The schoolhouse at Mutianyu

We took a loooong ride to Mutianyu great wall last saturday with my uncle and aunt to try out a restaurant called The Schoolhouse. Set at the foot of the wall, in the village of Mutianyu, the Schoolhouse is a converted school building that now serves as restaurant, glass making workshop and local handicraft centre. I loved how quaint everything was! There are even house for rent. These luxurious "villas" come with 2-4 bedrooms and are perfect for a short weekend getaway in the countryside.

Back to dinner at the Schoolhouse. The view was spectacular of course. We got there as the sun was setting. And you could see the green hills and stone cold facade of the wall turn a warm shade of orange. The sky slowly faded into a dusky blue and streaks of pink. It was truly beautiful. It's rare to see such clear skies in Beijing... once it got dark, you can see stars in the sky. It's almost as if someone cast a shimmery black throw across the sky. Really breathtaking. Living in the city, with all its light pollution, I've forgotten how beautiful the night sky could look. 

Dinner was nice too. All the ingredients are locally sourced in Huairou district where Mutianyu is. I had an appetiser of duck liver with apple and some choux pastry while Dan had the smoked rainbow trout. I have to say the trout was far nicer than my duck liver, probably because there wasn't enough fruit to reduce the gamey taste of the duck. Still it was a nice dish.

For mains, my uncle had the duck leg which was so tender it fell off the bone as he sliced it.  My aunt had a grilled local fish marinated with Huairou honey.  I'm not a fan of fish but that night, I tried both fish dishes and they were remarkably delicious.  I had lamb chops with walnut which were ok. Not mindblowing but still tasty. Dan had the local T-bone steak. That was one MONSTER steak weighing close 750grams. It was somewhat tough but the marinade was yummy. I'm not sure I would have the steak or lamb again but the duck and grilled fish are worth a second try. 

For dessert we had some chocolate mousse and creme de menthe ice-cream. The ice cream was slightly sweet but it was a great palate cleanser after 750g of steak. The chocolate mousse was ok too but not particularly memorable.

I would go back to The Schoolhouse again to give the food another shot. Maybe the dishes I had weren't too exciting. But the breathtaking view, the warm welcome the proprietress gave us and the quaint setting .. these were beyond par.