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A taste of Lhasa

Yangqingcang Tibetan Restaurant

央卿仓藏餐厅

A well-regarded Tibetan restaurant near the Barkhor with a terrace facing the Potala Palace, doing the traditional repertoire with local character rather than tourist polish, and serving chang, the home-brewed highland barley beer. Fourth on Ctrip's Lhasa list and the one to pick for a proper Tibetan dinner.

¥85–110 per person≈ US$13Ctrip Lhasa list No. 4Barkhor Street / Jokhang Temple area (八廓街、大昭寺), Chengguan District
Plan your meal Open map

Why come here

A place worth making time for

No. 4 on Ctrip's Lhasa must-visit food list, rated 4.3; noted for serving highland barley wine

The house favourites

What to order

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

  • Yak momos (藏式牦牛肉包子)
  • Thukpa / Tibetan noodle soup (藏面)
  • Yak ribs (牦牛排骨)
  • Highland barley beer, chang (青稞酒)
  • Butter tea (酥油茶)

What it actually tastes like

Butter tea is the thing to brace for: churned yak butter, salt and strong tea, served warm and endlessly refilled. It is salty and the fat sits on the surface. Tradition is to sip it rather than drain the cup, and your cup will be topped up every time you put it down. Chang is lightly fermented, cloudy and sour, and sits heavily at altitude — go easy on your first day.

Allergens in this kitchen

dairygluten/wheatsoy

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.

Get to know the menu

Local specialities to try here

Tibetan Noodles 藏面Mild, clean and gently meaty — almost under-seasoned by Chinese standards, so you add chilli and vinegar yourself.Yak Butter Tea 酥油茶Salty, oily and savoury rather than sweet — much closer to a thin buttery broth than to tea.Highland Barley Beer and Wine 青稞酒The cloudy brew is sour, yeasty and faintly sweet; the spirit is sharp and grainy.