Yuangu: Elegant Creative Chinese, Gorgeous Design

Yuangu Yunjing (元古雲境) is a creative Chinese restaurant popular for its beautiful design aesthetic and afternoon tea. The food is excellent, as is the service.

About Yuangu Yunjing

It was founded in Beijing in 2016, where it started as a tea and dessert house. Today, it’s a pretty big company with five locations in Shanghai, as well as in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, and near Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Their first opened in Shanghai in 2021.

Yuyuan Lu

I went to their Xintiandi location; two floors with private rooms and a small terrace with outdoor seating. Service was exceptional.

Wuyuan Lu

Their Wuyuan Lu location has a gorgeous courtyard, one on Yuyuan Lu and in Pudong (partnered with the Expo site), and the latest in Panlong Tiandi, housed in a beautifully restored historical building.

Xintiandi

Their design combines traditional Chinese themes with natural elements. Monochromatic tones of wood and stone from wide timber pillars to tiled eaves and granite floors. It’s elegant and a visual feast of minimalist modern design.

The Food

As for the food, it’s contemporary Chinese that cleverly combines Chinese and Western techniques. It’s more creative and inventive than it is fusion. Dishes are inspired by the 24 solar terms, and they do seasonal specials.

Memorable dishes include the Stir-Fried Mushrooms, which, despite being fried were not in the least oily. The selection of Yunnan mushrooms are fresh and earthy, a little truffle for aroma, an egg yolk for creaminess, and fried enoki for texture.

Stir-Fried Mushrooms (黑松露炒野菌, ¥68)

The Lily Bulb with Sweet Beans & Shrimp was excellent. Crunchy and milky lily bulb petals are tossed with grassy in-season peas and bouncy shrimp.

Lily Bulb with Sweet Beans & Shrimp (鲜百合蜜豆湖虾仁, ¥128)

Stir-Fried Eel arrives sizzling. The eel is desirably gelatinous, and is imbued with the intensity of spicy ginger, spiked with fermented lantern peppers, garlic, and Guizhou litsea. Most of their dishes read “light,” and this dish is probably the heaviest flavor profile.

Stir-Fried Eel (黄灯笼椒木姜子烧白鳗, ¥138)

Yuangu does not lack in comfort dishes either. The Confit Duck & Veggie Rice is a resounding crowd pleaser. Confit duck thigh pieces are served atop a delicious rice speckled with black rice and choysum, flavored with salted pork and Sichuan wax sausage. It’s a portion that easily feeds two.

Confit Duck & Veggie Rice (油封鸭腿菜饭, ¥88)

Swaddled in a lotus leaf is the Chicken with Chestnuts. Chicken thighs are grilled over charcoal, then soaked in a delicious chestnut, rose and honey sauce. Accompanying the tender chicken thighs are roasted chestnuts. It’s a very satisfying dish.

Chicken with Chestnuts (栗子烤鸡, ¥78)

The Cod with Pomelo & Jasmine, despite being battered and fried is not as heavy as it looks. The pieces of fish are coated in a sticky sweet dressing with jasmine flowers, served over fresh pomelo.

Cod with Pomelo & Jasmine (柚子茉莉蜜鳕鱼, ¥58)

For something a little lighter, there's the Scallop & White Jade Luffa, luffa sponge gourd fried with shredded scallops.

Scallops & White Jade Luffa (千贝白玉丝瓜, ¥48)

Afternoon tea is mighty popular, both for their bite-sized desserts and selection of teas. A set of six little signature cakes go for ¥228. But I didn’t care much for the desserts. It has a creamy mousse-like texture that I personally don’t like, and was rather bland. To each their own.

Ginger Milk and Vanilla Mousse (芒种・姜奶, ¥45)

Gardenia Iced Tea (栀子花茶-冰萃), Pomelo Flower Pu’er Ice Tea (柚花菁洱-冰萃), both ¥48 a pot.

In Summary

Overall, every dish was well executed, tasty, and not pricey. The food, at least to my knowledge, doesn’t represent one Chinese regional cuisine per se, but instead borrows from familiar flavors to create their unique dishes.

Yuangu is popular. You’d need to make a booking in advance or be prepared to get a number in-store and wait.

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Yuangu Yunjing 元古雲境
View the listing for Wuyuan Road.
View the listing for Xintiandi.