This fascinating Chinese restaurant, actually classic Sichuan food, was the favorite restaurant of China’s former leader, Deng Xiao Ping. It is now a club, even though it is open to the public. The restaurant’s lay-out represents a smaller version of Beijing’s Forbidden City, a complex of interconnected pavilions, some three story houses and suites, with striking gardens and beautiful hand-painted wood beams. It is a 400-year old palace built for the 24th son of Emperor Kangxi. Apparently in the last century it was used as an opium den and brothel, and those rooms are still available for dining. Don’t be put off by the “members only” policy, because if you’re not a member, you’re only allowed to eat there three times a year, and that’s probably sufficient for most tourists.

Thankfully, we had a guide who could translate the menu and guide us through the meal. We did have some Shanghainese dumpling dishes, but we generally stuck with classic Sichuan food, which included extraordinary giant prawns in a hot garlic chili sauce, sizzling crispy rice, chili oil hot pot Chong Quing style, diced chicken with peanuts and dried chili. We also had  shredded pork sauteed with garlic chili sauce, deep-fried stuffed eggplants with minced meat, and some other things whose names I can’t remember.

As for the wines, there are many famous names at incredibly high prices, so I did what a shrewd tourist does – went for something young, fresh, and reliable, choosing the non-oaked 2006 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villagesand Guigal’s non-oak tank-fermented and -aged 2005 Côtes du Rhône. Both worked with the spiciness of the food, although I must say, despite kilos and kilos of red peppers appearing in our dishes (pictured above), the heat in the red peppers was not nearly as severe as I had expected. The quality of the food was superb, and the flavors totally different from any I’ve ever experienced in any Sichuan restaurant stateside or in any other Asian restaurant on our three-week tour of Japan, Korea, and China. Like so many of these places, there is a revolving sphere on the table, the food comes fast and furious, and you just plug away at it as long as you like. My wife finds that disconcerting – she would rather have a structured pace to a meal – but I actually like the idea of having everything in front of me to pick and choose, and of course, have seconds or thirds if I want.

I highly recommend this place. The venue is extraordinary (as I said, it imitates a small version of the Forbidden City), the service is impeccable, and you can actually drink quite well for a very fair price if you stick to the low-level wines from good négociants/producers.