A Chef's Chopstick Challenge {Beijing Street Food} - #Part 2

Welcome back to this Beijing food series, in my previous post, I covered a minute fraction of the various foods that Beijing has to offer for breakfast. Now, it’s time for Lunch and there’s no need to flock down to those expensive restaurants for some good and tasty cuisine, just follow this guide to get a quick, cheap and delicious meal from the thriving hutong alleyways of Beijing.

Lunch

1.   Baozi (包子)

Don’t think about the normal uncleanliness of street food or the scary antipodes which people munch on in delight. These steamed stuffed buns usually packed with steamed pork are a great belly-filler. Ever wondered what the stacks and stacks of bamboo steamers were doing sitting outside of eateries? This delicious savoury snack is much loved by the locals around Beijing. Why, you ask? All you need to know is that so long as the food’s fresh - it's good –and this is exactly what Baozi are. Make a request for one of the lower levels, and the steam plumes up from the traditional stacked bamboo steamers in such dense fog that for a moment you are completely blinded. What does this tell you? : The heat is so intense that bacteria cannot survive. Buy it fresh and eat it hot and you'll be right as rain.

My favourite place to eat Baozi is:

Qing Feng Stuffed Bun House – Although Baozi can be found on the streets, rest assured that this is one great place for your first taste of the delicacy.


 

Address

Qingfeng Stuffed Bun House           慶豐包子鋪

Qunli Hutong                                       群力胡同

Xicheng District                                     西城区

Beijing                                                       北京

*If travelling by Taxi, make sure that you print out that address and show it to your driver.

Bus

 

Take buses 83 | 105 | 111 | 608 | to: Ping’An North Intersection.

(平安里路口北)

**Then walk up the street and turn right into Qunli Hutong (It’s marked by a big traditional arch that’s pretty hard to miss).

Walk down the road until you see Qingfeng Stuffed Bun House. (慶豐包子鋪)

The restaurant has a big ‘Q’ followed by Chinese characters.

Subway

Take either Subway line 6 or Subway line 4 to Ping’Anli Station (平安里站).

Once you’ve exited the station, follow the instructions which start with (**) above.

2.  Malatang (麻辣汤)

Malatang to Beijing locals is as customisable pizzas to us.

Except there’s no dough. Or tomato sauce.

It’s miles better.

You’ve most likely come across this street scene: a bunch of people crowded around a street vendor, picking out skewers from a bubbling hot red broth. Others are standing around munching on their bounty with a look of ecstasy on their faces. Passers-by, drawn by the sight or smells or possibly even the pheromones of the people in ecstasy, join the crowd. You wonder, what all this is?

Most likely it’s because of the number of choices you get. Shrimp, fish balls, tofu, bean curd, lotus root, mushrooms, chicken, beef tendon, noodles, and much more get cooked in a pot of steaming broth laced with Sichuan peppers and sesame oil. Once faced with a plate or foil container, it’s time to make your selection, either blindly or informed, by asking nicely and trying to remember if there’s a chapter on animal parts in your phrasebook. Regardless of all that, everything is cooked through and more often than not, delicious. At 1RMB or 0.5RMB (Half a Yuan) per skewer, you can have a light snack for 3RMB or stuff yourself for 10RMB.

My favourite place to eat Malatang is:

Jing’anli Restaurant.

 – Unfortunately, Malatang is best served off the streets and any stalls which do sell it are pretty rare. Don’t despair! Try this amazing hole in the wall for any type of meat including the delightful Malatang.

Jing’anli                                                静安庄

Zuojiazhuang East Road                 左家庄东街

Chaoyang District                                 朝阳区

Beijing                                                      北京

*If travelling by Taxi, make sure that you print out that address and show it to your driver.

Bus

Take the 367 bus which takes you to Jinganzhuang (静安庄). Then continue going down the road (In the direction that the bus is going). Once you pass the parking lot, turn left onto Zuojiazhuang East Road (左家庄东街).

Subway

Take Subway Line 13 to Liufang Station (柳芳站).

After that, exit and walk up the road towards 21^st Century Real Estate. Turn right onto Liufang North Street (柳芳北街).

Keep walking down the road until you see the turning for Zuojiazhuang East Road. ( 左家庄东街). Turn onto the road and walk for a bit until you see Jing’anli (静安庄).

Make sure that you follow this series for more scrumptious and authentic Beijing Street Food!

Any questions, just drop a line!