Qi Ji| Cafe, Lodge French lunch in the shade, mountain stream conversation whispered

During my short time in Shangri-La, I had intermittently shared some footprints, memories of food and people.

This is the last one.

Life is everywhere. Without words, it outlines the breath of the host.

Chic room key at the corner of the second floor

Beautiful utensils perched on the staircase leading to the third floor

Some decoration and dining rest area of the stairwell on the second floor

This is Estelle's private living room.

The corridor leading to the guest room

In the warm and tidy guest room, you can see the dialogue between French and Tibetan elements.

There is a public area on the third floor where you can bask in the sun in a rocking chair, with a large terrace and a guest room with floor-to-ceiling glass.

The apples on the tree are still trying to be sweet.

The kitchen leads to this open-air table.

The kitchen is one of my favorite living places.

Master Estelle

Baked apple pie sprinkled with yogurt

Freshly ground coffee with health biscuits

Next to the Songzan Benzi fence is a special hostel, a Tibetan house and a French courtyard full of plants. Flowers, fruits and vegetables grow with the season, and the names of the two dogs are called "come on". Rooms in favor of traditional Tibetan style are cleaned up cleanly and properly, decorated with ancient utensils and furniture collected by their owners, as well as handmade with local materials. Full of surprising details everywhere, but not abrupt and artificial, this is an ideal home for a French woman.

It was a completely impromptu visit, so there was not much food in the kitchen, and we ate what we had. Nevertheless, there was still a table of food that lived up to us and waited politely.

The host Estelle lives and takes care of here alone, and occasionally invites friends to look after the store because she is out to do some research work. Most of the time, she runs the daily business here. She is not only an architect, a researcher of Tibetan culture, but also a food lover. It can be seen from the planting in her kitchen and yard that she loves cooking so much. The recipes of 1876 contain the secret of French flavor, and the ingredients grow in this sunny plateau. The grilled eggplant is covered with strips of marmalade fan, and this is the first time I think it can be so delicious, with a strong eggplant flavor mixed with spaghetti and sprinkled with cheese. or let the noodle temperature slowly soften a small piece of butter with black bread.

"the smell of the land is in it."

The yogurt replaces the cream on the freshly baked apple pie, and the taste of the fruit becomes very complete due to different cooking. The freshly ground coffee reflects the thick plum trees, and Estelle comes out of the kitchen from time to time to ask if the food is used to the taste, and the thumbs up is our only answer.

The French lunch in the shade of the trees, the mountains and streams turned each other's conversation into a whisper.

In a trance, this is no longer Yunnan, there is no Shangri-La.

Article & Photography: April

Source: Qi Chi