A Chef's Chopstick Challenge {Beijing Street Food} #Part 3

A Chef's Chopstick Challenge {Beijing Street Food} #Part 3 Read Post

Frugal Feast

A Chef's Chopstick Challenge {Beijing Street Food} #Part 3

Snacks!

It’s snack time, and where else would you rather be than in Beijing where anything from candied fruits, cakes and desserts to dumplings, BBQ meats and crab are considered as snacks! You can even still find a lot of the listed breakfast foods available throughout the day if you look far enough.

Here are some of my much-loved Beijing bites:



1.  Tang Hu Lu (糖葫芦)



Tang Hu Lu (candied fruit on-a-stick) Is a loved by everyone and anyone in Beijing. Widely sold is the original recipe of frozen hawthorns skewered onto a chopstick, dipped in sugar syrup and left to solidify to form what resembles a candied apple – only much tastier.

Types of fruits and toppings vary from vendor to vendor – sesame seeds and roasted nuts

could be added to the luscious caramel mixture as well as different fruits like kiwis, oranges and plums used as the base. Make sure that you stop by at one of the many vendors around Beijing. – You can surely find them around many of the tourist attractions.

The range of brightly coloured fruits, when cooked just right, will be shiny and crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

Eating your way through one of these is surely a hassle as the sugar relentlessly sticks over your molars but be assured that this tasty treat is addictive. You’ll find yourself going back for more whether it’s because of the taste or the bargain which they are at only 5RMB a stick.

Visit Wangfujing Snack Market to find this snack as well as the one that I'm about to mention below.

Address

Wangfujing Street                             王府井大

Dongcheng  District                              东城区

Beijing                                                    北京

*If taking a taxi, make sure that you print this address in Chinese and hand it to the driver.

Subway 

Take Subway Line 1 to Wangfujing  Station (王府井站)and exit from Exit A.

Once you’re out of the station, walk directly up the road directly in front of the station. Once you reach the triple intersection, turn left and you’ll see the big walkway marking the Wangfujing Snack Market.

-       At the sight of people munching on the delicacies, you’ll know you’re going the right way!

Bus

Take either bus 103 | 104 | 201 | 211 | 420 | 2 | 11 towards Wangfujing (王府井) and get off at Wangfujing North Intersection (王府井路口北).

Then walk up the road until you reach the triple intersection, turn left and you’ll see the big walkway marking the Wangfujing Snack Market.

2. Beijing Yoghurt Drink (老北京)

What’s inside these ceramic pots which you’ll see frequently around Beijing?

Fresh, lightly sweetened yoghurt! And some of the best yoghurt that foreigners have said they’ve ever tasted! This sweet but refreshing snack contains all of the goodness yoghurt is said to contain as well as an unexpected sweetness that blows you away. Choices range from a warm, room temperature pot to a chilled, slightly refrigerated one – the Chinese don’t believe in very cold drinks. But all of them still retain the same flavour that’ll make you sigh in delight after a long day of sight-seeing.

At 2RMB a pot if you drink it on the spot or only 3RMB if you take it away, this treat isn’t very hard to find. They’re normally around every famous attraction so try looking around for one of the blue crates and you won’t be too far away.

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

Any questions, just drop a line!

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

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

Frugal Feast

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!

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

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

Frugal Feast

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!

Read More