ANHUI

Anhui Provincial Government Office

Anhui Dasha, 1 Huixin Xijie, Chaoyang District, Tel 6496 5588, 安徽省驻京办 安徽大厦 朝阳区惠新西街1号

One of the few places in Beijing serving Anhui food, a refined cuisine that once ranked No. 2 among China’s eight major cuisines before falling into relative oblivion.

FUJIAN

Bamin Binguan

Fujian Provincial Government Office

Seven Provincial Courtyard, 2 Madianqiao Nan Lu, Bei Sanhuan, Chaoyang Distirict, Tel 8200 5551 ext. 7777, 八闽宾馆 福建省驻京办 朝阳区北三环马甸桥南路2号七省大院

Bamin Shifu

Fujian Provincial Government Office

3/F Fujian Daxia, 11 Anzhen Xili Sanqu, Chaoyang District, Tel 6442 8833, 八闽食府 福建省驻京办 福建大厦三层 朝阳区安贞西里三区11号

GANSU

Fetian Dasha

Gansu Provincial Government Office

5 Guangqumenwai Nanjie, Chongwen District

Tel 6777 8000, 飞天大厦 甘肃省驻京办 崇文区 广渠门外南街5号

Hand-pulled noodles served in a clear aromatic beef broth that has been prepared with many spices, including nutmeg, bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorn and cassia bark. The noodles are topped with chopped coriander just before being served to awaken the flavor of the broth.

GUANGDONG

Guanghe Chaxuan

Guangdong Provincial Government Office

5/F Guangzhou Dasha, Heng Er Tiao, Xidan, Xicheng District, Tel 5855 9988, 广和茶轩 广东省驻京办 广州大厦 西城区西单横二条甲3号广州大厦5层

Dim Sum is served as early as 7am with a bit of traditional atmosphere as carts are pushed around the floor.

GUANGXI

Na Lan

Guangxi Provincial Government Office

2F, Guangxi Daxia, 26 Huaweili, Panjianyuan, Chaoyang District, Tel 6779 6688, 那兰  广西省驻京办 广西大厦2层 朝阳区潘家园华威里26号

Na Lan offers super local dishes served by smiley attendants in local colorful outfit. Bama suckling pig, taro with pork belly, beer bread, and stewed duck with bamboo shoots are the highlights of the menu.

GUIZHOU

Guizhou Daxia

Guizhou Provincial Government Office

Bldg. 18, Yinghua Jie, Heping Xiqiao, Bei Sanhuan Donglu, Chaoyang District. Tel 6444 4466 ext. 6203, 贵州大厦 贵州省驻京办 朝阳区北三环东路和平西桥樱花街18楼

The province’s signature sour fish here lacks tartness. Also, the menu has been bastardized to include popular Sichuan dishes and lavish Cantonese dishes, such as bird’s nest.

HAINAN

Hainan Daxia

Hainan Provincial Government Office

188 Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District

Tel 6426 6655 ext. 8203, 海南大厦 海南省驻京办 东城区安定门外大街188号

HEBEI

Hebei Yin Binguan

Hebei Provincial Government Office

A1 Zhuiba hutong, Huanghuamenjie, Dongcheng District, Tel 6403 1303, 河北迎宾馆 河北省驻京办 东城区黄花门街锥把胡同甲1号

HEILONGJIANG

Heilongjiang Binguan

Heilongjiang Provincial Government Office

5 Fuxingmen Bei Dajie, Xicheng District

Tel 6802 5511 ext. 1018

黑龙江宾馆 黑龙江省驻京办 西城区复兴门北大街5号

Dumplings and stewed dishes are the restaurant’s main features.

HUBEI

Mei Yuan Hubei Provincial Government Office

2/F, Hubei Dasha, 36 Zhongguancun Nan Dajie, Haidian District, Tel 62108377, 梅园 湖北省驻京办 海淀区中关村南大街36号湖北大厦二层

The lotus sparerib soup is excellent. Other local favorites include hot dry noodles (热干面), mianwo (deep-dried sticky rice rings) and doupi sanxian.

HENAN

Yu Fu Shen Chu 

Henan Provincial Government Office

Shangdu Jiudian 8 Dongbinhelu, Youanmenwai, Nan'erhuan, Fengtai District.

Tel 6357 6666, 豫府神厨 河南省驻京办 商都酒店 丰台区南二环右安门外东滨河路8号

The only restaurant in the city to offer the little known Peony Water Banquet (mudan shuixi 牡丹水席). The sliced turnip in the dish is associated with Empress Wu Zetian, who was reportedly once served turnip soup, in which the taste of the turnip was redolent to bird‘s nest, hence the original dish was called “fake bird’s nest.”The many other excellent dishes served here include guihua yudu (桂花鱼肚), deep-fried fish maw, and green pepper and scrambled eggs, which is wrapped in a pancake like Peking duck.

