Yike Yin (A Seal, Fan's Mansion)

Yike Yin (A Seal, Fan's Mansion) is a restaurant set in a traditional Kunming courtyard house at Nos. 18-19 Jixiang Lane, off Dongfeng West Road in Wuhua District. Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province in southwest China, has few surviving old courtyard residences, and the restaurant takes its name from the yikeyin ('a seal') house style, a local form of courtyard architecture in which the rooms are arranged around a small central yard, and its appeal rests as much on the building as on the menu. The kitchen serves Yunnan classics, including steam-pot chicken (qiguo ji), the earthenware-steamed chicken soup associated with Jianshui, and shredded chicken rice noodles, a bowl of rice noodles topped with strips of chicken. It is also known for barbecue on tiles, in which meat and vegetables are cooked on heated tiles at the table, a regional cooking method that suits sharing. Average spend is about CNY 70 (about $10) per person, which is moderate by Kunming standards and good value for a meal in a heritage setting. The listed opening hours are 11:00-22:00 daily, so the restaurant can serve a late lunch or early dinner without a break. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal; the courtyard layout lends itself to groups, families and small celebrations, and the yard seating is pleasant in Kunming's mild weather. Walk-ins are accepted, but groups should book ahead so that a table can be arranged around the courtyard. The location on Jixiang Lane is a short distance from the Dongfeng West Road area, close to the central part of the old city, so the restaurant combines easily with a walk around the old streets and Green Lake. Visitors looking for a more traditional setting than a modern mall restaurant, and interested in a mix of noodles, chicken soup and grilled food, will find the menu broad enough to suit a mixed group.