Emperor's Banquet

We were treated to Emperor's Banquet in Beijing. Or at least the theme is Palace Dining. Right at the entrance were girls dancing like what we see in the period movies. The food was good but not exceptional. There were a couple of dishes that was quite exquisite. One was braised sea cucumber. I do not like sea cucumber and my host insist I should try as the Empress love this and eat this dish regularly to keep her skin smooth. I tried a small piece and was impressed by the taste. So I took a second helping. There were beef tendons, fried sliced fish and many others that was a little exotic for my taste.