Sea cucumbers from Shandong

Most foreigners in China find sea cucumber too strange to eat. But the seafood is getting popular, as more and more people realize its health benefits. A recently opened restaurant specializing in sea cucumber is serving the delicacy, cooked in more than 20 different ways.

Yi Yin Sea Cucumber Restaurant is bold enough to name itself after Yi Yin, a Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) minister known for his culinary skills. The eatery has its roots in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. Unlike most other restaurants in Beijing, Yi Yin gets its raw material fresh from the coasts of Shandong. One of the finest ways of sampling a sea cucumber is to have it boiled fresh on the spot, which the restaurant calls "surfing live sea cucumber". The soup is slightly sour and spicy with pepper, while the fresh sea cucumber tastes quite elastic and crisp.

Other recommended dishes include braised donkey meat from Gaotang, fresh fragrant celery from Majiagou, and turnips from Wei county. Ninety percent of the food is transported from Shandong, according to the restaurant.

Ordering a sea cucumber dish will get you a dozen other cold and hot dishes for free.

(Daily 11am-2pm, 5-9pm. East Building, Garden Hotel, 30 Huayuan Donglu, Haidian district, Beijing. 8207-5116)