Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( Chī Miàn; Xiaojingchang Hutong, off Guloudong Dajie, mains ¥20-50; noon-10pm; Andingmen)
Run
partly by members of a local punk band, this tiny place comes with retro decor, up-
holstered dining chairs and, as you'd expect, very cool music. The pan-Asian menu -
mostly stews, curries and, of course, noodles - is quite limited, but it adds to the home-
cooked feel. English spoken and English menu.
ZHĀNG MĀMA$
( Zhāng Māma Tèsè Chuānwèiguǎn; 4 Fensiting Hutong, off Andingmennei Dajie, mains ¥10-20; 10am-11pm;
Andingmen)
The speciality of this excellent-value Sichuanese restaurant is
málà xiāngguō
(¥48 to ¥58), a fiery, chilli-laced broth that comes with either chicken (
xiāngguō jī
),
prawns (
xiāngguō xiā
) or ribs (
xiāngguō páigǔ
) simmering away inside, and with a
variety of vegetables added into the mix. One pot is enough to feed two or three people.
Also well worth trying here is the
dàndàn miàn
(spicy dry noodles) and the rice meals; the
classic being the
gōngbào jīdīng gàifàn
(spicy chicken with peanuts), which is lip-
tinglingly delicious, thanks to the rather generous sprinkling of Sìchuān peppercorns.
|CHINESE SICHUANESE
BĀOZI PÙ$
( 108 Guloudong Dajie, dumplings per basket ¥5, noodles ¥6-8; 6am-9pm; Shichahai)
A local favourite,
especially for breakfast, Bāozi Pù - literally 'dumplings shop' - has been on this same
corner for years. Steamed pork dumplings (
bāozi
; ¥5 per basket) are the speciality -
you'll see bamboo baskets of them piled up near the entrance; say
'sù bāozi'
if you want
vegetable ones. The boiled dumplings (
zhēng jiǎo
) are also very good. Wash them down
either with a traditional soy milk drink (
dòu jiāng
) or with rice porridge (
zǐ mǐ zhōu
).
You could also try the knife-sliced noodles (
dāo xiāo miàn
). There's no English sign or
menu.
|DUMPLINGS
LǍOHÉJIĀN DONKEY- MEAT RESTAURANT$
|CHINESE BĚIJĪNG
( Lǎohéjiān Lǘ Ròu Huǒshāo; 16 Guloudong Dajie, 10am-midnight; Andingmen, Shichahai or Beixinqiao)
All varieties of donkey dishes are served up in this diminutive little locals' favourite, but
the house speciality is
lǘ ròu hǔoshāo
(¥6), pastry pockets filled with freshly chopped
donkey meat and seasoned with herbs, spices and green chillies - a perfect, if perhaps
slightly unusual, takeaway snack, which is a speciality of Héběi, the largely rural province
which surrounds Běijīng. If you fancy eating in, you can also get donkey-meat noodles (
lǘ ròu miàn
; ¥6) and donkey-meat soup (
lǘ ròu tāng
; ¥4) as well as all manner of don-
key innards thrown into various types of broth. No English, and no English menu.
ĀN DŌNG HOTEL$
|DUMPLINGS
