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by Sun Snubximus
Beijing, China
July 21, 2005
The first thing you'll appreciate is the bilingual menu. It clearly identifies the dish according to what's in it rather than the abstract translation of some Chinese name (example: ants climbing up a tree). Also, they have a spicy rating of 1 to 5 next to it. Since this restaurant focuses on the spicy fusion Sichuan food, it is a good guide for the less adventurous. The menu also has a smiley face system next to every dish to indicate if they are foreigner-friendly. (Imagine the horror seeing chicken feet in a harmless-sounding dish called Phoenix Claws in Hong Kong.)
Since one of the bosses is an Englishman who has been living in Beijing for over 5 years, he frequently updates the menu with creative Western-style cooking with local flavors (like spicy gong bao chicken cubes flavored pizza) and prepares the dishes to better fit the tastes of Westerners. Oh, and do try the local beer if the food gets too spicy for you. It is a surprisingly good combination.
You can call the restaurant staff to tell the taxi driver the location of the restaurant. They are able to speak some English.
From journal A One Week Trip to Beijing that Lasted 3 Years