Ban Shan Yao from Under Clouds, a Yunnan cuisine restaurant, has introduced a special mushroom feast, offering a taste of this seasonal delicacy in the heart of the capital. [Photo / chinadaily. com. cn]As Yunnan province celebrates its peak mushroom season, Beijing diners can indulge in the flavors of freshly foraged fungi. Ban Shan Yao from Under Clouds, a Yunnan cuisine restaurant, introduces a special mushroom feast to offer a taste of this seasonal delicacy in the heart of the capital.
This year's seasonal mushroom menu showcases a bold fusion of flavors, with chefs traveling across the country, sourcing peppers from remote mountains and combining them with Yunnan's prized mushrooms. Through varied spice levels and cooking techniques, pairing mushrooms with peppers creates an enticingly bold flavor profile.
Yunnan green head mushrooms with wrinkled peppers. [Photo / chinadaily. com. cn]A standout dish is the braised Yunnan green head mushrooms with wrinkled peppers. The mushrooms'gelatinous texture melds perfectly with a rich broth, enhanced by the fresh aroma of the wrinkled peppers and the savory depth of Dali's nuodeng ham. Braising locks in the flavors, offering a complex and fragrant blend of greenery, minerals and floral-fruity notes.
Another must-try is the stir-fried lurid bolete mushroom species with white chili peppers. Inspired by Hunan province's stir-fried pork dish, the chef intensifies the lurid bolete's rich flavor by stir-frying it with spicy yet colorless Hunan white peppers. The result is a unique fusion of peppery heat and earthy mushroom aromas.
The Dali fermented chili-braised white onion and porcini mushrooms is another dish worth trying. The marinated onion and mushrooms are simmered in a flavorful broth made with fermented green plums and fermented chili peppers. The dish brings out the tangy, spicy taste of home cooking, with sweet and sour plums balancing the rich berry and aged flavors, finishing with a touch of woodiness.
This fall, two new wines from the"Deep"series-a dry white and a dry red-have been introduced, both sourced from Yunnan's Shangri-La region. [Photo/ chinadaily. com. cn]To complement the mushroom dishes, the restaurant exclusively features Yunnan wines. This fall, two new wines from the"Deep"series—a dry white and dry red—are introduced, both sourced from the Shangri-La region.
Since last year, the restaurant has focused on wines from this area, aiming to bridge the gap between the city and the flavors of Shangri-La through these carefully selected bottles.
