Wow Your Snobby Friends With Crispy Rice at Zijin Mansion

It’s the season of family and friend visitations, and if you want to wow them with a lavish but traditional Chinese meal, Zijin Mansion is a great downtown choice.

On the third floor of the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Beijing, Zijin Mansion is decked out in classic Chinese patterns and a persimmon color scheme fit for all year-round, the four canary paintings on the walls presenting spring blossoms, summer shades, autumn leaves, and winter snows. The custom-made plates and sandalwood chopsticks match the paintings, ensuring that the whole experience feels something a little more out of the ordinary.

The dishes here are a combination of Cantonese and Beijing cooking styles, with suckling pig, deep-fried crispy pigeon (RMB 88), steamed barbecue pork buns (RMB 38 for four), as well as local snacks such as sweet pea puree squares (豌豆黄, wān dòu huáng) and glutinous rice rolls with sweet bean flour (RMB 38, 驴打滚, lǘ dǎ gǔn).

Crispy Rice in Tomato Seafood Broth

Two the most popular dishes here: flavored tenderloin minced beef with pan-fried bean curd and crispy rice in tomato seafood broth (RMB 208), were both amazing. The outside tofu was crispy and the chopped beef was full of flavor, brought to life by XO sauce, a popular condiment used in Cantonese dishes. The tomato seafood broth is served separately to the crispy rice so that when you spoon off the broth on top of the rice it becomes a soft congee-type mixture but with a crunch that pops in your mouth – the combination is great.

These experiments in northern flavors with Cantonese dishes pay off, and after a pleasing meal, the restaurant's signature velvet cake or another glass from the 400-bottle strong wine list is the perfect way to round off a special meal.

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