Saiwai Jiujia (塞外酒家)

Saiwai Jiujia (塞外酒家) is a restaurant in Shuangqiao District, Chengde, close to the Chengde Mountain Resort in Hebei province. Chengde was the summer capital of the Qing emperors, and the resort and surrounding temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so the city's cooking carries a strong imperial and frontier identity. Established in 1980, the restaurant is considered one of Chengde's most authentic Sai wai (beyond-the-pass) imperial-cuisine kitchens, serving dishes inspired by the court cooking of the mountain resort. The signature dish is tiger-striped preserved bean curd pork belly (虎皮豆腐乳扣肉), at about 68 to 98 yuan, a braised pork belly cooked with fermented bean curd that is said to have been a favourite of Empress Dowager Cixi. A second standout is braised wild mushroom with venison, at about 88 to 128 yuan, which draws on the game and mountain ingredients of the Yanshan region. The dining room is formal and traditional in character, suited to family dinners, business hosts and tour groups, with moderate noise and an unhurried pace; dress is casual to smart casual. The beverage list follows the regional banquet pattern, with baijiu, beer, tea and soft drinks, and no distinctive wine programme is documented. The restaurant serves lunch from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM and dinner from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM daily. Reservations are recommended for dinner in the peak summer season, by phone or through Dianping, while off-season walk-ins are generally easier. Booking a day ahead in July and August is sensible. The location near the Mountain Resort makes it a natural lunch or dinner stop on a visit to Chengde's imperial sites.