Kong Yiji- Best Restaurants Beijing

Named after the protagonist in a Lu Xun (considered China’s father of modern literature) story, Kong Yiji boasts an elegant, old world charm with its wooden bookshelves and hanging calligraphy scrolls. A tall bamboo grove and pebble stone walkway immediately transport guests to China’s historical days, a path completed by carved wooden doors, a statue of Lu Xun and a painting of Kong Yiji himself.

Kong Yiji is famous for its Zhejiang cuisine, which is one of eight of China’s revered culinary schools. Zhejiang is further broken down into sub-culinary cultures, the most famous being Hangzhou. This region of China’s cuisine is popular for its use of fresh ingredients, little use of oil and intensely aromatic food from splashes of wine.

One should not miss Kong Yiji’s Huangjiu, or sweet yellow rice wine that has been aged for years and served in quaint pots and ceramic cups. Close your eyes while sipping the wine and feel like you are sitting with the old Chinese scholars’ gang, getting tipsy and discussing philosophy.

Kong Yiji’s specialties are fresh seafood (Drunken Prawns are brought in their traditional wine sauce still squirming; this is not for the faint of heart) and another dish that cannot be missed on a trip to China. Dongpo Pork is slow braised in soy sauce, wine and a host of secret ingredients that results in an incredibly tender dish that melts in your mouth with swirls of Hangzhou herbs and spices . Kong Yiji’s beautifully colloquial menu is written in traditional calligraphy, from top to bottom and only in Chinese so make sure to bring a local if you can’t read or speak the language. Prices are moderate but the food and ambiance are worth every yuan.

322 Dongsi Bei Dajie, Beijing
P: 86-10-6618-4917