Reservations are required. Trout Restaurant is quite popular. Please make reservations in advance (note: no minors are allowed). Approximately 368 per person, 8 dishes and one dessert (Western style), excluding drinks (please confirm the specific cost with the restaurant, see the phone and WeChat above)
Trout Restaurant has always been famous in Dali. I had the opportunity to experience it for the first time in January 2025 because Sun Yu invited me to have dinner there. My feeling is: the environment is good, it is almost at the end of the village, I have my own vegetable garden, raising some chickens, ducks and sheep, and the view of the village and Erhai Lake from a high place to the north is good. The service staff is friendly and thoughtful, and it is a very young and energetic team. The dishes are creative and produced seriously, which can be seen from the care and richness of the dipping sauce used in a small dish. Pet-friendly, the chef monkey played with the fried hair after cooking. I am not a person who often comes to such restaurants, nor am I an expert in fine food, but I thought at the time that I should introduce it to my friends and guests, and such a restaurant is worth recommending. So I sorted out some simple information and introductions to make recommendations. At the same time, I also collected some comments and opinions from others for your reference.
Pick out two of them:
Deng Rang Rang December 16, 2024 "My friend recommended this restaurant to me. I had read the reviews and was looking forward to it. The nine-course meal was beyond my expectations.
Environment: The open counter with wooden tables is very American. In addition to local Yunnan ingredients and spices, the restaurant also has warm yellow light as soon as the car stops, and they begin to prepare tonight's meal. It is quite conspicuous among a row of traditional buildings. The courtyard design at the entrance, plus the self-planted vegetable garden and captive animals, embody the concept of farm to table.
The pre-meal bread is more moist than bread. It is served with four sauces. My favorite is mushroom sauce. The butter and honey are also homemade in the kitchen.
The favorite soup of silver fish, the plate is full, the fried silver fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, dipped in the sour soup made from tree tomatoes, very appetizing
The way to eat rainbow trout is very special. The chef gives more space for DIY. The smoked rainbow trout is served with crispy chips, avocado sauce and fresh vegetables picked from the farm, allowing diners to freely match them. Tilapia is also made into a soupy dish. It is slightly charcoal-grilled to keep the meat fresh and tender. The soup is also sweet and white.
The method of deep-fried bullfrog tempura is to add a local peppercorn to the sauce. However, the sour taste is a bit too strong. People who like sour food should love it.
Yellow beef. The local yellow beef is sliced thinly and served with a sauce that is full of Dai flavor. The sauce is more amazing than the beef. The main course is avocado pasta with mushrooms and chili peppers. This is the only spicy dish tonight.
Before dessert, I used freshly squeezed citrus juice to replace the sorbet to cleanse my mouth. The aftertaste of sourness and sweetness was strong. I thought the "walnut" was sweet, but it turned out to be a little salty. Maybe it was to match the fried milk fan.
Finally, the chef served a new dessert, which reminded me of the soy sauce ice cream I had a few days ago. It tasted like toffee. I'm keeping it a secret. If you want to try it, you can wait for the new season menu. There are still many delicious dishes in the whole set, which is more worthwhile than the fusion cuisines I have recently checked in. I didn't expect that Dali also has a restaurant of this level. The chef team is quite creative. "
miniw Lv7 January 10 "I finally got to eat at the trout restaurant I've liked for a long time. I heard a long time ago that it was the Chinese version of noma. I made a reservation immediately when I came to Dali this time. I like the farm to table format and the naturalness. Every dish is delicious. Three of the eight dishes surprised me. The service was very good. Many ingredients are local Yunnan specialties. I've never seen them before. It's really great, it beats many Michelin restaurants in seconds."
Chef Monkey's introduction to the restaurant:
External Environment:
:
Internal kitchen:
:
Selection of ham:
:
Some tableware options:
:
Tip: If you have a great dining experience at a business, please recommend it to us to help other travelers and keep the business running healthily. WeChat: lingjiec, Email: lingjiec@yahoo.com (Many of our recommendations, including cancellations, come from travelers’ feedback)
An unforgettable experience again: picking wild vegetables in the fields, then returning to the creek to create botanical dyeing and enjoy wild vegetable tempura—deliciously crispy and rich, impossible to stop eating. Thanks to the gentle and attentive guide, excellent photography skills. Absolutely loved it.
