Fantastic, Authentic, and Spicy Hunan Dishes at Dongsi's Charming Nice Rice

First opened near National Arts Museum of China in 2011, before shutting down and moving to its current two-story location on Dongsi Ertiao in 2014, Nice Rice has remained quietly popular due to its spicy and authentic Hunan cuisine and its laid-back, well-decorated, and welcoming atmosphere.

From the small but refined menu, we ordered the stir-fried pig trotter in casserole (RMB 68, above), stir-fried cauliflower in casserole (RMB 38), and yam with ribs (RMB 36). The trotters were spicy, soft, and full of flavor, even the soy beans popped with their own unique taste. If you only normally eat one bowl of rice, trust me, this dish will push you to two so as to soak up all the delicious juices.

The steaming portion of yam with ribs was not particularly big but it packed a decent spicy punch. To balance the chili we recommend Nice Rice's ice-cold homemade sour plum juice (suanmeitang, RMB 38), which also goes well with the warmer weather, and may just be the only thing that will replace the usual ice-cold beer in my hand.

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If you have a group of people and are brave enough to try some authentic Hunan dishes, you could also try "stinky stew," made with specially salted mandarin fish (RMB 68), or steamed fish heads with chopped chili (RMB 88), as well as the millet tofu (RMB 36), which is a must try. Try to get a seat sooner rather than later as this hidden gem is proving steadily more popular among those in the know.

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Photos: Tracy Wang