Eating Beijing

The Hidden Tree

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Restaurant | "Not Really Worth Finding"

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As a bar, I have always found the Hidden Tree to be deeply, deeply over-rated. Guide books and local expats all wax lyrical about its selection of imported beers and hand made pizzas. However, despite visiting several times, I could never quite see it. Every visit would seem to follow the same pattern. My friends would ask me there. I would refuse. They would push and push, and finally I would relent, hoping that maybe I missed some indefinable factor that made the Tree great. Every time I would be disappointed.Looking simply at the food, the Tree is not that bad. Or, to be more precise, the pizza is pretty good. There is a great variety and it comes oven baked on a delicious thin and cris...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on June 11, 2010

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The Den

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Attraction | "Cause and Effect in the Den"

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Rarely in life are the causes and cures of a problem so closely linked as they are at the Den on Gongti Bei Lu in Beijing. To explain my opening comment, let me set the scene. It is Sunday morning in Beijing and I am suffering from a hangover. The reason behind my throbbing head and churning stomach was the previous evening I had spent at the Den. From 5pm unitl 10pm it is happy hour and glasses of frosty Qingdao come in at a very reasonable 12rmb. Such value for money, coupled with four big screen TVs showing international sport and a crowd of sociable expats ensured that I would almost never be there for just one or two beers.So, fast forward to the next morning. I am feeling delicate. S...Read More

Rarely in life are the causes and cures of a problem so closely linked as they are at the Den on Gongti Bei Lu in Beijing. To explain my opening comment, let me set the scene. It is Sunday morning in Beijing and I am suffering from a hangover. The reason behind my throbbing head and churning stomach was the previous evening I had spent at the Den. From 5pm unitl 10pm it is happy hour and glasses of frosty Qingdao come in at a very reasonable 12rmb. Such value for money, coupled with four big screen TVs showing international sport and a crowd of sociable expats ensured that I would almost never be there for just one or two beers.

So, fast forward to the next morning. I am feeling delicate. Sadly, as wonderful as Chinese food can be, it is sorely lacking in filling breakfast options – dumplings or steamed buns really do not hit the spot. Therefore, more often than not, I would see no other alternative than to return to the scene of the crime to enjoy breakfast (usually at a time more synonymous with lunch) and to ease into the day with yet more televised sport.

Even though it is primarily a bar, the food at the Den is fantastic. There is absolutely nothing on the menu that is particularly adventurous or daring, but it delivers with several high-quality western favourites aimed at the Beijing expat crowd. Both the British and American breakfasts are excellent and come served on a hot plate. They feature good quality bacon and sausage, and are served with a drink. For those looking for something a little healthier, there is a great variety of salads, all served with a choice of dressing. The pizza is also great. It is thin, crisp and served with just the right amount of sauce – often a major issue in China.

As wonderful as all those dishes were, I would always gravitate to my own personal favourite, the steak and kidney pie. Not only would this sort out even the most rampaging of hangovers, it was also a great cure for homesickness. Whenever I was missing the UK, it would send me back home, in spirit at least.

The Den is situated around 100m from Yashow clothing market on Gongti Bei Lu close to Sanliturn Lu. Meals range from 25 to 50 rmb, which is very reasonable by Beijing standards. Tsingtao beer is also well-priced. However, a diet coke will set you back 20rmb.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 11, 2010

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Old Beijing Noodle King

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Restaurant | "Touristy, but Great"

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The Beijing Noodle King is unabashedly and unashamedly dedicated to the tourist market. It is certainly not the type of place you would find too many local Beijingers dropping by for lunch - you would not even find too many local expats in their either. However, if you can get past this, the food on offer and the atmosphere in which to enjoy it are first rate.The Noodle King is situated at the northeast corner of the Temple of Heaven, about 100m from the north gate and 50m from the Pearl Market. This particular locale is one of the main reasons it is so popular with tourists. Many sightseers, myself included, combine a trip to the Temple of Heaven with lunch at the Noodle King - this is ce...Read More

The Beijing Noodle King is unabashedly and unashamedly dedicated to the tourist market. It is certainly not the type of place you would find too many local Beijingers dropping by for lunch - you would not even find too many local expats in their either. However, if you can get past this, the food on offer and the atmosphere in which to enjoy it are first rate.

