Nicaf: Vibrant & Comforting Southern Chinese Cooking in Qianmen
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The digs may be urban-chic, but the food epitomizes one of southern China's most vibrant rural minorities. Such is the tantalizing contrast at Nicaf, a restaurant housed in a renovated brick building in a hutong off of Qianmen.
Nicaf boasts eye-catching rugged decor
Here, you'll find boldly colorful, authentic fare from the southern Chinese Tujia minority, qualities which help Nicaf join fellow Qianmen newbies Zha Zha Bistro and the latest branch of Big Small Coffee as a growing roster of modern, must-try Chinese-run food and drink establishments in the tourist-centric neighborhood.
Nicaf owner Su "Sue" Qian is no stranger to that clientele given that she got her start with a small noodle shop called Yi Yi right next to where Zha Zha now stands. Like that white-hot new opening by Ramo owner Paca Li, Sue's restaurant also has an eye-catching ambiance, though it goes for a much different tact than Zha Zha's kaleidoscopic range of color, evoking instead the stark and blocky industrial elements of Beijing's 798 Art District.
The restaurant is housed in a renovated, 60-year-old brick building
Inside, most of the wall plaster has been stripped away to expose the 60-year-old brick beneath, resulting in an appealingly scuffed look. Other flourishes include 3D printed paper lanterns and handwoven tapestries in the syle of the Tujia minority (of which Sue and her family are proud members) that give the walls a splash of color.
The restaurant has a minimalist, modern design
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The upstairs terrace, a simple space with a half dozen tables, boasts a breathtaking view of the Dashilan'r hutongs. The food, meanwhile, is every bit as impressive as the ambiance. Sue has brought the traditional family recipes that she grew up with in Hubei to bear at Nicaf for a sumptuous southern Chinese feast (she even got some of the ingredients from her grandma, including the peppers in her fried potatoes).
The mini potatoes are tossed with Sue's grandma's homemade peppers
Those RMB 48 crispy morsels are baked and then fried to perfection before being served in cast iron skillet and sprinkled with peppercorns, offering a slow-burn heat that tantalizes without ever overwhelming.
From there, we tucked into an RMB 28 pan of rib-sticking stewed rice with potato and smoked pork and hearty sweet and sour spare ribs (RMB 48) which were soft enough to dissolve in a few bites. Those go beautifully with a side of fried crunchy corn, the dusting of sugar complementing the sweetness from the rib glaze. The griddled RMB 128 "tea house" beef, meanwhile, comes packed with that quintessential southern heat and juicy slices of succulent beef. If you have any space left, the pork-stuffed baozi (RMB 36 for a steamer of six) are likely to do the trick, and indeed like all of the dishes available at Nicaf, extremely good value for money.
The griddled "tea house" beef packs the heat
Nicaf has a number of alluring rice wine cocktails, but be warned, they will put hairs on your chest. The RMB 48 hawthorn rice wine cocktail, for instance, is both sweet and sour, masking the punch of alcohol that may very well knock you backwards if you imbibe in a few too many.
The restaurant is spacious, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating
It's these local flourishes, wholesome time-honored family recipes, and casual decor that helps Nicaf strike an intricate balance between refined and inviting, and makes for a combination that poises it for success with patrons of all stripes.
Nicaf
Daily, 11am-2.30pm, 5pm-9.30pm
133 Yangmeizhu Hutong, Xicheng District
西城区大栅栏街道杨梅竹斜街133号
Photos: Kyle Mullin
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