Hangzhou Siyanjing Specialty Dining: 曼陀林（虎跑店），如野，马灯部落

一：曼陀林（虎跑店）

Siyanjing, opposite Hangzhou Zoo, was once famous for its drinkable well water. Today, its "soaring fame" comes from the unique guesthouses and dining spots in Siyanjing. These distinctive guesthouses let travelers enjoy West Lake scenery while experiencing the local life in courtyards and along the nearest mountain paths to the lake. This time, I came to a restaurant perched high in Siyanjing: No.248 Hupao Road, Siyanjing (diagonally opposite the zoo). Take bus 194 or 4 to the zoo, then walk 15 minutes up to the hilltop 曼陀林 restaurant in Siyanjing. Vehicles entering Siyanjing incur a fee; there are limited parking spaces at the restaurant entrance, first come first served.

曼陀林（虎跑店） is a creamy-white building with a grand, imposing façade and a golden metal door canopy. Through iron railings, you can see lush green grass in the courtyard. The building has three floors.

「锡纸蒜泥鲍鱼」

Foil-baked Abalone with Garlic Paste is incredibly tempting; as you slowly peel open the foil, the aroma bursts out. The abalone is large, plump, and springy. The garlic paste enhances the freshness, making the abalone delicious and savoury.

Besides cuisine, 曼陀林 also offers afternoon tea. The pastries are carefully matched, beautifully presented, and have a pleasant taste.

「提拉米苏」

Tiramisu – exquisitely decorated with green maple leaves, the texture is lingering, soft and sticky-sweet.

「榛果巧克力」

Hazelnut Chocolate – coated in chocolate and studded with hazelnuts, the rich chocolate flavour melts sweetly in your mouth, lifting your spirits.

「高山滇红红茶」

High Mountain Yunnan Black Tea – served in delicate ware, the tea’s colour is alluring, with a pure and distinctive tea fragrance, perfect for a refined afternoon tea.

「排骨会铁观音」

Spare Ribs with Tieguanyin Tea – yellow bell pepper dots the dish, visually appealing. The deep-fried spare ribs are then wok-fried with Tieguanyin tea leaves, infusing the crispy meat with a tea aroma. The ribs are crisp outside, tender inside, both meaty and tea-fragrant.

「金汤藜麦鱼尾翅捞饭」

Golden Soup Quinoa Fish Tail & Fin Rice – the aromatic baked rice is mouth-watering, golden in colour, enriched with nutritious quinoa. The steaming hot broth soothes the stomach after a comforting bowl.

「芥味鲍螺片」

Mustard-Flavoured Abalone Slices – served in a delicate bowl, garnished with red cherry tomato balls, green maple leaf, and a yellow flower 🌸, like a picture. The slices are crisp and refreshing, with a subtle mustard tang.

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The restaurant’s menu is extensive, with many creative, refined dishes.

「樱桃鹅肝」

Cherry Foie Gras – beautifully plated on an elegant dark grey plate, the rose-red cherry-shaped foie gras balls are charming and cute, tiny and delicate. They melt in the mouth, with scattered hints of liver aroma, soft and delicious. Nutritious and visually stunning, the taste lingers.

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The second floor has uniquely decorated private rooms, quiet and elegant. The first floor is brighter and more spacious, ideal for booking for birthday parties or small business meetings. The outdoor space features classic garden courtyard design, with blooming hydrangeas in passionate purple.

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曼陀林 restaurant (West Lake Hupao branch) is a three-storey building; the entrance is on the third floor, which houses the open seating area with an elegantly arranged outdoor space: comfortable soft-back sofas, translucent gauze curtains.

【奶油南瓜】

Creamy Pumpkin – the presentation is exquisite and artistic: buttery-yellow squares stacked together, a bright red cherry, tender green sprouts, and a blooming flower create an image like "spring scenery overflowing the garden." As you savour the dish, you also feast with your eyes. It carries a light milky fragrance mixed with the natural aroma of pumpkin. The first bite gives a slight chill—perfectly timed chilling gives the creamy pumpkin a special texture: chewier, more elastic, with natural pumpkin and cream flavours merging in the mouth: fragrant, crisp, sweet, beautiful, surprising, fresh.

【蕈油鸡】

Wild Mushroom Oil Chicken – served in a miniature earthen stove, the chicken is plump and chewy, the meat fine and well-seasoned.

【春色满园】

Garden in Spring – the cute presentation can make vegetable-hating kids fall in love with it.

【千岛湖鱼头聚宝盆】

Qiandao Lake Fish Head Treasure Pot – a new way of cooking fish head from Qiandao Lake, with soft, glutinous rice cakes added.

【樱桃鹅肝】

Cherry Foie Gras – the bright red foie gras shaped like cherries looks temptingly dewy; the soft liver is inviting, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

【白玉翡翠】

White Jade and Emerald – the emerald green is broccoli, the white jade is premium lily bulbs.