First experience with paddleboarding! Highly recommended! The guide was also very good, explaining very clearly during the instruction. The atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable, not awkward at all.
The breathtaking scenery that can't be seen in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Thanks to the team leader for the patient and professional guidance and companionship.
In Dali, entering the fern kingdom of happiness to the point of dizziness. In the fern forest kingdom, meeting like-minded friends, then repeatedly exclaiming the beauty of life.
@Dali Cangshan Hiking Home. Huanhuan led us to taste the red azaleas, white rhododendrons, green peppercorns, sword-shaped acid membranes, and delicious homemade snacks.
Met many fern friends. The biggest, most beautiful, and my favorite is Libai. Carried all the way, spores scattered all over, sowing everywhere.
Photographer Xiao Zou kept praising "Good Ferns" along the way, more frequently than I did, exclaiming happiness. Captured dreamy memories, then took me to Silver Bridge Market to enjoy the fried fern vegetables I had been craving all day (not Xiao Zou’s reminder, I had already forgotten when ordering).
Spending time with Lizy was one of the best experiences we had in China. Being able to speak English with a local and interact made all the difference! We met her at a farm, where we had tea and snacks—including her parents' delicious homemade green beans. We harvested some vegetables for dinner, and then she took us to the local market in her cool car :) We arrived home, and she prepared a delicious and fresh dinner, one of the best meals we had in China. We also enjoyed some local beers and talked a lot about Chinese culture. Lizy is careful and such a kind person! We absolutely loved this experience!
Throughout the trip, Lucky, her adorable dog, was always with us!
Stepping out of your comfort zone is essential (even if just once)
Talking about today, before coming to Dali, I searched for related guides online and found Cangshan Hiking House and OTC Town. I scheduled to paddleboard and pick Wogan oranges on the Jinsha River today. Before deciding to try paddleboarding, I also did a series of mental preparations, including but not limited to: I am a beginner with no experience, what if I fall into the Jinsha River; I’ve never tried exciting sports, what if it’s not suitable for me, etc., etc.
Fear spreads from the bottom of my heart and grows wildly. At this moment, another voice fights against it: I want to try. Life is long, but I don’t know if I will have another moment of paddleboarding on the Jinsha River. Stepping out of your comfort zone is necessary, even if just once. So all fears disappeared, only defeated by the phrase 'I want to try.'
During the process of self-confrontation and reconciliation, I became more and more期待 for this trip. Maybe I look forward to paddleboarding, maybe to see the Jinsha River in the book, or perhaps to break through myself in that moment. In fact, the day before, I only thought about this trip and even imagined dancing in the guesthouse.
In the morning, I met with Sannei Croissants and the handsome team leader Chen Bali, and then started nearly an hour and a half drive from Dali to Taoyuan Town. Taoyuan Town belongs to Lijiang, where the Jinsha River flows through, featuring magnificent and beautiful valleys and water scenery.
During the round trip, I broke the ice with Bali team leader, chatting about this trip, roadside scenery, the history of Cangshan Hiking House, and his life experiences. I learned he is from Hunan, has been to many places before, and now in Dali, neither purely touring nor living there—let’s just call it an undefined period. We also talked about previous outdoor sports experiences; I asked if my trekking in Tibet counted, and he said Tibet is impressive, as he had lived there for a while. On the way back, I joked: You’ve been to so many places, do you plan to write all these experiences into a book? It should be interesting. He hurriedly waved his hand and said he lacked that literary talent, then added after a moment that writing a book would be quite pretentious for him.
Along the way, the scenery outside the window gradually changed from city to village, with rolling mountains layered one after another. Occasionally, I would exclaim upon passing a few blue jacarandas, and sometimes we would curiously discuss the many domesticated cows in the car ahead. Overall, when I looked out the window again, I was already viewing the Jinsha River landscape.
At first glance, I just wanted to marvel at how beautiful the scenery was—turquoise lakes amidst the mountains, with some villages and fishing boats nearby.
"The weather is nice today, not particularly hot. It’s different here from Dali; it can reach over 30 degrees in April," said Bali team leader as he looked at the river. Due to abundant sunlight, Taoyuan Town is rich in fruit, with many fruit trees planted along the roadside by the government—pipa (loquat), mango, banana trees, jackfruit, and various other fruit trees. We could see unripe green fruits passing by the car, and today’s itinerary also includes picking Wogan oranges here.