HUNAN

Xiangxi Autonomous Region

10/F, Xiangxi Daxia, 111 Taipingqiao Dajie, Xicheng District, Tel 6621 4788

湘西大厦10层 湘西土家族自治区驻京办 西城区 太平桥大街111号

I was surprised at all the dishes we tried here were not really that hot. This was even so with a dish called “labupa,” or “not afraid of hot.” The stir-fried mixed peppers would not even scare the tastebuds of heat-fearing people. The same was true with the chopped chillies in fish head dish, which had also had no spicy kick at all, although the flesh of the steamed fish was deliciously tender. We ate everything, including the cheeks and lips, but I personally think the fins tasted better than the jello-like and slippery cheek or lips. The earthy grandmother’s dish (Xiangxi Waipo Cai) and pickled vegetable with mountain bamboo shoots (shui suancai chao shan sun) did not make any memorable impression, but the sour taste of pan-fried fermented glutinous rice cake (jian nuomi suan bing) did. I never knew that rice cake could be sour--we always eat ours sweet. 

INNER MONGOLIA

Nei Menggu Binguan Hohhot Municipal Office

2/F, Inner Mongolia Hotel, 71 Meishuguan Houjie, Dongcheng District, Tel 6401 4499 ext. 8322, 内蒙古宾馆二层 呼市驻京办 东城区美术馆后街71号

This provincial restaurant is not worth visiting. One of their award-winning specialties was inscribed on a golden plaque, and was not on the menu. What a pity.

JIANGSU

Zi Yun Xuan

Jiangsu Provincial Government Office

Jiangsu Fandian, 1 Ganshuiqiao, Anwai Dajie, Chaoyang District, Tel 6422 6633 ext. 2705, 6201 5588, 紫钰轩 江苏省驻京办 江苏饭店 朝阳区甘水桥1号安外大街

The province is rich with unique fresh vegetables, such as shepherd’s purse, water celery, alfafa, wolfberry sprouts, chrysanthemum, and more. Expect to find pig’s head, fish head, and lion’s head meatballs as part of Santou Cai, a Huaiyang specialty.

JIANGXI

Ganren Zijia Binguan Jiangxi Provincial Government Office

Madianqiao, Qisheng Dayuan, Bei Taiping Zhuang, Tel 8200 3999, 赣人自家宾馆 江西省驻京办 马甸桥北太平庄七省大院

The fish cake soup， 赣南鱼浮 gannan yufu, is the most memorable dish I had here. The dish is associated with an official who was tired of eating fish. A clever chef pounded the fish fillet into a smooth paste and dropped bits into a tasty broth accented with some leafy greens.

Nanchang Fandian

Nanchang Municipal Office

35 Huangchenggen Nanjie, Xicheng District, Tel 6607 9991, 南昌饭店 南昌市驻京办 西城区皇城根南街35号

The stir-fried Jiangxi rice noodles (炒粉条) are a must try dish here. They are not as thin or flat as the southern rice noodles, but fat and roundish with the texture of glass noodles. Other specialties worth trying are yansun chaorou (烟笋炒肉), stir-fried smoked bamboo shoots with fatty pork, and zhurou fenzheng (猪肉粉蒸), steamed pork with a hint of star-anise flavored rice meal. Pan-fried dumplings embedded with a cluster of sesame seeds lend a totally different taste.

JILIN

Ji Ren Yuan

Jilin Provincial Government Office

Xue Song Binguan, 2 Madian Nan Lu, Bei Sanhuan, Haidian District, Tel 8200 0066 ext. 2118, 吉人缘 吉林省驻京办 雪松宾馆 海淀区北三环马甸南路2号七省大院吉林驻京办

Ji Ren Yuan offers abundant down-to-earth dishes, including lapi, cold noodles, disanxian, potatoes, braised eggplant and green peppers, stewed chicken with mushrooms and staples such as steamed cornbread with pickled vegetable and dumplings. Dongbei arguably offers the longest list of comfort foods.

