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Vegetarian Excellence in Central Beijing

The traffic police assistant seemed puzzled that I would ask such a question: Do you know where I can find the Gongdelin restaurant?

After all, the Buddhist-vegetarian restaurant, which opened in 1922, is a Zhonghua Laozihao (China Time Honoured Brand) and is known worldwide. A simple search of the Internet reveals dozens of citations about the restaurant, and most Beijingers could probably get to it with their eyes closed.

A budding writer, native to Henan Province, I begged pardon for my ignorance.

In the end, the momentarily baffled assistant pointed toward a temple-like building graced with Buddhist characters on its eaves and windows near the crossroads of Taijichang Lu and Qianmen Dongdajie. This was the Gongdelin.

My interview with Li Jian’an came at the end of a two-year hiatus in the popular restaurantís operations, because of renovations to Qianmen Dongdajie. When I entered, I was accompanied by an elderly man, undoubtedly a long-time customer, who picked his steps carefully at the arm of a young woman. He was just one of many; my interview with Li was constantly interrupted by pleased guests, one after another. Gongdelin’s was missed in its absence.

The “only Buddhism-oriented vegetarian restaurant in Beijing” has always been appreciated.

“It is more than simply a pure vegetarian restaurant; it is part of the Buddhism-based vegetarian culture,” Li said, accounting for Gongdelin’s continuing success in a market that includes 20 or more vegetarian restaurants.

Gongdelin integrates the Chinese dietary culture with the Buddhist culture to create a clear, peaceful, neat and harmonious atmosphere, which is welcomed by its Buddhist and other guests. The Gongdelin allows a serene experience of Buddhism while dining, not the racket of the bustling urban space just outside its doors.

The ingredients of food at Gongdelin are mainly of three kinds: mushrooms, six kinds of other edible fungi, fresh fruits and vegetables and soybean products. In its food preparations, Gongdelin strictly adheres to Buddhist food principles of “without the five Xings and the five Huns.” That means no chicken, duck, fish, meats or eggs (the five Xings) or shallots, ginger, garlic, leeks or lotus (the five Huns) are used. Still, with none of these chief materials or condiments, the vegetarian dishes at Gongdelin are similar to easily recognized meat dishes in appearance, colour and taste. Guests cannot help acclaiming the skills of the cooks, which they consider a marvel. Famed dishes such as shiba luohan (eighteen arhats), jingang huofang (Buddha’s warrior attendant), luohan suzhai (arhat’s vegetable diet), pudu zhongsheng (benefit the public) and gongde doufu (merits and virtues bean curd) have been popular for decades.

Following the modern healthy diet trend, vegetable dishes are gaining popularity; perhaps this is one secret of Gongdelin’s success, in addition to its cooks’ techniques, of course. But there’s more than traditional food at the restaurant. It has introduced some popular and western dishes, such as the heijiao niupai (black pepper beefsteak), shangshangqian (best divination slip) and shuizhuyu (water-boiled fish). For their convenience, the restaurant also has an outlet window where customers can conveniently buy its popular steamed-stuffed buns and other vegetarian products.

Because of its fame and healthy diet concepts, Gongdelin has gained more than its long-time customers; its fame is spreading among upscale Beijingers and in the worldwide vegetarian travel community. “White collars” account for more than 30 percent of its customers.

Address: No. 2 Qianmen Dongdajie, Chongwen District, Beijing

Tel: +86 10 6702 0867

Fax: +86 10 6511 2542

E-mail: bianyifang@263.net.cn