Han Cang 汉仓

Han Cang was one of the many restaurants in Beijing opened in the late 1990s by artists. Owner Chi Nai decorated the rough cement walls of his restaurant with with random calligraphy on rice paper. The rustic-looking restaurant is located on the east bank of Qianhai, or dine al fresco on the breezy terrace in the summer months. Ask for one of the rooms on the second floor with a view across the lake. Foil-wrapped fish (纸包鱼zhibaoyu) is the most popular dish; it’s a crisp deep-fried fish doused in sweet and sour sauce. Other favorites include lancai zheng caixin (榄菜蒸菜心), steamed Chinese cabbage topped with salty preserved olive leaves, and three-cup duck (三杯鸭sanbei ya), braised in caramelized soy sauce. End your meal with a sweet treat: baobing (薄饼), a thin pancake with a peanut-sugar-coconut filling.