NANJING

Nanjing Da Fandian Nanjing Municipal Office

5 Wangfujing Xijie, Dongcheng District

Tel 6526 2188 ext. 6#

南京驻京办 南京大饭店 东城区王府井西街5号

LANZHOU

Lanzhou Binguan

Lanzhou City Government Restaurant, Bldg. 5, Jinhui Jiayuan Xiaoqu, 58 Xizhemen Bei Dajie, Xicheng District,Tel 8229 1133-108, 兰州市驻京办餐厅 兰州宾馆 西城区西直门北大街58号院金晖嘉园小区5号楼

Hot tea is served as soon as you sit down, a old courtesy. I highly recommend the interesting sour but soothing soup called jiangshui (1RMB/bowl), shouzhua yangrou, boiled mutton (48RMB/500gr) and noodles with meat and veggie topping (saozi mian) for just 8RMB/bowl. Order huidouzi (3RMB/bowl), sweet red bean soup or tian peizi (3RMB/bowl), a sweet fermented barley, to clean your palate.

QINGHAI

Qinghai Daxia Qinghai Provincial Government Office

6 Beiyin Hutong, Xicheng District (north of Xidan Minhang)

Tel 6601 6106, 青海大厦 青海省驻京办 西城区背阴胡同6号 (西单民航大厦一路向北)

The local flavors here are rather limited here. The fengwei yangfa (38RMB), a  sausage filled with lamb offals and blood, tastes like foie gras with its mealy texture. This dish is named after an air-filled rafter made from lamb hide. Their yangrou chao mianpian (10RMB), stir-fried tile-shaped noodles in tomatoes, celery, green pepper and bits of lamb, is wonderful.

NINGXIA

Ningxia Huizu Autonomous Region Office

Ningxia Dasha 10 Xiejia Hutong, Andingmennei Dajie, Dongcheng District, Tel 6406 1155, 宁夏回族自治区驻京办, 宁夏大厦 东城区安定门内大街谢家胡同10号，安定门桥主路往南开（交道口方向）第三个红绿灯路西谢家胡同往里走10米处

The restaurant offers a wide variety of halal dishes of the Hui, or Chinese Muslims: gouqi miao (16RMB), the tender wolfberries sprout in a garlicky dressing; guozhai hui xiaochi (38RMB), which consists of meatballs, dried lilies, translucent potato-starch noodles and jiaban (ground lamb sandwiched between fish-sheets).

SHAANXI

Jialin Canting

Shaanxi Daxia Shaanxi Provincial Government Office 27 Huaweili, Chaoyang District (at the back), Tel  8778 9122, 嘉琳餐厅 陕西大厦 陕西省驻京办 朝阳区华威里27号

Of the many provincial government restaurants, Shaanxi is one of the best. The yangrou paomo (20RMB) where hot mutton broth is poured into a bowl full of morsels of broken bread, and their roujiamo, stuffed “burger,” 6RMB are extraordinarily delicious, arguably the best in town. Zijuan (15RMB), a steamed eggroll-like dish filled with chives, egg, and glass noodles, is another delightful dish, eaten by dipping the eggroll in a savory, spicy and pungent chilli oil. 

SHANDONG

Beijing Yantai Shangwu Huiguan Shandong Provincial Government Office

281 Zhaodeng Yulu, Xicheng District

Tel 6611 6677

北京烟台商务会馆 山东省驻京办 西城区赵登禹路281号

Sanjin Binguan Shanxi Provincial Government Office

1 Xiaxiejie, Xuanwu District.

Tel 6301 3377 ext. 5008

三晋宾馆 山西省驻京办 宣武区下斜街1号

Jinyang Fanzhuang Shanxi Provincial Government Office

241 Zhushikou Xi Dajie, Xuanwu District

Tel  6303 1669

晋阳饭庄 山西省驻京办 宣武区珠市口西大街241号

The food at this restaurant doesn’t live up to its former reputation.

SHANXI

Jin Shifu

Shanxi Provincial Government Office

5 Jingshan Xijie, Xibanqiao, Xicheng District

Tel 6400 6622 zhuan canting

晋食府 山西省驻京办 西城区西板桥景山西街5号

The food here is disappointing.

SICHUAN

Shudu Binguan 

Chengdu Municipal Office

30 Shatan Hou Jie, Dongcheng District, Tel 6403 4440 ext. 2241, 蜀都宾馆 成都市人民政府驻京办, 东城区沙滩后街30号 景山公园东街斜对面50米 

With ten tables, Shubin is a lot smaller than the popular Chuanban, or Sichuan provincial government restaurant; but has a bigger flavour, better service and none of the long lines diners face at its bigger laoxiang. Shudu Binguan is just a stone’s throw from the east gate of Jingshan Park.

Sichuan Provincial Government Office Restaurant (Chuanban)

5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie, Chaoyang District, Tel 6512 2277 ext. 6101

四川省驻京办餐厅 (川办)  朝阳区建国门内大街贡院头条5号

Chuanban offers authentic classic  Sichuan dishes. Unfortunately, the experience can sometimes be disappointing because of the lack of consistency in quality and the large crowds. However, Chuanban remains one of the most popular restaurant in the capital. Unless you get there by 6pm, expect to wait for at least half an hour line for a table.

