Yúfúnán

Top choice in Beijing


One of the best modern Chinese dining experiences in the capital, Yúfúnán is an insanely stylish spice fest, serving the sweat-inducing fare of Hunan province in an all-white, modernist dining space squeezed between hutong homes. Duo lajiao – spicy, pickled chillies – dominate almost every dish, with salt, sour and spice levels all cranked up to 11. Enjoy!

There's no English menu, so here's a sample order for two to three diners: léi làjiāo pídàn (擂辣椒皮蛋; spicy green peppers and preserved eggs); duò jiāo máo yùtou (剁椒毛芋头; steamed taro with pickled chillies); mìzhì lǔdàn páigǔ (秘制卤蛋排骨; 'secret' pork ribs with quail eggs); and zhǎng dòujiǎo qiézi (长豆角茄子; eggplant with green beans). We could go on! Failing that, point at anything tasty your neighbours are tucking into.