This Hunan-style restaurant has an extensive menu I would have explored further, if I weren't headed in a few hours for Shanghai. Given my uncertainty over the sleeper train's onboard facilities, I limited myself to a plateful of "ants climbing trees" (Y18), a traditional Western Chinese dish of vermicelli with minced pork. Washed down with a draft mug of "yellow fresh beer" (Y12); "black fresh beer" is available to accompany heartier entrees.
Liujia Guo
19 Nanheyan Dajie, Beijing
Perhaps I was craving Western food after several days of dining Beijing style, but deep-fried potatoes and eggs (Y5) might have been the best thing I downed at Donghuamen. Here they're stacked two high, before a final immersion in the fryer.
Potatoes and Eggs Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
It really needs that heaping spoonful of sugar to make it palatable (Y5).
Bean Porridge Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
Lamb pastry (Y5). OK.
Meat Pastry Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
This beef-filled pastry (Y3) had a hard-to-pin-down touch of sweetness about it.
Restaurant-Bakery
83 Nanchizi Dajie, Beijing
My steamed dumplings (Y10) were likely twice the going rate for locals, to judge by the Chinese-only signboard, but how long would you be willing to quibble over another 60 or 70 cents? As for noodles, I later saw one of the prep cooks preparing them using a technique I'd never seen; from a oblong mass resting in a cradle on one forearm, he sliced off noodles briskly, one by one, with a vegetable peeler.
Dumpling and Noodle Vendor
Fahuasi Jie, near the Hongqiao Market, Beijing
Another old-style Beijing favorite is mianchi (Y6), a flour paste to which can be added either sweet or salty toppings. Worth a try, I though, but it had about as much charm as a sesame-sprinkled fruitcake without the durability.
Chantang Li
In the Jiumen Xiaochi snack center
1 Xiaoyou Hutong, Beijing
A number of old-line food vendors, displaced by the development transforming the Qianmen District south of Tiananmen Square, have set up shop in an eating hall near the north end of Houihai Lake. En Yuan Ju specializes in the Beijing comfort food called chaogeda (Y12), fingernail-sized bits of pasta stir-fried with meat and vegetables. Apparently available in several versions, since one of the servers made a point of noting that mine was niurou (beef).
En Yuan Ju
In the Jiumen Xiaochi snack center
1 Xiaoyou Hutong, Beijing
With sesame seeds; slightly sweet (0.5Y).
Sugar-Bun Vendor
In a Hutong west of Sanlitun Lu, Beijing
Most of the interior is subtly, even dimly lit, but a stage at the one end gives evidence of the entertainment that takes over on many evenings. For lunch, my liveliest item was the Xin Jiang salad of tomato, onion, green pepper, and more onion (Y13), accompanied by a serving of "the pepsi of cola" (Y6) whose red-and-white can showed Atlanta roots. "Fried mutton in Xin Jiang style baked bread" (shown; Y28) tossed the two in a hearty mélange that must be even better during a cold Beijing winter.
Xin Jiang Muslim Restaurant
Gongrentiyuchang Beilu (across from Workers' Stadium), Beijing
The large, almost banquet-like room was largely empty for a late lunch. Cucumber with salt and garlic (Y6) was a refreshing starter; hong shao rou (twice-cooked pork in a sweet red sauce; Y28), here described as braised pork in Northern-flavored style, was exceptionally tender.
Xiao Wang's Home Kitchen
4 Gongti Donglu, Beijing
(one of several locations)
Sweets that have been processed from haws, the fruit of the hawthorn tree, are widely available in New York, but before Beijing I'd never tasted "tanghulu" (Y5), haws rolled in a warm sugary liquid. Same nice applelike flavor, plus two or three little applelike seeds in each haw. Also available was an intriguing oval reddish fruit ("fruit" in the botanical sense); I never did manage to try sugar-dipped tomatoes.
Sugar-Dipped Fruit Stall
Near the entrance to Wangfujing Snack Street, Beijing
This beef version (Y8) was nothing special.
Noodle Soup Stall
In back of Wangfujing Snack Street, Beijing
They're not merely a fly-by-night novelty for tourists taking the evening air; deep-fried sparrows (Y5) also make appearances outside the center of town. Eat 'em whole; very chewy. Truth is, many of the kebabs in the heavily touristed areas aren't the freshest, as I later discovered while watching the Donghuamen vendors shut down their operations one evening; just about everything was wrapped in plastic and tucked into ice chests for the next day's customers. Insist on very thorough cooking, as evident here.
Kebab Stall
In back of Wangfujing Snack Street, Beijing
After an hour snapping shots in this well-stocked market for meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables, I stepped into the alley-like snack corridor to one side for a beef roll (Y1) and an oily chive-and-egg pancake (shown; Y1), followed by a bottle of Zhenyuan drinkable yogurt (Y1.50).
Chongwenmen Caishi Chang
Chongwenmenwai Dajie, south of the Chongwenmen metro station, Beijing
For a mid-morning repast, I snacked on buns flavored with green tea (shown; Y2.50), topped with pork (Y3.50), and stuffed with a paste made from Chinese dates (Y2.20). At about Y8 to the dollar, all three cost me a little more than a buck.
Xinqiao Sapporo Bakery
Chongwenmenwai Dajie, north of the Chongwenmen metro station, Beijing
Cooked with an egg — the white had firmed up, the yolk nearly so — as well as rice and some liquid, added just before serving, that smacked of rice wine (Y8). I could do without the egg.
Dessert-Soup Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
Mixed with coriander, chili oil, and soy sauce (Y4). Pretty, and pleasant enough.
Pan-Fried Tofu Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
Pre-cooked pork was stir-fried on the spot (Y5) with mushrooms, sprouts, and some other greenery, but the parchment-like wrapper was tough.
Rolled Pancake Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
An open-faced chive and egg pancake (Y5) was very greasy, almost too much so.
Pancake Stall
Donghuamen Night Market, Beijing
This pork-and-cabbage bun (0.5 Y) was so warm and light that I headed back for two more. One may have mixed cabbage and chicken; the other turned out to be, once again, red bean.
Baozi Storefront
Dafosi Dongjie, Beijing
Both these interesting-looking varieties (Y1 each) were, sadly, very cakey and dry.
Bean-Patty Maker
Beijianzi Xiang, Beijing
Beef and scallions on a sesame-seed bun (Y2) was fine, though the multilayered whole wheat bun itself was quite dry.
Bakery and Prepared-Food Eatery
Dongsi Beidajie, just north of Dongsi Xitiao, Beijing
Red bean bun (Y1). OK.
Beijing Zhimeihang Tuwenshiji Co.
82 Dongsi Sitiao, Beijing
Wet my whistle with three Chinese shandies. Yanjing Lemon Beer (355 ml.; Y1.89) was the color of a pale ginger ale, but even more effervescent; it claims to be flavored with lemon juice, and in fact that's what the smell and taste would bring to mind: lemon juice, not lemons. Blue Diamond Pineapple Beer (350 ml.; Y2.40) was pale amber, with the aroma of Lifesavers and a sour flavor. Ying Ao Lychee Beer (345 ml.; Y1.80) was almost clear; lightly carbonated; surprisingly restrained, with a refreshing aroma and flavor.
Beijing Tiankelong Jituan Youxian Zerengongsi
Dashikou Dajie, Beijing
(one of many locations)
