Ru Xian Tai Xian Dishes Out a Different Kind of Sichuan on Beiluogu Xiang

Right next to the new 8-Bit is this elusive Sichuan restaurant, Ru Xian Tai Xian, with tables on the second story dotted around between cute lanterns and other minimalist but definitely Chinese-style decorations.
 

Recently taken over by new management, the owner tell us that in the future we can expect more Sichuan food and wine pairings, including bottles from all over the world. In the meantime, they are operating with the original menu of the restaurant they inherited (Gege Pingle).

On a little bit of a whim, as there's sometimes suspicion surrounding seafood in Beijing, we went for the house clam dish, zhaopai douchi huage (招牌豆豉花蛤, RMB 58 for a big plate), cooked with black beans, chili, onions, and more chili. The right choice, apparently, we they were incredible and definitely the best dish on our table.
 

On the side there was the doufu hua (豆腐花), a dish with a huge fluffy cloud of plain tofu, great to temper the accompanying spicy dishes. In case you're a masochist though, a dish with pickled chilies and fresh chilies to turn the tofu into yet another delicious torture device is provided.
 

The cold shaohu qiezi (烧椒茄子, RMB 19), a marinated cold aubergine dish, also makes for a good additional vegetable option, bursting with fresh flavors. Again, these are topped off with chilis to taste depending on how dangerous you live.

Then, the dish that got our server questioning whether we weren't too foreign, was the fresh chili rabbit, xianjiao tu, (鲜椒兔, RMB 39). The flavors were great, but the method of preparation, apparently just smashing the rabbit meat with a hammer or a heavy, blunt object, meant that there were a lot of tiny shards of bone throughout the dish, making it quite hard to enjoy. Never again, which is a real shame.
 

Lastly, the fried rice with chicken, vegetables, and pickled vegetables (jimiyacai chaofan, 鸡米芽菜抄饭), was a great filler and one of the only non-spicy plates on the table. Get a serving of this if you're escorting someone unsure about their spice tolerance, as it may be the only thing on the menu that they can eat.
 

It's a non-English menu, but the owner speaks more than enough to guide you through and recommend dishes. The selection is quite different from any run-of-the-mill Sichuan restaurant, warranting a special trip north of the usual haunts and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve with their menu overhaul.

Ru Xian Tai Xian
Daily 12-3pm, 5-10pm. 15 Beiluo Guxiang, Dongcheng District (188 1018 3731)
东城区北锣故巷15号

More stories by this author here.
Email:
 margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram

Photos: Margaux Schreurs