Chongqing Fandian

Chongqing Municipal Office

15 Guangximen Beili, Chaoyang District (bei sanhuan, zhanlan zhongxin), Tel 6422 8888

重庆饭店 重庆市人民政府驻京办 朝阳区广熙门北里15号

TIANJIN

Tianjin Municipal Office

Bldg. 5, Area 12, Hepingli Dongjie, Dongcheng District, Tel 8425 0324, 天津市驻京办 东城区和平里东街12区5号楼

TIBET

Zhumulangma Hotel Tibet Autonomous Region Office

149 Gulou Xi Dajie, Xicheng District, Tel 6401 8822 ext. 2828, 珠穆朗玛宾馆 西藏自治区驻京办 西城区鼓楼西大街149号

Qomolangma is very disappointing. With the exception of wind dried yak meat (45RMB), Aba beef fillet (48RMB), and roasted lamb ribs (58RMB), the rest of the dishes served here are corrupted versions of generic Chinese recipes, with a few plateau ingredients, such as cordiceps, barley flour, saffron and juema, which is referred to as longevity fruit.

XINJIANG

Hanteng Geli Qingzhen Canting

Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Office

Xinjiang Fandian, 7 Sanlihe Lu, Haidian District

Tel 6833 5599

汗腾格里清真餐厅 新疆维吾尔自治区驻京办 新疆饭店 海淀区三里河路7号

The food is here is also impressive.

ZHEJIANG

Zhang Sheng Ji Zhejiang Provincial Government Office

2/F Zhejiang Daxia, 26 Anzhen Xili Sanqu, Bei Sanhuan, Chaoyang District

Tel 6442 0006

张生记 号浙江大厦二层 朝阳区北三环安贞西里三区26

The restaurant is tastefully decorated featuring traditional latticed screens, china and large-sized pieces of porcelain. Zhang Shengji offers a wide range of dishes from both Jiangsu and Zhejiang, provinces along China’s fertile east coast, and an area known as “the land of fish and rice." Local favorites include old duck soup (laoya tang 老鸭汤), braised eel (xiangyou shansi 响油鳝丝), Dragon Well tea shrimp (longjing xiaren  龙井虾仁), and sweet and sour spareribs (tangcu paigu 糖醋排骨)

Changzhou Binguan

Changzhou City Government Office

113 Jixiang Li, Chaowai Dajie, Chaoyang District

Tel 6553 5588

常州宾馆 常州市政府驻京办事处 朝外大街吉祥里113号

YUNNAN

Yunteng Shifu

Yunnan Provincial Government Office

Bldg. 7, Dongqu, Huashi Beili, south of Dongbianmen, Chongwen District 

Tel 6713 6439, 云腾食府 云南省驻京办 崇文区花市北里东区七号楼  东便门南侧

Offers Yunnan cuisine in origin, many fresh seasonal ingredients are flown in. Favourites include liangban bohe (凉拌薄荷), mint salad, qiguoji (气锅鸡), chicken soup, hei sanduo (黑三剁), stir-fried dish consists of rutabaga, minced pork and green pepper and zha rushan (炸乳扇), deep-fried sheets of goat cheese with red bean paste filling.

Qingzhen Meishi Yuan

Bayin Guoleng Mongolian Autonomous Region Government Office Restaurant

2 Zaojun Miao, Haidian District

Tel 6211 1856

新疆巴音郭楞蒙古自治州人民政府驻京联络处, 清真美食苑 海淀区皂君庙2号

This restaurant is known for the lamb kebabs skewered with red willow tree branches which supposedly adding special flavor to the meat. 

Xinjiang Fanzhuang Urumuqi Municipal Office

1 Cheqongzhuang Dajie Beili, Xicheng District

Tel 6836 2795

新疆饭庄 乌鲁木齐驻京办事处 西城区车工庄大街北里1号

Offers a wide array of Uyghur dishes；their polou rice is memorable.

Kashi Fanzhuang

Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Kashgar Administrative Restaurant, 60 Pen Er Hutong, Xuanwu District, 喀什饭庄 新疆维吾尔自治区喀什地区行政公署驻京办 宣武区盆儿胡同60

Of the four Xinjiang government restaurants, I must say Kashgar stood out.  The restaurant has excellent sam sa, baked buns, 3RMB/each, crisp roasted leg of lamb (88RMB), Uyghur wonton called ququ, which are served in a wholesome broth full of tomato, celery flavor, great laghman, and kebabs (2RMB/each) made with the right cut of meat.