【辣酒汁浸花螺】

Spicy Wine Sauce Marinated Flower Snails – the exquisite presentation elevates the dish.

【金汤脆米石锅饭】

Golden Broth Crispy Rice Stone Pot Rice – seafood rolls with crispy rice, simmered in a golden soup until flavourful.

【自酿桂花糯米酒】

Homemade Osmanthus Glutinous Rice Wine – sipping the house-brewed osmanthus rice wine, you can even see tea plantations nestled in the valley.

【窃窃私语】

Whispering – a novel deep-fried eggplant dish, served inside its own skin shell.

地址：(杭州)虎跑路四眼井14号（星巴克转角遇到爱的如野，近杭州动物园）

Take bus 194 to the zoo, then walk over from the Starbucks side; the slope path is quite challenging.

[服务铃]服务：

The waitstaff are plentiful and have a good attitude, giving a homely feeling.

「五彩榴莲糯米饭」

Five-Colour Durian Sticky Rice – beautifully presented, the sticky rice is slightly firm, with a sweet durian aroma.

The menu features a variety of dishes, some with a modified Hangzhou flavour.

「凉拌黑木耳」

Cold Dressed Black Fungus – the black fungus is sour, sweet, and spicy.

「杭椒牛柳」

Hangzhou Pepper Beef Strips – since Hangzhou peppers aren't very hot.

「如野椒麻鸡（小份）」

如野 Pepper-numbing Chicken (small portion) – the numbing chicken is well flavoured, with a tingling, spicy kick, and the chicken is chewy.

如野 is split into two levels: the lower floor has a guesthouse reception and lounge. The lobby is naturally and sleekly decorated, using dry branches as ornaments. Upstairs is the restaurant and bar, with a casual, stylish vibe, featuring long wooden tables and hanging chairs. It can host team-building activities, small meetings, etc.—a private and comfortable space.

With its unpretentious, natural decor, the menu is creative.

五彩榴莲糯米饭

如野 is close to the mountain vegetation; the garden is beautifully arranged, with many blue-purple hydrangeas in bloom. Follow the mountain path to the restaurant, and opposite, there are tea terraces. In downtown Hangzhou, you can experience such a close encounter with tea plantations and natural scenery at 如野.

三：马灯部落. Westside Creative Mountain-View Restaurant (四眼井店)

虎跑路238号四眼井（近动物园，少儿公园对面）

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Take bus 4, 194, or 31 to the zoo, then walk 15 minutes uphill along a steep slope. Don’t get the entrance wrong—take the slope next to the parking barrier. If driving, enter via the barrier, then follow the one-way lane around to the top to 马灯部落; the road in Siyanjing is narrow and steep, drive carefully. There are parking spaces at the door.

[服务铃]服务：

Not many staff, but service is adequate. Self-service tea is available: barley tea or lemon water, with disinfected tea sets in a sanitizing cabinet—hygiene is good.

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A self-service herbal tea at the front desk helps dispel summer dampness.

「龙利鱼豆腐」

Dragon Fish Tofu – the fish and tofu are slow-cooked in a stone pot and arrive bubbling hot.

「部落生炒子鸡」

Tribal Home-Style Stir-Fried Chicken – a generous portion, the chicken cut into fine pieces and stir-fried with pointed peppers, very tasty.

「马灯下的小团圆」

Little Reunion under the Horse Lantern – actually tiny thousand-year eggs made from quail eggs, mixed with soy sauce, chili pepper, and garlic slices, quite flavorful.

「不含酒精玛格丽特」

Non-Alcoholic Margarita – the margarita has a very unique presentation, with blue phantom hues in a tall glass.

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[薄荷]环境：

马灯部落 is located in the highest cluster of buildings, with a unique design that exudes a rugged Northwest China free-spiritedness. The wooden beam interior resembles a cozy rest stop during a journey. Simple yet boldly uninhibited. The outdoor space is also connected to nature, with views of layered green hills and terraced tea fields.

「部落非式炭烤羔羊腿」

Tribal Non-Typical Charcoal-Roasted Lamb Leg – the lamb is served on vibrant lettuce, crispy outside and tender inside, tempting with a hint of cumin. No muttony smell at all; the charcoal roasting infuses deep flavour, the taste is delicious, and the bone is a treat.

The small soup dumplings arrive in a bamboo steamer, adorned with tiny blossoms; best enjoyed hot, with thin skins, generous fillings, and savoury broth.

「油炸黄豆」

Fried Soybeans – complimentary at every table as an appetizer; crispy, chewy, leaving a lingering fragrance.

The rice cakes are deep-fried to a golden hue, banana-shaped, small and cute, very soft and chewy. A delicious and pretty snack.