On a drizzly weekend afternoon, we ducked into Yi Ke Yin to wait out the rain and eat some Yunnan fare. The restaurant, off a side street along a lane full of hawker stalls selling all sorts of trinkets and souvenirs, had a turn-of-the-century compound feel, with dark lacquered wood and a plethora of red lanterns, where old men might be playing a contemplative game of Go or smoking long pipes.
Instead, it was a restaurant, and since we were seated near the kitchen, I ducked into the chopping section of the kitchen, where a young cook was slicing up a big chunk of Yunnan ham.
This dish of sauteed rice cake slices with mushrooms and diced chilis was the first thing we got. The rice slices were nice and springy, with a good balance of soy sauce, umami, and spice. It’s essentially the same consistency of pho, but compressed into a big block from which these slices are shorn.
This is another classic Yunnan dish, pan-seared goat cheese with a slice of Yunnan ham sandwiched in between. The cheese is extremely mild, with just barely noticeable hum of that typical chevre sourness. This version wasn’t so memorable, but perhaps with fresher, more strongly flavored, this could be a really tasty snack, something that can stand up to a strong alcohol (if you’re into that sort of thing).
This grilled fish was by far the tastiest dish we ordered, perfectly crisped (especially the greasy translucent skin) and steaming hot, with an abundance of flaky white meat underneath. The blend of crushed red chilis made for an excellent dipping seasoning, adding not only heat but texture. The skin was like a fine sheet of bacon, delicate and crunchy, with a light fish flavor instead of that pork smokiness.
The last two dishes were exciting in concept but a little lackluster in terms of how it came out. For dessert, they were a little too hearty, a little too doughy.
But I would absolutely come back for the fish and rice noodles.
一颗印（东风路店）
Dianping
House of Hao's 