Piquant monkey-head mushrooms

Braised beancurd squares.[Photo/Ye Jun / China Daily]

Beijing

Vegetarian restaurants come and go, but Ye Jun discovers one eatery with exceptional staying power.

Over the years I've seen many vegetarian restaurants in Beijing start and then close - and I know running a vegetarian eatery is not as easy as it looks. Many people will look out for good vegetarian food, but usually, there is not enough demand to sustain a profitable restaurant.

That is what makes Samadhi Vegetarian Restaurant and Teahouse so special.

The name Samadhi refers to a peaceful state of mind in Buddhism, and the owners of Samadhi are Chinese Buddhist believers who love both vegetarian food and tea. Nearly a year after its opening, the restaurant is still faithful to its original devotion to quality, while it develops new dishes to add to its repertoire.

Some of these new creations include a refreshing diced cucumber and papaya hand roll with crisp wrap, served with sugared popcorn.

Next up is an appetizer with sweet cherry tomato, mashed gobo yam, fragrant mushroom and aweto or cordyceps, the Chinese caterpillar fungus.

A hand-crafted soup with tofu delicately shaped into a beautiful chrysanthemum is the attraction that follows and the simple flavors of the broth is a prelude to a monkey-head mushroom prepared kongpao-style, with its sweet and sour top notes and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Samadhi has also introduced a tasty "sea cucumber" made with konjak or konnyaku baked with salt and bamboo.

A stir-fry of matsutake mushroom with red bell pepper and green celery appeals to both sight and taste. Another winner was the stewed squares of bean curd topped with mushroom sitting in a rich golden broth.

The restaurant is about the only one in Beijing that does not rely on "imitation meat" made with soybean protein or konjak to resemble animal protein, Instead, it relies on the simplicity and freshness of its ingredients as selling points.

Chef Zhao Bin is an award-winner who has scored high against other top chefs in national cooking competitions, and he is the man behind the vegetarian creations.

Set meals cost 168 yuan and 268 yuan per person. Buy one and get one free for the 168 yuan set meal on Tuesdays, the first and 15th day of every lunar month.