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Beijing Restaurant Recommendations
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roddy -
I'll kick this off with one from me, and we'll see if anyone else bothers to add any
One of my current favorite restaurants in Beijing is Mala Youhuo 麻辣诱惑 - Spicy Temptation -
just by Dongzhimen Subway station. Basically, a temple to 麻辣, with classy red and black decor,
a spicy mostly-Sichuan menu (but enough non-spicy stuff to keep everyone happy), consistently good
service and food, and prices which aren't that far off the expensive dishes at the local
家常菜。Must have eaten here about half a dozen times in the last few months with never a dud
meal - a couple of slow service incidents on drinks, but that was the worst of it, and that at the
busiest of times.
It also seems to be constantly busy and has a nice buzz to it - 热闹, without being 吵。You
might need to wait a while (on comfy red stools) for a table at busy periods. Menu has plenty of
pictures if your food vocab isn't up to scratch.
Pictures from my last meal -
蚝油土豆泥Mashed potatoes in Oyster Sauce (16Y)
麻员外烤肉Not quite sure how to describe this - not as bacony as it looks at all. Eaten
wrapped in the lettuce in the background. (28Y)
冰镇芥兰Frozen Kale. We weren't eating a great deal of spicy stuff this meal, but if you are
this is the perfect counterpoint. (18Y)
红杏鸡 Kind of like 口水鸡, but with actual real chunks of chicken meat, rather than bones.
(22Y).
Came to 116Y with drinks, and that stuffed two hungry people.
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Madot -
And here I was ready to beg all and sundry to tell me where to get a REALLY good Peking Duck
banquet. The first time I was in Beijing back in 1998, we were guests of a university president
and we had a banquet that was, quite literally as you see, unforgettable. The skin was crispy, the
meat tender and NOT fatty. Then, after the usual pancakes filled with skin etc. there followed
about 5 courses of all different duck dishes. In 2004 I brought my husband, but we were on a tour
and the banquet was absolutely terrible. Truly awful. And one mass of fat! YUK!
SO, you who have been in Beijing long enough to have tried a number of places, where is the best?
What sort of prices? I'll be arriving in SEptember but in November I'll be celebrating one of
those mile-stone birthdays (I won't tell you which one...) and would love to organise a duck
banquet for friends so I'm not looking for the most expensive restaurant in the city. Any
suggestions?
Thanks, all.
Mado
roddy -
For duck, if you want to spend a bit more, try Dadong at Changhong Qiao (east third ring road) -
everything about this place is spot on, and the non-duck dishes are also fantastic. I still drool
thinking about it.
For a cheaper option if you're paying, either the Quanjude or Tianwaitian chains will do you a
decent, reliable duck at reasonable prices. I'd stay away from Quanjude in tourist areas though
(esp Qianmen) as they're more geared up to turning over as many customers as possible than
anything else.
Best duck is apparently Li Qun's, but I've never been there.
Madot -
Beijing Duck, here I come!
Any other recommendations out there, especially for authentic Northern Chinese cuisine? Or, while
we're at it, what about other authentic regional cuisine NOT aimed at well-heeled tourists?
Mado
trevelyan -
Best Xinjiang food I've had in Beijing hands down. The restaurant is consistently full, has
excellent Nang, and knows where to buy produce. Even the simple dishes like chao pianr are
consistently excellent. I make a point to drop by whenever I'm in the neighbourhood.
Anyway, you can find it east of the Lido hotel on Huajiadi. The restaurant is on the north side of
the road just past the next major traffic intersection. Easy to find because it actually straddles
two stores, separated in the middle by a Thai restaurant (I believe). Well worth visiting if
anyone is in the area.
Madot -
Hey Trevelian,
What kind of food does Xinjiang have? I'm familiar with a number of regions but not that one. You
make it sound really good, but could you say something about the dishes you mentioned?
Thanks.
Mado
doumeizhen -
小王府， I think it is, down by 三里屯and one by the embassies.
This restaurant has a long list of simple, Chinese dishes, including some very good duck (who are
we kidding, duck is good no matter what!), and a crisp tofu that is to die for.
The food and service have been consistently good, and its modern feel makes it a nice, quiet place
to take your visitors in case they feel overwhelmed by the rest of China. Menus are in Chinese,
English, and Picture.
trevelyan -
Madot: noodles in tomato sauces, and various types of lamb dishes. Nang is a type of unleavened
bread you often get barbequed. There are tons of Xinjiang places throughout Beijing (just look for
the Arabic signs).
bokane -
A vote in favor of Li Qun (利群) for duck - it's somewhat touristy, having been picked up by the
Lonely Planet a few issues back, but prices are low - a set duck meal (duck, pancakes, scallions,
duck soup afterwards) will cost you less than RMB100 - and the duck's the best I've had in
Beijing. Non-duck dishes are respectable, but you're probably better off sticking with duck and
duck-related things; the 葱爆鸭心 scallion-fried duck hearts, in particular, are excellent.
It's a bit tricky to find if you haven't been there before. Go to the intersection of
前门东大街 and 正义路, which is just east of the southern edge of Tian'anmen Square. You
want to be on the south side of 前门东大街. Walk into the broken-down alley; turn right, pass
a public toilet, turn left, and walk straight until you see a sign pointing the way to Li Qun.
bokane -
Oh, while we're on the subject of duck:
Years ago, a friend's father took my friend and me out to a very nice restaurant in Shanghai. One
of the dishes we had was a duck that had been (I believe) steamed and stuffed with glutinous rice.
The meat was so tender that you could pick bits off the duck with chopsticks; the skin melted in
your mouth, and the rice was delicious. It was one of the nicest things I've ever eaten.
Unfortunately, I never got the name of the dish. Anybody know what it's called?
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