The Noodle King is situated at the northeast corner of the Temple of Heaven, about 100m from the north gate and 50m from the Pearl Market. This particular locale is one of the main reasons it is so popular with tourists. Many sightseers, myself included, combine a trip to the Temple of Heaven with lunch at the Noodle King - this is certainly no bad way to pass an afternoon if you ask me.

As you might expect from a restaurant aimed predominantly at tourists, the majority of the menu at the Noodle King is taken up by standard Chinese favorites - Beijing Duck, Sweet and Sour Pork, Kung Pa Chicken. The Kung Pao and the Sweet and Sour will certainly not offer anything new, but they are executed to perfection and are truly delicious. The Pork in Beijing Style Sauce is also good and adds a little local flavour to the menu. There are also two or three very good duck dishes and the Beef with Black Bean Sauce is also excellent.

Even though some of the other dishes are truly fantastic, as the restaurant's name suggests, the main attraction is the noodles. There are several varieties, but the house special are the best known and most delicious. These come served alone in a large white bowl. Circling that bowl are lots of smaller bowls containing, sauces and chopped vegetables. The waiter dumps these in into the noodles in quick succession to create a tasty mix. At just 8rmb per bowl these are excellent value and are almost enough to form a meal in themselves.

The Noodle King certainly caters to the tourist dollar with the food it puts on the menu - you could quite easily be at your local Chinese restaurant at home. It also does the same with the decor and atmosphere. The dining room is set out in traditional style with low dark wood tables and simple benches. The walls are covered in calligraphy and traditional art. The staff too fit into this image. Not only are they dressed in the style of imperial servants, but they also announce the arrival of new diners by shouting out across the room, which creates a fantastically welcoming feel.

The Noodle King is a fantastic place to eat. Dinner is less than 100rmb and it can easily be combined with a trip to the Temple of Heaven. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 21, 2010

Old Beijing Noodle King
Chongwei Ji
Beijing, China
+86 6705 6705

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Tian Hai Can Ting

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Restaurant | "Fighting the Developers"

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Over the course of my four year stay in China, my thoughts on the raison d'etre of Tian Hai Can Ting fluctuated dramatically. However, one thing that never changed was my love of the food, the ambiance and the setting.On my first trip to China, when I arrived with my over-sized backpack, sweaty hiking boots and my copy of the comically inaccurate Lonely Planet guide, I saw Tian Hai as a deeply authentic Chinese dining experience. After, I had taken up residence in China, I began to see that much of this 'authenticity' and 'tradition' - such as faux imperial art and faux 1930s posters - were simply ways of attracting tourists. By the time I was ready to leave China, my view had changed agai...Read More

Over the course of my four year stay in China, my thoughts on the raison d'etre of Tian Hai Can Ting fluctuated dramatically. However, one thing that never changed was my love of the food, the ambiance and the setting.

On my first trip to China, when I arrived with my over-sized backpack, sweaty hiking boots and my copy of the comically inaccurate Lonely Planet guide, I saw Tian Hai as a deeply authentic Chinese dining experience. After, I had taken up residence in China, I began to see that much of this 'authenticity' and 'tradition' - such as faux imperial art and faux 1930s posters - were simply ways of attracting tourists. By the time I was ready to leave China, my view had changed again. I was still under no illusion that Tian Hai represented an authentic taste of Beijing - its Lonely Planet write-up pasted on the door and the shop selling pirate DVDs next door certainly suggested it was no beacon of tradition. However, I began to understand that Tian Hai was the type of small business that was being swallowed up by Beijing's vast pre and post Olympic modernization. And, for that reason alone, was something to treasure. Although, its food was pretty good too.

