Beijing: Dinner at the People's Liberation Army Cultural Revolution Themed Restaurant!

Where better to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China than a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Cultural Revolution theme restaurant?  I can't think of any restaurant more patriotic than a place like this, where everything is covered red, and the flag of China is waving all about and around the entire restaurant.  With patriotic paintings on the wall themed towards the Cultural Revolution era of China.

People are dressed in green military uniforms, red patriotic suits, and civilian shirts with blue coveralls of this era in Chinese history. A huge portion of the food served on the menu are themed towards the food people ate during this era as well. To finish off the atmosphere, there are shows, dancing, and singing involved in the restaurants, so there is a set time when you can come to eat.

Decor
The restaurant is a beautiful patriotic sight, and is made so that upon entering the restaurant, you feel like you've traveled through time into the Cultural Revolution.  The walls are painted to look like bricks, and windows are  framed with dark green painted wood, and the chairs are made of wood with the back and seating made from rope.  The restaurant isn't air conditioned, so it may be warm; my suggestion would be to wear something light and bring a small jacket in case you get cold.


Menu
The menu is loaded with tons of different types of patriot food.  Don't expect the food to be completely traditional to the era, as most of the food on the menu is merely inspired by food of the era.  Personally, I don't think that it's a setback, as the food is both unique, and tasty with many spicy dishes (a lot of Sichuan influence in the dishes).

Drinks
Tea is served as a regular drink, soft drinks are available on menu, and definitely feel free to order the made in Beijing beer, Yanjing.

feel the atmosphere of the theme the very moment you get to the front door

the red utensil package

address and location in Beijing

dancing and singing is all part of the dinner

patriotic flag waving; flags are given out to patrons to show their patriotism!

a hot plate of vegetables and meat on bone; inside the clay pot, a flamed dish of alcohol heats this dish up

the vegetables are comprised of cabbage, cilantro and a tangy sauce

hidden underneath the vegetables, the pork bone is meaty and flavorful

a somewhat fusion dish, this inspired light but naturally flavorful dish is made of sprouts, red chili peppers, strips of tofu.

this is another modern, but traditionally inspired salad, made of lettuce leaves, red peppers, green peppers, cucumbers, kelp and nuts, with a vinaigrette sauce.

these beautiful patriotic flowers are made of bitter melon, and the center made of duck egg yolk

an amalgamate of texture; a smooth soft dry yolk surrounded by a soft but firm vegetable on the outside

this delightful dish is made of a marinated chicken, with sliced celery and red chili peppers; a majority of these dishes are incredibly tasty thanks to the fresh chili peppers that compliments the dishes without overpowering them

a heated iron oiled pot continues to cook the items within it; inside is squid, cilantro, red onions, and sauce.

when this dish is first served, as seen in the previous picture, the items are not yet mixed, and it's a delight to see the different items clearly in the pot and get to mix it while it cooks in the singeing hot iron pot

after mixing, the squid and vegetables are all glazed by the sauce which has been infused into the ingredients by the hot iron pot

green beans with chili peppers and meat are always a nice Chinese vegetable side dish to have

another traditional dish from the Cultural Revolution era; corn bread

but don't be fooled by the outside, as it isn't just simply corn bread; inside the corn bread is stuffed with spinach, which gives the dry texture of the corn bread a little contrast with the soft boiled spinach on the inside which makes this dish incredibly palatable

another loved Chinese dish is egg plants with meat; here we have egg plants, meat, cilantro, minced garlic and other ingredients placed on the dish waiting to be mixed (like the hot iron pot dish)

it's amazing how the separate ingredients of this dish becomes like a work of art when the ingredients are tossed together

another specialty dish here could easily be mistaken for simple meat balls, but is actually made of lotus, which gives it a very unique crunchy texture that can only be described by the tongue; definitely a drool inducing dish when ever I think back about it

a simple and light crispy dish; a giant Chinese pancake topped with nothing but chives makes a great light snack after all the spice and saltiness of the other dishes

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