The Chinese chef at Norbulingka Tibetan Restaurant specializes in Cantonese and Sichuanese cuisine. There are a lot of influences from those two cuisines in the food served at this newly-opened Tibetan restaurant. Much of the food is presented in a Sichuanese or Cantonese style, while the main ingredients are more traditionally Tibetan.

Dubbed "Lhasa's Summer Palace," Norbulingka is named after the summer palace of generations of Dalai Lamas. The restaurant offers many things common in other Tibetan restaurants in the capital yak dishes, lamb, and "ginseng fruit", a dark brown root dish.

A speciality unique to the restaurant is Tibetan pork . The meat comes from a small, free-range pig that feeds on ginseng fruit. The pork is fried with tender green pepper slices, or braised.

As well as the Tibetan pork, yak and lamb are flown in fresh by air from Tibet. The dishes are all beautifully presented.

Unlike some restaurants, where fish is not served (Tibetans generally do not eat fish), the restaurant provides sea and river fish, which is either steamed, stewed, barbequed or boiled in spicy soup.

The restaurant is decorated in imposing golden, dark blue and scarlet colors. All the tables and benches are decorated with eight-treasure patterns that traditionally mark the houses of Tibetan aristocracy. The roof is particularly high, making the grand dining hall look very spacious.

One problem with the restaurant is that there are no windows so there is no natural light.

There are Tibetan dance and singing performances between 7-8pm. The restaurant serves as a bar from 9.30-midnight. Punters can knock back a number of different Tibetan drinks including their famous qingke barley wine.

Chef's recommendations:

Hot dishes include roasted mushroom stone pot yak , Tibetan boiled lamb , stir-fried Tibetan pork

Cold dishes include yak tendon in spicy sauce , assorted four treasures

Dessert: sweet zanba cake.

Address: Opposite the Science and Technique Fortune Center, A11 Xueqing Lu, Haidian District.
Tel: 010-8271-5688.