Wo Ai “Ai Mo Town” (我爱 “埃蒙小镇”)

For months now, Ai Mo Town has been on my list of top restaurants to visit.  Having heard multiple raving reviews and a known favorite dining destination for many in and around the Gulou hood, I finally ventured over the hill (aka inside second ring road) to satisfy my curiosity.

Tucked away in Fanjia Hutong, this hidden gem is a two-story restaurant with a spacious balcony and a vibrant and colorful, welcoming interior with walls lined with Yunnan photos and decor.  A great place for a dinner date or a casual group dinner, Ai Mo Town is popular among locals and foreigners alike and a legit dining recommendation for visiting tourists who are curious to sample local flavor in an authentic hutong neighborhood.

My only gripe was that as a table for two, there are only so many things you can order before it becomes unnecessary excess.  As with most Chinese restaurants, I recommend going in a bigger group to sample more menu items.

Nonetheless, the dishes I tried were each uniquely delicious and memorable. Oftentimes, a lot of Chinese food can taste the same as any other local joint, but these dishes stood out to me. I’ve been to other Yunnan restaurants (I love Middle 8 and In & Out) and yet, this was fresh to my palate.  We started off with fresh mint leaves in sesame oil – bohe ye (RMB 18), which was such a refreshing appetizer and perfect for a hot summer evening.  Next came an order of spicy stir-fry pork (RMB 22) and dry kidney beans (RMB 18), which was actually meant to be an order of wet kidney beans, but I thought the dry version was fantastic nonetheless. The highlight of the meal was the grilled fish (RMB 6 each), which were crispy and full of flavor. Served on a wooden skewer stick, nibbling on the whole fish just added to the dining experience.

In short, not only was my curiosity more than satisfied, so was my tummy and my tastebuds. I already can’t wait to return and sample more off their menu.

Review of Ai Mo Town 埃蒙小镇 : Bldg G, 46 Fangjia Hutong (just south of Guozijian Jie), Dongcheng District 埃蒙小镇. 东城区方家胡同46号艺术园区(国子监南临)G座; Tel: 6400 1725. Hours: 11AM-10PM

Best Part:

• Truly a Hidden Gem – everything from the surrounding area to the interior decor of the venue and authentic Yunnan cuisine makes Ai Mo Town a unique dining destination
• The food is delicious and the prices are very low (dinner for two under RMB 100)
• I highly recommend the mint leaves as a starter and trying the grilled fish.  Both dishes are guaranteed to please your palate.
• Service was decent and food came out very quickly

Comments:

• Although there is no English written on the menu, there are photos for all dishes so you can still pick and choose without much difficulty.
• I recommend going in a group so that you can sample more of a variety.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 9