Xi Xiangzi, or Spring from Hunan, sits in a small dining venue in a lane near Houhai with a sign out front that says "Hunan food with a French Touch." Walls are painted bright blue with photos of red capsicums framed on the wall. The small, comfy restaurant is furnished with black furniture, giving the place a lovely atmosphere with a striking contrast to the photos of red chillis. A second venue is located down the street and is considerably larger is most aspects with the dining area, the kitchen, and even the menu, offering a wider selection of western food and wine. The second location also allows smoking. Xi Xiangzi is the result of two people that couldn't be more opposite from each other. First, French IT expert Aymeric Figureau, and the other, his Hunan wife Liu Jun. They share a passion for the real taste of Hunanese cuisine.

The menu is quite large for a place having only seven tables. Smoked bean curd (xianggan) and cured meat (larou) are excellent examples of Hunan cuisine and each are prepared perfectly. The Huiguo rou chao xianggan, smoked bean curd with pork belly, and qincai rousi chao xianggan, smoked bean curd with slivers of celery and lean meat are dishes that will reflect the true quality of the ingredients. Other favorites are Laba dou chao larou, brined soybean stir-fried with cured pork and zhengyu tou, steamed butterflied fish head doused with finely chopped red and green chillies.The restaurant exudes a French sense in the choice of wine, the atmosphere, and the music, while the menu also offers a limited selection of French cuisine, including fondue Bouguignone and a nice banana flambe for dessert.