Eight days, 25 restaurants, 30 snack stalls and one of the stinkiest tofu ever, and you get an idea of what I was up to in Beijing last week. Yes, research work for us at Makansutra is fun, but it comes with a price too. Some polished eateries were so sad that even the concubine costumes the sweet servers wore and trotted about in their traditional clogs in some Imperial restaurants could not hide the fact that all they wanted to serve you was the good old thousand-dollar meal of sharks fins, exquisite sea cucumber and exorbitant two headed abalones. But order their simple but not easy to perfect dishes like wok tossed greens and good soup, and the sadness in quality is overwhelming.

Then there were the street snack shops hawking stuff that tasted like the street itself – like fried bee cocoon and hornet. I’ll share below, some of the highlights and low-downs of my makan stint there.

1. The definitive Peking Duck.

Of course, Quanjude comes to mind. This century and a half old eatery was born when a restaurateur coaxed a former Imperial chef to part with his recipe and head up the restaurant. It became so famous that the chain today turns in a yearly revenue of about $100 million. But since they renovated the original outlet and tore down the wood-fired oven that had never cooled for over a century (the perfect fire was a main reason why their ducks had that reputation) in Wangfujing Street, opinions about their quality had never been consistent. But along with other big Peking names like Da Dong and Xiao Wang Fu Family Restaurant, they still pull in the crowds. Note, it is suggested that the best Quanjude duck is available in their upper floor or private rooms, where the more experienced team churn the crispy, soft, light fatty and roasty fowls out.

Beijing Wangfujing Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant   Address 13, Shuaifuyuan Hutong, Dongcheng District Opening Hours lunch and dinner daily Telephone & Email 86-10-65253310

Xiao Wang Fu (Guanghua Donglu Store)   Address No.2 Guanghua Donglu, Chaoyang District Opening Hours lunch and dinner daily Telephone & Email 010-65943602, 010-65913255

Beijing DaDong Roast Duck Restaurant   Address No. 22 Dongsishitiao, Nanxingcang Guoji Dasha, Dongcheng District (Southwest of Dongsishitiao Bridge) Opening Hours 11am – 10pm daily Telephone & Email 010-51690329

2. Street stalls along Wangfujing Street
From 5pm to midnight daily.

This street hawks authentic but only
mediocre Beijing street food fare

If it is your first time to Beijing, this row of about 50 little stalls just shouting distance from the Forbidden City is about the only official street stalls left standing in Beijing. Each cart, set on wheels, measure no more that five feet by six feet deep and every evening from 5pm, the whole row lights up with the anticipating smells and sounds from the uniformed hawkers and customers. I dare say about 99% of folks there are tourists and rightly so. The place is clean, efficient and the food is cooked or finished ala minute and no unsightly back-end kitchen preparation in done on site. From the Bing Tang Hu Lu (candied Hawthorne sticks) to Rolling Donkeys (kinda like a rolled mee chiang kueh with red bean paste) to fried starfish (yes, I tried and it tasted and felt like fried wood or tar with some pasty liver like substance inside. It was exciting for all of one bite for me) and even a Mala Liang Fen (cold jelly noodles in Szechuan pepper sauce). I love their Rou Jia Mo (minced stewed meat stuffed mini pan fried pita burgers) – the meat was soft, juicy and had just enough fat and texture that went so well with the toasty buns. But alas, although it is a nice experience to tick off in your blog or diary, be warned, this street hawks authentic but only mediocre Beijing street food fare.

3. Long Cheng Tang Restaurant

An award winning little restaurant featuring Guangxi makan

This little Hutong eatery does not look much – old beer bottles sitting on the window sills, a pail at the corner of the courtyard, a crickety washroom door that relies in sunlight for visibility etc.., till you look it from the interior. It is actually an award winning little restaurant featuring Guangxi makan. The place looks like a page off an old National Geographic article on traditional Chinese eateries. Their Guiling Mifen, beef beehoon with a light beef sauce enlivened with vinegar, chilli and crispy fried soy beans, is a signature. They offer a whole range of peasant style greens and mushrooms, which go very well with their hotpot of beer stewed duck or rabbit meat. Which explains the numerous beer bottles as it’s perfect beer food.

Long Cheng Tang

Address No.28 Dong Huangchenggenbei Street (300m from entrance of Huangchenggenbei Street), Dongcheng District

Opening Hours 11am-10.30pm daily

Telephone & Email 010-87176323