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Beijing Family Li Imperial Cusine

Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Beijing, Li Family Cusine is yet a small restaurant that looks pretty much like a common household in a small HuTong alley in the back sea (后海)area with no name of the restaurant found on the front gate, only&...

Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Beijing, Li Family Cusine is yet a small restaurant that looks pretty much like a common household in a small HuTong alley in the back sea (后海)area with no name of the restaurant found on the front gate, only "No. 11 YangFang Alley(羊房胡同11号).   The owner - Mr. Li ShanLin, a retired university professor in mathematics, is a decendant of an official working in the Imperial Household Department, responsible for preparing imperial dishes for the emperor during the Qing Dynasty.  On his job, he memorized the recipes and wrote them down after getting home.  He left a recipe book of imperial dishes to his decendants.  After one daughter of Prof. Li won the first prize in a nation wide competition of family cusine, the small restaurant was opened in 1985. The name of the restaurant on the wall inside was written by PuJie - the brother of the last emperor PuYi in Chinese history.   Many famous figures such as Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Rockfeller family members, DuPont family members, and famous people had dinner here.   Customers are not allowed to choose dishes by themselves.  Reservation well in advance is required due to its popularity and limited space.