tea (RMB 88-188 a pot) to wash all these traditional delights down.
Location
No event here now.