Shanghai Eats: Lotus Eatery

Yunnan food is perhaps my favorite Chinese cuisine. Unlike Sichuan or Hunan, Yunnan food isn't recognizable to most people outside of China. The region is known for everything from goat cheese and wild mushrooms to deep-fried insects. One of my most memorable meals is the first I had at Lost Heaven, a well known Yunnan spot beautifully located on the Bund. And while I am always happy to chow down there, I was curious to branch out and try a new (and less expensive) Yunnan spot.

Enter Lotus Eatery.

 

This restaurant serves up typical Yunnan cuisine at affordable prices. Here, I usually start off my meal with a glass of barley tea. The rich, nutty flavor is a perfect compliment to the other tastes on the table.

For this cheese loving gal, my favorite dish is the pan-fried goat’s cheese, a specialty of the Bai and Sani ethnic groups.

 

The dish comes out pipping out and when dipped into the accompanying salt, pepper, and chili mix, makes for a great start to your meal.

Another dish to note is Grandma's mashed potatoes. These tots are chunky and delicious, full of garlic and chilies and topped off with green onion.

While not as other worldly as the cheese or potatoes, other solid dishes include the buckwheat cakes stuffed with mushrooms, the tea tree mushrooms, and the pineapple sticky rice. The cold eggplant is another safe bet as well.

There are two locations, rather close to each other. I prefer the larger, newer spot located at:

1112 Dingxi Lu
 定西路1112号

The original branch can be found at:
85 Yangzhai Lu
杨宅路85号