The team leader in Paris briefly explained the precautions for stand-up paddleboarding with me, and then we got into the water. I tried the water temperature; I sat on the board to stabilize myself. The board has a front and a back, with the fin at the rear, and the paddle has a front and back, like a spoon. The technique for moving forward is to scoop water as if using a ladle. It really tests core strength and arm muscles; ideally, core power should be used, but I kept compensating with my arms. You can paddle on a kneeling, sitting, or standing position, depending on personal preference. However, beginners are advised not to stand up immediately, as it's easy to lose balance and fall into the water. But the team leader in Paris told me: 'It's very hot this season, falling into the water is a blessing, don't be afraid of it.' I think that sentence influenced me, and I prepared myself for jumping into the water later.
The river surface in the morning was very calm, and the sunlight reflecting on the turquoise Jinsha River shimmered beautifully, a scene impossible to fully capture with a phone. I quickly adapted to paddling on my knees, and seeing that I was doing quite well, the team leader suggested I try standing up, claiming: 'Standing looks better in photos,' and since I was already here, I might as well give it a try. Plus, once you fall into the water, you won't be afraid anymore. I was convinced, and slowly got up on the paddleboard, but due to unsteady balance, my legs started trembling uncontrollably. Just as I was trying to support myself, my body suddenly tilted towards the water as if in slow motion, and I fell in for the first time, with my mind in a fog.
The moment I entered the water, I instinctively flailed around, completely forgetting I was wearing a life jacket. My mind went blank; I just wanted to find something to support myself and float. Finally, I clumsily climbed back onto the board following the leader's instructions. After a short rest, I muttered that my goal for today was to conquer myself and jump into the water once. With the encouragement from the team leader in Paris, I successfully stood back on the board, and after three seconds, I suddenly plunged into the water.
I think that statement is quite true—once you've fallen into the water, you won't be afraid anymore. After jumping in, I found paddling my board became much easier. From initial fear and curiosity to natural ease, it was just like that.
We crossed the Jinsha River and arrived at an aunt's house on the shore for lunch and a rest. I finally realized that the team leader in Paris is also quite skilled at cooking. It's a pity I ate quite little, but the ghee tea he brought was especially delicious, making me want to ask where he bought it. Drinking hot tea while enjoying the river breeze, lying on a hammock in a small shed, waiting for the sun to dry my shoes and life jacket, I picked some sweet Wogan oranges from the tree, and then we continued with the second half of the trip.
(The Wogan oranges in the river valley are homegrown by the aunt, very sweet and delicious)
In the afternoon, the wind picked up, and the river surface was no longer as calm as in the morning, but the waves weren't too big, just requiring more effort. We paddled in one go back to the place where we first entered the water. The team leader in Paris said we could have some free time. At this moment, we noticed several life jackets bobbing on the water, and upon closer inspection, it was someone swimming in the river, with one swimmer almost out of our sight. We couldn't help but marvel at how happy the people here are, and their swimming skills are truly impressive.
(During free time, drifting on the river surface almost floated away, but it was very comfortable, almost falling asleep)
Paddleboarding on the azure Jinsha River | Going to the opposite shore to pick Wogan fruits
Ramen
This mountain and wilderness trip was far more wonderful than expected. Grateful for the attentive companionship of leader Yang Mi and Wang Wang Wang Little Creek.
The gentle texture of grass and trees touched by fingertips, the unique fresh scent of the mountains and wilderness lingering at the nose, and the warm, enthusiastic smile of the Bai grandmother—all become precious marks in the heart.
The healing and joy of this day are worth cherishing for a long time.
(March–June) Cangshan Wild Tea Collection - Make Your Own White Tea
Face Face
An unforgettable experience again: picking wild vegetables in the fields, then returning to the creek to create botanical dyeing and enjoy wild vegetable tempura—deliciously crispy and rich, impossible to stop eating. Thanks to the gentle and attentive guide, excellent photography skills. Absolutely loved it.
Minibus trip | Walk in the ancient forest by the Mi Ju River for dyeing and printing, and pick wild vegetables by the field to make tempura
Wang
First experience with paddleboarding! Highly recommended! The guide was also very good, explaining very clearly during the instruction. The atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable, not awkward at all.
Paddle Boarding | Visit a beautiful lake downstream
Face Face
The breathtaking scenery that can't be seen in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Thanks to the team leader for the patient and professional guidance and companionship.