Consistently well-executed Manchu cuisine without the swanky atmosphere. The menu here is quite novel. The names of the dishes are carved on small sticks of wood that are placed in two wooden trays to choose from. A signature dish is huang tanzi, a thick, meaty soup slow-cooked for at least 18 hours. The more typical Manchu dishes include the appetizer known as baqi qiezi (eight banner eggplant) and qiezi men huangdou, braised soybean and eggplant. The Xiangshan branch is set in a two-story beautiful old courtyard, and is perfect for impressing visitors hoping for a uniquely Beijing dining experience - from the elegantly dressed wait staff down to the cages housing birds chirping phrases like “ni hao” and “Najia Xiaoguan”. The signature dishes include the deliciously tender ox rib and fatty, melt-in-the-mouth ox hoof; these are best sampled in small doses, shared out between four or five diners. Other must-tries are the stewed venison in hot pot, fried chicken with walnut and yam with sweet osmanthus sauce. English menu is available. Reservations for both stores should be made 3 to 4 days in advance; go early or be prepared to wait.