Tian Hai is situated in a hutong just a few hundred meters from Tiananmen Square. Because of this, it is in prime tourist country. In the past five years, the whole area has undergone some sweeping changes. Huge tracts of old buildings have disappeared to be replaced by modern shops and hotels. Tian Hai has survived because it was a tremendously popular haunt, but much of the surrounding area was disappearing or changing. The owner of Tian Hai was clearly intimately aware of the perilous situation with which his business was faced. As a consequence the walls of the restaurant were plastered with scores of black and white photos - all taken by him - of life in the disappearing hutongs. On more than one occasion after my friends and I offered him a glass of bai joiu, he would embark on an impassioned argument as to why the modernization of Beijing was wrong and why the hutongs and local businesses should be left alone.

I was no expert on the whys and wherefores of Beijing's modernization, process. However, I was 100% sure that the food at Tian Hai was fantastic. For this reason, almost every visitor who came to see me in China was dragged there - all of them left astounded and satisfied. The menu offers most standard Chinese favourites - Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork etc. However, it also includes some fantastic other options. Chief amongst these is the fried rice, which comes served in a small barrel and is topped by a fried egg. Diners pierce the egg with their chopsticks and allow the yolk to drain down into the rice below.

Dinner for a group of three or four at Tian Hai rarely comes to much over 100rmb. It is certainly worth checking out just for the food and cheap beer - 2rmb a bottle!. However, the photography of the disappearing hutong areas is also very much worth seeing, as is the Hutong on which Tian Hai is situated. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 21, 2010

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Traktor Pushkin

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Restaurant | "Seriously Heavy Cuisine"

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Traktor Pushkin has long been a favourite of those keen on inducing a serious heart condition at an early age. The Russian restaurant on Dongzhimen Nai is renowned by most expats for some of its hearty, artery clogging fare. However, it is also well known for delivering a great meal at very good value.The menu at Traktor features plenty of what you might consider 'traditional' Russian dishes. There is lots of cabbage on offer and plenty of borsch. Yet, in other parts, the menu is also surprisingly flavorful. The most surprising example of this was the duck in fruit sauce, which was truly delightful - two or three of the soups and fish dishes are also similarly delicate and worth investigat...Read More

Traktor Pushkin has long been a favourite of those keen on inducing a serious heart condition at an early age. The Russian restaurant on Dongzhimen Nai is renowned by most expats for some of its hearty, artery clogging fare. However, it is also well known for delivering a great meal at very good value.

The menu at Traktor features plenty of what you might consider 'traditional' Russian dishes. There is lots of cabbage on offer and plenty of borsch. Yet, in other parts, the menu is also surprisingly flavorful. The most surprising example of this was the duck in fruit sauce, which was truly delightful - two or three of the soups and fish dishes are also similarly delicate and worth investigating.

Despite some of the surprising nuance on the menu, it was not the soft flavors of the duck or the intriguing blends of vegetable soup that caused me to return to Traktor countless times during my four years in China. Rather, it was Traktor's its powerful dishes. Chief amongst these was the steak wrapped in Bacon. Naturally, no dish with such ingredients could be described as being remotely healthy, but it was truly stunning, brimming with rich flavors. I would usually accompany this with some of the exceptional side offerings, the majority of which were either potato or dumpling themed. These included beef dumplings served in a wonderful milky sauce and potatoes stuffed with mince and cheese, one of which was usually always enough to leave me stuffed and to cause me to worry about my heart giving up under the strain.

Whilst the food at Traktor is fantastic, it is also famous for the beverages on offer as well. There is, of course, plenty of vodka available. However, the selection of beers is also first class. At one end of the scale, there is Yanjing - a major Chinese brand - which comes in at a very reasonable 10rmb for 0.5l. There is also a good variety of Russian beers, including two or three varieties of the surprisingly good Baltika. Then, at the top of the scale, there are three beers that are brewed in house.

A trip to Traktor Pushkin is rarely a disappointment. The food is good and the atmosphere is always lively. A typical meal would come in at around 100rmb per person. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 21, 2010

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