YaoJi Stewed Liver

Joe Biden, the former Vice-President of the US, was once attracted to Yaoji by its reputation, which made it famous around the world. The simple Baozi and the stewed liver is the basic breakfast for the people in the capital. The familiar taste still remains through the long years. From the 1980’s, Yaoji witnessed the change of history in the East Gulou Street. About ten years ago, there has been a lineup of more than 10 meters. Due to the limited space of the small store, most of the customers could only hold the bowl and eat the food. Later, the new store expanded and built two stories to satisfy the customers’ appetite, but it was still crowded with a lot of people. The Master Yao passed down the Baozi with stewed liver to the later generations. And the customers would feel the warm of home when they saw the members busy preparing for the dishes in the store.

Every time when I pass here, I would order a bowl of stewed liver and some Baozi to satisfy my appetite. The stewed liver has the taste of garlic, and the tender liver accompanied with the chewy gizzards and thick soup to create a unique taste. The taste has never changed since I can remember. The materials are selected carefully, the tender liver should be cut off the tendon and the gizzards have minimal oil. Clean it several times and braise them. Then thicken them with some sweet potato powder. The proportion of the viscosity is the key secret to the success. The Baozi, fermented naturally, also advances with times that the pork is selected from Hei6 (an animal husbandry CO. Ltd). You just need to sip lightly, and the soup will fill your mouth, with the smelly flavor of the green onion lingering in air.

The characteristic cold dishes such as the pork skin with soybean paste, Chinese cucumber salad, and mixed vegetables are worth a try. The price is reasonable and the quality is authentic. As the cold dishes are very refreshing, they can cut the grease if you eat them with wine and accompany the stewed liver. You can enjoy not only the three classic dishes; stewed liver, Baozi and wheaten cake boiled in meat broth, but also a variety of the Beijing snacks. A visit to YaoJi may bring you to taste all the delicacies. It’s said that the newly built branch located at the Gui Street in Beixinqiao also maintain the same quality as the old restaurant. The new branch helped to spread out the visitors, which relieved the pressure on the old store.

Wheaten cake boiled in meat broth is one of the most attractive features. In the cooking process, you need select the materials carefully, and stew them on a low fire, slowly. And the soup stock will make the materials tasty. The seasonings are the key, so they choose the fermented bean curd of the Wangzhihe Food Group, the fermented soybean of Liu Bi Ju, and the soy sauce mixed together with vinegar of the Jinshi, all of these are the old brands of Beijing. Remember not to miss the fried “gezhi” or fried Chinese sausages, dipping them into the marinated sauce and garlic juice will provide the sensation of being a native Beijinger. And the desserts there are cooked by the noodle chefs by hand, for instance, the pea cake is delicious. You cannot appreciate the ancestry of the hutongs if you don’t go to Gulou in Beijing. It is recommended to taste the stewed liver in Gulou, otherwise, it will be a great pity.

Address: No.311, East Street of Gulou (the south-east of Gulouwan)

Tel: 0086-1084010570