If people from Shanghai say Xiao Nanguo offers the best traditional Shanghainese cuisine in the most authentic atmosphere in the capital – then the restaurant is definitely worth a visit.
The minimalist décor of Xiao Nanguo, which means 'Little Southern Country,' consists of bare black walls starkly contrasted with the white linens o n the dining tables. The staff are also dressed in black uniforms , giving the restaurant a subtle, yet serious , air. The spacious venue, with plenty of room between the tables, makes the place ideal for a large party.
Xiao Nanguo says it promotes healthy eating by using less oil and offering a lighter taste. Several wild vegetables are used in their signature dishes. The very delicious malantou xianggan (22RMB), an appetizer made with a wild grass that resembles fennel , mixed with finely diced white beancurd. It's worth a visit to Xiao Nanguo just to taste this vegetable as it only grows in the south and is not found in many Beijing restaurants. Also try the malantou baiye juan (28RMB), in which the vegetables are rolled in a beancurd sheet to really brings out the flavour of the malantou .
The other type of wild vegetable is jicai, which is similar in taste to coriander. It's either stir-fried with bamboo shoots or golden mushrooms (38RMB).
Highly recommended is the duck soup (88RMB), served in a huge casserole pot big enough to feed eight people.
Xiao Nanguo also serves a lot of dishes made with crabmeat and crab roe, such as the xiehuang doufu (68RMB) – soft beancurd cooked with crab roe. Equally outstanding is tipang (68RMB), braised pork shank cooked with rock sugar and soy sauce.
If you are looking to impress Chinese guests , try the jiaoyan da wang se (498RMB), deep fried snake meat with salt and Sichuan peppercorn; Nanguo qingchao he xiaren (168RMB), stir-fried river shrimps or the huangjin xierou lusun (458RMB), crab roe and meat on a bed of white asparagus.
Xiao Nanguo 2/F, Jinbao Tower, 89 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng district (tel 8522 1717) Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-11pm (last order 9.45pm) Meal for two 150RMB .
小南国 东城区金宝街89 号金宝大厦2 层