Buddha soup a bargain

Many people in Beijing believe that the best place to eat local cuisine is at a restaurant affiliated to the local government's Beijing office (zhu jing ban). It is true in the case of Ba Min Shi Fu (闽食府), which is affiliated to the Fujian Government's Beijing office.

The restaurant serves probably Beijing's cheapest Arhat Buddha jump over the wall soup (罗汉佛跳墙), at 88 yuan per person. The soup is so called because it is so tasty and fragrant that the legend said a monk living next doors jumped over to try it. The soup features a mixture of abalone, shark fin, fish maw, pigeon egg and mushroom, simmered for more than six hours in a caldron. The result is thick and tasty soup. Buddha jump over the wall soups made with better quality materials cost more.

Another specialty is boiled sea clam in three-meat clear soup (鸡汤汆海蚌), which is simmered with chicken, pork loin and beef. The restaurant's fish meat ball (肉燕鱼丸) is particularly juicy. It is made with pork wrapping and pork filling. Also try Fujian style oyster pancakes (闽式牡蛎煎).