Details
Visit Trout's Xiaohongshu for the latest information.
Reservation required. Trout Restaurant is quite popular, so please make a reservation in advance (Note: Minors not allowed). Approximately 368/person, 8 courses plus one dessert (Western-style service), excluding drinks (please confirm specific costs with the restaurant; phone and WeChat see above).
Trout Restaurant has long been well-known in Dali. I had my first experience there in January 2025 when Sun Yu invited me to dine. My impression: nice environment, near the end of the village, with its own vegetable garden and some chickens, ducks, and goats. From the high point looking north over the village and Erhai Lake, the view is good. The staff are friendly and attentive, a young and energetic team. The dishes are creative and carefully prepared, evident from the thoughtful and rich dipping sauces for a small dish. Pet-friendly; the chef Monkey played with Zamao after finishing the dishes. I'm not someone who frequents such restaurants, nor a connoisseur of fine cuisine, but at that moment I thought I should recommend this place to my friends and guests. So I've compiled some simple information and an introduction, and also collected some reviews from others for your reference.
Selected two reviews:
Deng Rangrang December 16, 2024
"Recommended by a friend, I had high expectations from previous reviews, and the nine-course meal exceeded them.
Environment: Open kitchen with wooden tables, very American style. The restaurant uses local Yunnan ingredients and spices. When the car stopped, I could see the warm yellow light of the restaurant preparing the evening meal. It stands out among the traditional buildings. The courtyard design at the entrance, along with the self-planted vegetable garden and the penned small animals, makes farm-to-table tangible.
Bread before the meal: Baba (a local flatbread) is more moist than bread, paired with four dipping sauces; my favorite was the mushroom sauce. The butter and honey are also homemade.
Silver fish: My favorite soup course; I finished it. Deep-fried silver fish, crispy outside and tender inside, soaked in a sour soup made from tree tomatoes, very appetizing.
Rainbow trout: A unique preparation, giving more DIY space. Smoked rainbow trout served with crispy chips, avocado sauce, and fresh vegetables from the farm, allowing diners to assemble themselves. Tilapia is also made into a soup-like dish, lightly charcoal-grilled to keep the meat tender, and the soup is also fresh and sweet.
Deep-fried frog: Tempura style, the sauce includes a local pepper, but the sour part was a bit too strong. Those who like sour should love it.
Yellow beef: Local beef sliced thin, paired with a Dai-style sauce that was more impressive than the beef. The main course was avocado pasta with a green sauce made from mushrooms and small chilies—the only spicy dish of the night.
For dessert, fresh-squeezed olive juice replaced sorbet to cleanse the palate; the sour and astringent notes were followed by a strong sweet aftertaste. I thought the 'walnut' would be sweet, but it was slightly salty, probably to pair with the fried milk fan.
Finally, the chef sent out a new dessert from the upcoming menu, which reminded me of a soy sauce ice cream I had a few days ago, tasting like toffee. I'll keep the secret—those who want to try can wait for the new season's menu. Overall, many dishes were delicious, more worthwhile than several fusion cuisines I've recently visited. I didn't expect Dali to have such a high-quality restaurant. The chef team is quite creative."
miniw Lv7 January 10
"Finally ate at Trout Restaurant, which I've liked for a long time. I had heard it was the Chinese version of Noma. This trip to Dali, I immediately made a reservation. I love the farm-to-table form and natural style. Every dish was delicious. Three out of eight dishes amazed me. Service was great. Many ingredients were local Yunnan specialties I had never seen before. Really, really good, surpassing many Michelin-starred restaurants."
Chef Monkey's introduction to the restaurant:
External environment:
Your browser does not support the video tag.
:
Internal kitchen:
Your browser does not support the video tag.
:
Selection of ham:
Your browser does not support the video tag.
:
Selection of some tableware:
Your browser does not support the video tag.
:
Image