Duyichu

Duyichu Sumai restaurant opened in Qing Dynasty, and was found by a man who originally came from Shanxi Province. It is said that at first it was only a small tavern located in the Qianmenwai Street, later became a restaurant specializing in small dishes and the most famous one is sumai.

The name Duyichu actually was given by the emperor Qianlong. It is said that one night, Qianlong came to this place and planned to find something to eat. However, it happened to be the New Year, so nearly no restaurants opened on the street. Suddenly, Qianlong found this small restaurant that still provided food, so he went in and ordered dishes. When Qianlong chatted with the owner, he found that this restaurant still had no formal name, so he personally named it as “Duyichu” that means the only place in Chinese. Since then, the restaurant became famous and every one came here to sit where the emperor once sat and to eat what the emperor once ate.