When we finished the Tiger Leaping Gorge, we hurried into the van to head northwards for Shangri-La about two-hour ride from Lijiang. Shangri-La is in the northwest of Yunnan province, and it is where the government of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located. Many people from lower areas of China get sick because Northwest Yunnan exhibits high altitudes, not to mention Diqing bordering with Tibet. Luckily, I and some friends grew up on this plateau, which means it was absolutely OK for us to travel on a relatively high place.

The van quit Qiaotou where most tourists to the Tiger Leaping Gorge have lunch, and climbed a slope, and it appeared much easier for driving. For that tour, we had decided to stay three days in Shangri-La, and the first thing was to enjoy a decent Tibetan meal featuring something like yak beef—stewed or hotpot. I also liked Western food served in Kunming, but we all agreed that Shangri-La wouldn't let us down as far Tibetan cuisine is concerned.

On the way, we made several picture stops for the “flaring” meadows that can only be seen in Shangri-La in October and November. Before we took the tour, we had done some homework, collecting information for inns and restaurants. I remembered clearly that the first diner in Shangri-La was in a local family called Karma Café hiding in the old town of Dukezong. We called the café by a given number, and were told we would be fetched at the Sifang Square in the centre of the town. Indeed, the old town is much smaller than Lijiang and Dali, so it should have been very easy to find a restaurant with a given address. But a large part of the town is made up of very old residences so that we hadn’t believed we could manage with ease.

After we made the check-in in the Holy Palace Hotel, and strolled to the old town of Dukezong. "Excuse me, are you Mr...and...?" we were stopped by a girl at the square who I thought must be from the cafe, "I am from Karma Café……" She led the way through a small cobble-stone alley behind the Giant Praying Wheel on the Guishan Mt in the old town, and made some turns before we reached the café.

The chef was a young Tibetan man aged 25-30. He was also the owner, and the café was in fact his house. He invited us to the second floor where a quite and Tibetan style dimly-lit bar-like dining room had been designed. He had a short conversation with us, showing a menu and detailing patiently what kind of food most of his customers liked. We ordered some Tibetan food, including Tibetan-style steak, and the dining room was left to us to observe carefully.

I grabbed a magazine and sat on a chair, thumbing the pages, and waiting for the food. And I heard the sizzle begin from the kitchen in the courtyard, and I seemed to be salivating……