Most people would choose to sit in the outdoor yard out the front of Zhelixiang, a small riverbank restaurant that serves Hunan cuisine. That's not to say that the inside is unpleasant, as it features two wooden tables and folk-style brick walls. But the tree-shaded yard is simply delightful to sit in. Here you can watch the world go by as people pass on a narrow road.

Hunan cuisine boasts plenty of spicy dishes, such as fish head with preserved red chilli (剁椒鱼头) and fried pork with dried turnip slices (萝卜干炒肉). But my personal favorite at this restaurant are the fried chicken giblets (小炒鸡杂), a fragrant, spicy dish, which is a terrific companion to steamed rice. Huitou Yu (回头鱼, fish that turns its head) fish soup in hot pot may not look so nice, but the soup is tasty, and there are very few bones. Wild bamboo shoots from Lushan Mountain (庐山野笋) taste tender. A bottle of Yanjing beer (燕京啤酒) only costs 2 yuan.

Not far to the west is Wanshousi Temple, a lesser-known imperial temple where Qing Dynasty's Emperor Qianlong celebrated his mother's birthday.

Average spending is 30 yuan. Menu is in Chinese only.

Text and photos by Ye Jun

10am-11pm. Northeast to Zizhuqiao on Western Third Ring Road, A39 Wanshousi, Haidian District. 6871-0827. 海淀区万寿寺甲39号(紫竹桥东北)

(China Daily 05/30/2007 page9)