Feng Lin Ge

Feng Lin Ge claims a founding story straight out of legend: a Ming emperor's son, a hungry cook, and a wall built to hide a meal - and the restaurant has been feeding Datong ever since. The signature is shumai, the open-top dumplings folded into flower shapes, served with a vinegar that the house has blended for centuries.

The old-city dining room is handsome and historic, the tea arrives in gilded cups, and the full spread - shumai, vermicelli soup, and northern Shanxi classics - is a meal to remember. It is the most storied table in Datong, and the reason to schedule lunch in the old city.