Tired of endless banquets, jaded monarchs of yore often became enamored of the fare of the commoner. This Anhui restaurant pays tribute to one such dish, called “rock ear tofu balls” (石耳豆腐圆, shi’er doufu yuan, RMB48). Legend has it that a weary emperor once dined in some isolated temple kept by a solitary old man. The emperor was served this dish and, refreshed by its simplicity, asked its name. The old man described its essential elements in a couplet: “ears which hear from afar” (rock ear fungus), “vast fields of golden grain” (soy bean fields which yield tofu), “that which rises modestly” (bamboo shoots), “once embraced never discarded” (formed into balls and eaten). The result is a tasty looking dish with great textures. The eye-catching tofu balls take on the consistency of meat, yet the mellow and pleasing flavor is mostly derived from a rich chicken soup.

DETAILS

What:Yinxiang Huizhou

Where: 800 Luochuan Lu 洛川中路800号

Tel: 5603-5177