Da Gui

Da Gui, operating at Jiaodaokou and Zhongguancun, executes its dishes so well  it could become a formidable competitor to the popular Three Guizhou Men.

A wide array of dishes is available as at most Guizhou restaurants -  fish in sour soup  being one example.

Here it's cooked at the table on a sleek electric hot plate and comes with your own choice of fish and various hot pot ingredients; opt for the catfish for its tender meat and easily removable bones.

The resultant broth is superb, with a nice balance of tomato, chillies, coriander and lemongrass.

Pickled vegetable and deep fried sweet dumplings  is a Guizhou variation of tangyuan, the glutinous rice balls typically served at Chinese Lantern Festival.

The rice balls are stir-fried with sour vegetables and chillies and biting into their crispy exterior reveals a squishy-soft filling bursting with black sesame paste.

The sour-hot-sweet combination is unexpected but tasty. Another winner are the hot and sour cold noodles, which have a slippery texture and just the right amount of spice, ginger and coriander.

Although less pleasing, a dish called ‘chicken wing dry hot'  and the fried rice with bacon  will satisfy the spice averse.