A Chef's Chopstick Challenge {Beijing Street Food} #Part 1

Everybody comes to Beijing for its famous duck.

Then what?

Beyond the duck, Beijing’s cuisine is really enjoyed within the endless busy streets and lively hutong alleyways.

Ever been walking down the street in Beijing while feeling tempted by the mouth-watering aromas coming from every corner? Ever wondered exactly what was concealed by the tourists who are drawn to these scents? Ever been disappointed when you see that it’s just scorpions on sticks and sea stars?

Well, don’t be anymore. Street food in Beijing is so much more than the eccentric snacks eagerly aimed at passionate tourists like us. To get the best experience of Beijing, it’s mandatory that you have a taste of what goes down with the locals. Street Food is a big part of a Beijinger’s life as when you’re on the go, you don’t have to turn far to find some delicious cuisine. Prepared fresh in front of your eyes, you’ll drool at the sight of spices being mixed with freshly kneed batter, sizzling over a hot stove before being laid out in no time into your hands.

Here’s just a snippet of the best Street Snacks & Eateries in Beijing.

Breakfast

1.    Beijing Crepe Snack – JianBing (煎饼)

This crispy large fine-grain pancake is just one of the many delicacies which leave tourists missing Beijing as although it is sold in other parts of China, none can top the size and taste which originated in the heart of Beijing’s Hutong alleys itself. 

A simple but flavour packed batter is spread onto the spinning hot with a flourish.The motorized or sometimes hand spun cooking plate speeds up the cooking process, leaving you with freshly prepared food in less than 5 minutes. After cracking and spreading an egg on top of the cooked batter, it is then folded and smeared with special made sauces and sprinkled with toppings like fresh chilli and green onions on request. The large and intimidating crunchy fried dough is then folded into the mixture of tangs and handed over.

If you abstain from tasting anything else in Beijing, you must grab a JianBing! Although this delicacy is normally served at Breakfast and Lunchtime, if you want to get a real taste of all of the flavours described here then you need to rise at the first speak a’ sunshine and beat the locals to the stands before the lines start building up.

Some of my favourite places for JianBing are:

Address

                        Nameless pancake stall 

No. 28 Mianhua Hutong                   棉花胡同28号

Xicheng District                                       西城区

   Beijing                                                    北京

 

(No Phone)

Opening Times: 6 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

A normal pancake costs ¥4. This includes 1 egg and toppings.

·         ¥1 for each extra egg.

(See currency converter on the side to give a good idea of how much this is in your currency.)

OR

If you really can’t get up before 6AM, I know I can’t, pop over to this stall on Hutong Road.

Address

Nameless Pancake Stall

Corner of Baofang Hutong and Dongsi Nan Dajie

 

(No phone)

Open from 9.30.am onward.

2.   Youtiao – (油条)

Dine like a typical Beijinger once you pick up this breakfast essential. Closely resembling a twisted cruller doughnut, the You Tiao is a big part of Chinese culture. Usually made with two long sticks of the fried dough joined together, this ancient cuisine is said to represent the famous Qin Hui and his wife who were both said to have formulated the plot to frame the general Yue Fei, an icon of patriotism in Chinese culture. The snack first came about as two human-shaped pieces of fried dough to represent Qin Hui and his wife who both collaborated with the enemy to bring about the fall of Yue Fei. And the snack is eaten with precisely the same hate towards both culprits – It’s torn in too!

Once you’ve expressed the hateful feelings towards the two villains in this legend you’ll normally find that the server has given you a dip consisting of a huge bowl of steaming soya milk, the combination of which are neither too heavy nor light for a nice morning refreshment – and they’re certainly packed with flavour.

One of the best places to eat Youtiao is:

Huijing Road                                          慧景路

Haidian District                                      海淀区

Beijing                                                       北京

Althought the address is listed, we are talking about a portable stall here. It’s usually found in the middle of the road near the hairdressers and yoga gym.

 *If travelling by taxi, make sure you print out the Chinese address and show it to your driver.

Bus

Take bus 498 and get off at Jin Dian Hua Yuan (今典花园)

- It’s the only stop on Wenhuiyuan North Road.

Then cross the road and walk along Huijing Road until you find the stall.

Subway

Take Line 1 to Fuxingmen Station then change to Line 2 at that station and get off at Jishuitan. After that, follow the above instructions for getting the bus there.

Make sure that you watch out for the next part in the ‘A Chef’s Chopstick Challenge’ series where I’ll cover some of the best lunch Beijing has to offer.

Any questions, just drop a line!