A marriage of art and good food

The act of marrying traditional Chinese culture with modern culinary flair has been one of the biggest trends in Beijing's restaurant scene this year.

The recently refurbished Qu Lang Yuan, which was previously better known as a tea house with an art gallery, now wants to be a destination for discerning gourmands by adopting the same approach.

Constructed out of a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) hutong residence, the restaurant first opened in 2015 as a teahouse, which also serves as a venue for events and exhibitions. It is a minimalist space that is defined by an L-shaped corridor that connects four houses, charming wooden rafters and a brick wall with dramatic glass walls that reveal an idyllic interior bamboo garden at the lobby. Its unique design won it numerous international architecture awards.

But it was never on a foodie's must-eat list.

The restaurant's new menu is themed after the ongoing art exhibition it is hosting - Roaming into the Forest, the Paintings of Li Jin. Diners get to savor the food while seated in a traditional hutong courtyard.

Just like the nature of the contemporary ink painter's works, the dishes at Qu Lang Yuan reflect the same penchant for seclusion and serenity. Indeed, some of the dishes are even meant to be consumed without cutlery.

In the similar spirit of championing Chinese art, restaurant owner Xue Binghua says the restaurant strives to showcase the best of Chinese local produce. Xue, who is also a professional art collector, has scoured the country in search of unique ingredients for the new menu.

Some of the produce includes lamb from Gansu province's Qilianshan mountainous region, Shaji (sea buckthorn) from Qinghai province, wild pork from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, wild prawns and temperate ocean-bass from East China Sea, as well as truffles from Yunnan province.