Heinrich Wang and his "NewChi" porcelain
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A Freshly Renovated Drum & Gong Offers Same Great Menu
After several months of mysterious closure, a renovated Drum & Gong has reopened, thankfully with exactly the same menu as before. Although the decoration has been updated, we love this Nanluoguxiang staple for its consistency—it’s been around for years, and the prices, even with the ever-growing number of tourists, stay mid-range.
Drum & Gong offers a fusion of Chinese cuisine, in both food and décor. Inside the restaurant, your eyes wander around the eclectic ornaments, Tibetan-style masks and colorful Yunnan-inspired toys that sit beside Mao’s little red book, Qing dynasty-style statuettes and a collection of various paintings. The symbols of the restaurant—the drum and the gong—hang in the redone front windows.
As we suspected, the sweet corn with diced carrots and cucumber (¥18) actually comes with a sauce—not “sausage” as it says on the English menu. The dish is refreshing, though a bit too sweet. Spinach with glass noodles (¥15) topped with peanuts, is a delicious cold dish, with notable flavors of vinegar and sesame oil.
Stir-fried lamb with leek and snow peas (¥46) wasn’t our favorite—the soft texture of the lamb reminded us of processed meat, and the whole thing was drowned in oil. In contrast, the deep-fried carp with sweet and sour sauce (¥48) was rich with a strong tangy flavor typical to Chinese cuisine.
The good quality meals and cozy Chinese vibe set Drum & Gong apart from many other cheaper eateriesin the area. Testament to its popularity, this place is packed after 6pm. We look forward to more space and hutong views when the rooftop reopens in early April.
Find it: 104 Nanluoguxiang, 南锣鼓巷104号, Tel: 8402-4729
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