Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING
GǑUBÙLǏ$
( 6353 3338; 31 Dazhalan Jie, dumplings from ¥12; 7.30am-10pm; Qianmen)
Decent, cheap eats are
hard to find in this area, so this outpost of the renowned Tiānjīn restaurant will delight
dumpling devotees. There are eight different types to pick from, including meat, prawn,
crab and veggie options, as well as plenty of cold dishes to accompany them. Picture menu.
|CHINESE DUMPLINGS
TURPAN RESTAURANT$
( Tǔlǔfān Cāntīng; 8316 4691; 6 Niu Jie, kebabs from ¥10, dishes from ¥25; 10.30am-2.30pm, 4.30pm-8.30pm;
Caishikou)
This is a huge place, but it needs to be considering the hordes who flock here
for the big, juicy and succulent lamb kebabs (nothing like the tiny skewers sold on the
streets) and the array of authentic Uighur dishes, some of which are Halal, from far-off
Xīnjiāng. We think the roast lamb leg is a bargain at ¥65. Picture menu.
|UIGHUR
HELEN'S RESTAURANT & BAR$
( Hǎilún Cāntīng; 55 Dazhalan Xijie, dishes from ¥28; 8am-1am; ; Qianmen)
With its graffiti-
covered walls and lines of wooden benches, this is a backpacker hangout a (long-ish)
stone's throw from Tiān'ānmén Sq. During the day it functions as a cafe serving up cheap
Western eats: all-day breakfasts, sandwiches, burgers, pasta and pizza; at night the sound
system gets cranked up and it all gets more raucous as those cheap beers (¥10) and buckets
disappear down thirsty throats at a pace.
|WESTERN
THE HUÍ
China's 25 million-odd Muslims are divided into two distinct groups. One is comprised of the Uighurs, a rebelli-
ous, Turkic-speaking minority from the far west of China whose roots lie in Central Asia. The other are the Huí.
You can find both in the Niu Jie area but it is predominantly a district associated with the Huí.
The descendants of Arab traders who came down the Silk Road well over a thousand years ago, the 10 million
or so Huí are technically an ethnic minority. But they are spread all over China and have intermarried so much
with the Han Chinese over the centuries that they are indistinguishable from them ethnically. Nor do they have
their own language, speaking only Mandarin.
