Skip to content
A little preparation. A much better adventure.Independent travel advice · Made for China
Save your trip
Menu
Book your trip

A taste of Beijing

King's Joy

京兆尹

A courtyard restaurant next to the Lama Temple serving one of the most serious vegetarian tasting menus in Asia. The room is spare and Zen-influenced, and the kitchen works mainly by steaming, slow-cooking and sautéing to let organic, seasonal produce carry the dish rather than imitating meat. Three lacto-ovo tasting menus of ten or more courses, with vegan versions on request. It has held two Michelin stars for years and is the obvious choice for a vegetarian in a city built on pork and duck.

¥800–1200 per person≈ US$119Michelin 2 stars 2026Dongcheng, 2 Wudaoying Hutong, beside Yonghe Temple; Yonghegong Lama Temple station (Lines 2 and 5)
Plan your meal Open map

Why come here

A place worth making time for

Michelin two stars, 2026 MICHELIN Guide Beijing.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Seasonal vegetarian tasting menu (季节素食套餐)
  • Matsutake mushroom consomme (松茸汤)
  • Braised bamboo shoots (油焖春笋)
  • Walnut and date dessert (核桃枣泥)

What it actually tastes like

Flavours are deliberately quiet; diners arriving expecting bold Chinese seasoning often read the first courses as bland. Textures do the talking, including gelatinous and slippery mushroom and fungus preparations. Tell them about allergies when booking, as the menus are fixed.

Allergens in this kitchen

tree nutssoysesamedairyegggluten/wheat

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.