Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
proved better but it took me years to learn to appreciate the subtleties of good roast
duck.
WHAT DISHES DO YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TRY WHEN THEY FIRST GET HERE?
Beijing roast duck; noodles; Sichuan hot pot, which is unlike any hot pot I'd had be-
fore; hand-shaved noodles; Beijing's grilled foods, which are a very local specialty;
the food from a selection of government provincial restaurants (not all are good,
but some are excellent); imperial banquet food;
ji
ā
nbing
(a very filling bean crepe
stuffed with egg and a crisp wafer), one of the more popular street foods;
lüròubing
(a crisp bread filled with hand-sliced donkey), which is wonderful; dumplings, one of
Beijing's specialties; and
mádòufu
, a hideous but delicious dish made of mung bean
pulp that is unique to Beijing. Overall I would suggest experiencing a broad spec-
trum of foods, from humble dives to more upscale establishments.
HOW DOES FOOD IN BEIJING DIFFER FROM WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE USED TO OR
WHAT THEY MIGHT EXPECT OF “CHINESE FOOD”?
Much of the Chinese food represented in America is like the food from the restaurant
my family ran, and it was nothing like the food we eat at home. Saucy, sweet, heavily
flavored dishes like egg rolls and chop suey don't exist here. The food in Beijing
tends to have heavier flavors but in very different versions. For example, there is
sweet and sour pork, but without the goopy bright sauce and pickled vegetables and
pineapple that American versions offer. The dishes here are almost completely differ-
ent from what's available in most parts of the United States and offer a very different
taste of China.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS AROUND TOWN?
I really can't answer that as things change constantly and many restaurants are incon-
sistent. It takes knowing what dishes are specialties. For duck, the choices are easier
and well made at both Da Dong and Duck de Chine, but while other interesting es-
tablishments, such as Liqun, don't offer the best duck (in my opinion) they are in a
hútòng
(alley), thus a very special local environment. Bianyifang has a closed-oven
method, producing a different type of duck, and there are many smaller local restaur-
ants that do a good job.
