Peiping Cuisine brings old-style 'hutong' charm to Taichung 57, WuQuan 7th Street (04) 2317-5066 Hours:10 am-11 pm (lunch 11:45 am-2 pm, dinner 5:45-9 pm) Credit cards are accepted.

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When you mention Beijing-style cuisine in central Taiwan, many gourmands think about Peiping Cuisine restaurant, located along the WuQuan Parkway near the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Here, the style veers away from the extravagance of the Forbidden City, and leans toward the simplistic elegance of Beijing's well-known "hutongs". Decorated with Chinese paintings and the powerful works by Chinese calligraphy artists, the atmosphere here is more like a Qing Dynasty teahouse than one of those overly-decorated Chinese restaurants.

The main fare here is Beijing imperial-style cuisine which, thanks to the chef's creativity, takes northern Chinese dining to a different level altogether. The restaurant takes pride in its dim sum-style dishes, as well as their main courses. One of their famous dishes, "Lu Da Gun Er" (NT$72), features green bean paste wrapped in a layer of clean, thin, white sticky rice wrapping. A sweet sauce, prepared with Sweet Osmanthus, is dribbled over it and covered with a generous portion of ground peanuts for an unforgettable, sweet, but not overpowering flavor.

"Hua Dou Zhi Mi Zhou" (NT$120) is a traditional sweet congee. The purple rice is rich in calcium and is said to have been one of Imperial China's favorite health foods. The rice, with its own special sweet fragrance, combines with the sweetness of a few sweet beans for a refreshing, nostalgic taste. Sweet Osmanthus and Aloe Vera (NT$220) is a cold summer dish that ladies must not miss out on. Aloe vera has a similar acidity to human skin and contains amino acids and natural minerals which reputedly help moisturize skin, making it glow. Remove the skin of the aloe vera to discover its green jade-like texture, which is then dipped into a specially-concocted Sweet Osmanthus Honey for taste of beauty.

Apart from the various desserts, the main dishes are also quite fabulous. The chef is especially proud of the Duck with Walnut Pastry (NT$280)--chicken, walnuts and water chestnuts mixed into a paste, spread onto duck meat, steamed, then deep fried. Like Peking Duck, a piece of pastry is used to wrap it with some cucumber slices and sweet sauce. The tender chicken and smooth duck meat combines with the fresh crunchiness of water chestnuts, walnuts and fragrant sesame seeds to create layers of flavors that titillate your tastebuds and generate a respect for the chef's skills.

The "Jiu Zuan Fei Chang" (NT$260) might not seem appealing to diners who are not fond of fat, given its name ("fei chang" literally means "fat sausage"). However, the chef has cleverly removed the fat before marinating and cooking, so that it has been completely dried away from the sausages. This not only makes them more chewy but, in removing the fat flavors, tastes even better with a sprinkling of chopped Chinese parsley.
With the above selections as starting recommendations, there is no reason to pass up a meal at Peiping Cuisine and discover for yourself just what this restaurant is capable of.

By Tammy Huang Translated by Cara Steenstra