Quasi-Tibetan Dishes

As these Tibetan restaurants try to give diners an "authentic cultural taste", many owners admitted "localizing" Tibetan dishes for the sake of local and western palates.

Tibetan dishes such as lamb steak, roasted mushrooms and yoghurt are served in Norbulindka, a Tibetan restaurant in Beijing's Nuren jie, Chaoyang District May 23, 2008. [chinadaily.com.cn]

"Just like how MacDonald's or KFC operates in China, most dishes in my restaurant are more or less localized," said Norbulindka owner Dong Qian.

She explained authentic Tibetan food is for nomads, and they eat mostly cheese and meat with not many vegetables and grains, which hardly fit the tastes of people living in lower altitudes.

"When it comes to Tibetan cuisine, we concentrate more on the nutritional value and make sure most of our ingredients, like yak, sheep, mushrooms and saffron are from the Tibetan area where there isn't much pollution," echoed Makye Ame manager Mou Dejing.

"So we make some compromises in cooking methods yet the ingredients are 100 percent authentic."

To cater for more vegetarians during the Games, these Tibetan restaurants are now preparing more new quasi-Tibetan dishes like roasted mushrooms seasoned with highland spices, spinach fried with yak milk tofu, and yogurt mixed with highland fruits.

Even in Manilongda where few dishes are localized, owner Dong Cuo said she was trying some new courses like yak steak and Tibetan-style hamburgers.

With the décor, entertainment and menu set, Tibetan restaurants in Beijing look like they're ready during the Olympics to receive more customers, who are adventurous and looking for a taste of Tibetan culture.