Dao
Nestled in half of a defunct Daoist prayer hall at the back of a crumbling residential cluster east of the Back Lakes, there's no sign in thehutongoutside, only an aged stone archway with the Ming-era temple's name (Guangfu Guan) carved in faded characters at its apex. A narrow path leads from the arch past bemused neighbors to the hall, its beautifully crafted beams and murals brought back to life in early 2003. The manager, who was born in the building and recalls the false roof that hid it from Cultural Revolution vandals, has hired chefs from Qing Cheng Shan in Sichuan, where the Zhengyi school of Daoism developed recipes for longevity and virility. The set meal includes freshjiaozi, accompanied by delicate side dishes like goose liver rolls with hoisin sauce(e'gan juan), deep-fried pork with medicinal herbs(cungu shao), and sweet gourd-shaped red bean rolls with mountain herbs(shanyao hulu).The drink menu features a bracing "immortal's abode"koumiss (dongtian rujiu), made with fermented milk, and the somewhat more appetizing Daoist medicinal tea(gong cha).
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| Cuisine | Daoist | |
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| Hours | Daily 10am-10pm | |
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| Address | Yandai Xiejie 37 | |
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| Location | Next to the Lotus Bar (walking south from Drum Tower on Di'an Men Wai Dajie, turn onto 1sthutongon right; archway is on northeast side), Back Lakes & Dong Cheng | |
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| Phone | 010/6404-2778 | |
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| Prices | Set meal ¥ 150 ($19) | |
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| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | |