Imperial Palace food

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sunshine06

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Joined: Apr 21, 2006
Posts: 607

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Posted: July 19, 2006 - 04:04 PM
Post subject: Imperial Palace food

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/07/19/286532/Empress_eatery.htm

Some excerpts:

"Beijing's both downscale and extravagantly upscale chic restaurant is nestled in a small hutong (alley), and its recipes favored by Qing Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi have been handed down over the years. Michelle Zhang savors Family Li Imperial Cuisine and pronounces it fit for an empress in Shanghai.

In a small hutong (alley) in Beijing's Houhai area there's a very special restaurant. As one of the capital city's most well-known dining places, Family Li Imperial Cuisine doesn't even have a decent signboard.

In a dark courtyard are only seven plain tables. The dishes cannot be ordered, since they only offer set menus, and reservations are a must.

Surprisingly, it is the place where hundreds of global celebrities have wined, dined and lingered. Crowds of bodyguards, policemen and luxurious cars are common scenes in the neighborhood."

"Apart from Beijing and Shanghai, today Family Li Imperial Cuisine can also be found in Melbourne, Australia, and Tokyo, Japan, thanks to the efforts of Li's four children. "

So...where's this restaurant in Shanghai? Has anyone been there? What's the experience like?

Snippets

PopStar

Joined: Apr 09, 2005
Posts: 1099

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Posted: July 19, 2006 - 05:50 PM

Hmmm....thats interesting... don't think it would be popular here if its the same set up as in Beijing. Been there several times and never been impressed. They are really cheesey... give you a photo album when you sit down showing off all of the famous people who have dined there..

mbe

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Joined: May 10, 2006
Posts: 64

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Posted: July 19, 2006 - 06:25 PM

http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/2194/Family_Li_Imperial_Cuisine

http://www.shanghaiist.com/archives/restaurants/ (scroll down to the May 16th entry)

I don't know if this link will work for you (http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=50341) as you may have to be a member. It's pictures of a dinner at Li Jia Cai (Li family resto) in Beijing, the original one, from 2004, around the time the publicity started hitting the fan (?).
If the pictures of the new SH branch are anything to go by they have taken it upscale and then some... have a look, that's some flash/gaudy sh%t they got going on.

Haven't been to either though.