Pride of place and plate

A restauranteur hopes to change how Beijing's diners perceive Yunnan cuisine by fusing traditional flavors with innovative presentation, Li Yingxue reports.

Yunnan cuisine's appearance is widely said to be "oily, dark and dirty". It doesn't employ elaborate plating or even decorative plates, for that matter.

But 47-year-old chef Liu Xin hopes to change this perception. The native of Yunnan's capital, Kunming, hopes to elevate the plating of his home province's fare while remaining true to its traditional flavors.

Liu opened Gold Barn Yunnan Cuisine in Beijing's Sanlitun area last year.

The restaurant plans to offer a special mushroom menu from mid-July that's inspired by his recent trip back home to search for new ingredients and dishes.

"Yunnan offers a special class of foods every season," he says.