With dry, sub-zero winters, it’s no wonder that most Beijingers are hibernating these days. If you find yourself trapped indoors on these blustery nights, here’s a handy guide for ordering in. Whether you’re craving cuisine from China, India, Thailand, the US , Italy, or elsewhere, we’ve got you covered.
Jinshisong 锦食送
Type of cuisine: Chinese and International (American, Korean, Middle Eastern, and more)
Kid friendliness of food selection: Families can choose a wide variety of restaurants, from Chinese to Western cuisine.
Delivery zones: All districts of Beijing.
Delivery fee: Starts at RMB 15, but check their website – as many restaurants offer free delivery within 3km. Fees are dependent on distance of the restaurant to your destination. Also, note that the delivery service is currently based in the Sanlitun area.
Minimum order? There is a minimum order of RMB 68.
How to order: Online, choose a type of cuisine and then a restaurant. Next, select the desired dishes. Customers have the option of choosing from more than one restaurant. When checking out, fill in your name, number and address. Also, choose your area on the map to find out the delivery fee. After finalizing your order, a text message is sent to
your mobile and registered users can track their order via a GPS system on the website. A complimentary bottle of water and some fortune cookies come with each order.
Does the staff speak English? Yes
How user-friendly is the service? Ordering is straightforward and easy to do. If there are any problems with the order, call customer support, which has fluent English speakers.
Estimated time of delivery: Upward from 40-50 minutes. Registering online shortens delivery time.
Average price of a meal for a family of three: RMB 300-400. Cost varies depending on the chosen restaurant.
Accepts credit cards? No
Website: www.jinshisong.com
Customer support: 400 300 517
Hours of delivery: Daily 10.30am-10.30pm.
Daojia Meishi Hui 到家美食会
Type of cuisine: Chinese and International (Korean, Japanese, Italian and more)
Kid friendliness of food selection: There is a wide selection of food and when ordering, spiciness of the food can be selected.
Delivery zones: From the Second Ring Road to the Fourth Ring Road.
Delivery fee: RMB 6. There’s no delivery fee for orders of RMB 200 and more.
Minimum order? None
How to order: The website is only in Chinese. Choose the area where you live from their home page. A list of select restaurants closest to your home or office pops up. After selecting a restaurant, click on the menu items you would like to order. You can either order via telephone or their website.
Does the staff speak English? No, and the website is only in Chinese.
How user-friendly is the service? For food allergies, if you would like to know what’s in each dish, you have to ask the restaurant directly.
Estimated time of delivery: 45-50 minutes, but times may vary depending on distance from the restaurant.
Average price of a meal for a family of three: RMB 200
Accepts credit cards? No
Website: www.daojia.com.cn
Phone: 6608 0101
Hours of delivery: Daily 11am-2.30pm, 5-9.30pm.
Hours for ordering: Daily 9am-9pm.
Haidilao HILaosong 海底捞HI捞送
Type of cuisine: Chinese
Kid friendliness of food selection: An array of fresh vegetables, meats and more.
Delivery zones: Within 20 km of the Haidilao restaurants (including the following branches: Zizhuqiao, Baizhifang, Wangjing, Jingsong, Hongmiao, Mudanyuan, Fangzhuang, Wangfujing).
Delivery fee: Ranges from RMB 49-109, depending on distance.
Minimum order? There is a minimum order of RMB 238.
How to order: Ordering is available online or by phone. To order online, choose the city first, then the food. Next, fill in the address, and choose how far you are from one of the distribution spots, and click confirm. Both the website and hotline are Chinese-only.
Does the staff speak English? No
How user-friendly is the service? The service is great. Haidilao will bring everything from the pot to an electronic hotplate and extension cords. (These items
must be requested in advance.)
Estimated time of delivery: Around 90 minutes to 3 hours.
Average price of a meal for a family of three: RMB 250
Accepts credit cards? No
Website: www.4008107107.com (Chinese-only)
Phone: 4008 107 107 (Chinese-only)
Hours of delivery: Daily 11am-9pm.
Hours for ordering via hotline: Daily 8am-11pm.
KK Rabbit
Type of cuisine: Chinese and International (Indian, American, Italian, and more)
Kid friendliness of food selection: There’s lots to choose from, so even the pickiest eaters should find something they like. Most restaurants can adjust spice levels.
Delivery zones: They serve the areas near Guomao, Sanlitun, and Solana.
Delivery fee: RMB 15 for restaurants within 3km of your location and an extra RMB 7 for every kilometer after that. When you place an online order, KK Rabbit will contact you within 10 minutes to tell you the correct delivery fee (sometimes the website overestimates the fee).
Minimum delivery cost? None
How to order online: On the website, narrow down your selection by type of cuisine, region, or meal item. Then the site calculates the delivery time and total cost after you enter your address in pinyin. Next, type in your name, telephone number, address, and any special requests. Ordering online gets you one free drink (Sprite, Coke, or
water) from any restaurant.
How to order (other methods): Alternatively, you can order through their delivery hotline or live chat through MSN and Skype.
Does the staff speak English? The phone staff speaks English, but a lot of repetition and clarification was needed.
How user-friendly is the service? The website is easy to use. Users who plan on reusing the service should register online.
Estimated time of delivery: 30-50 minutes (on average).
Average price of a meal for a family of three: RMB 300-400. Cost varies depending on the chosen restaurant.
Accepts credit cards? No
Website: www.kkrabbit.com.cn
Phone: 400 720 1717
Hours of delivery: Delivery hours vary from restaurant to restaurant, but KK Rabbit’s hotline is available from 10.30am-10.30pm daily.
Sherpa’s
Type of cuisine: Chinese and International (American, Japanese, Mexican, Thai and more)
Kid friendliness of food selection: There is a wide selection of food and when ordering, spiciness of the food can be selected.
Delivery zones: Chaoyang District, Dongcheng District
Delivery fee: Starting at RMB 10-15. It increases if the distance is greater.
Minimum order? None, except Burger King and Subway, which require a RMB 50 minimum order.
How to order: Choose the destination by entering your street in pinyin. A list of select restaurants closest to your home or office pops up, along with their delivery service charge (starts at RMB 10). After selecting a restaurant, click on the menu items you would like to order. An email is sent with a summary of the bill, as well as the delivery time.
Does the staff speak English? Phone staff speaks English.
How user-friendly is the service? It’s fine, if you don’t need anything changed to your order last minute. Both the hotline and live chat service are in English. However, the live chat response can be slow.
Estimated time of delivery: 45 minutes (on average).
Average price of a meal for a family of three: RMB 300-400. Cost varies depending on the chosen restaurant.
Accepts credit cards? No
Website: www.sherpa.com.cn
Phone: 400-600-6209
Hours of delivery: Daily 10.30am-10.30pm. Closed during holidays, including Chinese New Year. Check their website for details.
Annie’s
Type of cuisine: Italian
Website: www.annies.com.cn/en
Phone: Contact your nearest Annie’s (See Directory for details).
Hours of delivery: Daily 11am-11pm.
Delivery zones: Chaoyang District
Gung Ho! Gourmet Pizza Factory
Type of cuisine: Pizza
Website: www.gunghopizza.com
Phone: 8587 1404/1370 (Sanlitun), 5135 8557 (Lido)
Hours of delivery: Daily 11am-11pm.
Delivery zones: Lido area, Sanlitun area and beyond (places within Line 5 subway to Chaoyang Park and Sanyuan Qiao to Jianguo Lu)
Element Fresh
Type of cuisine: American
Website: www.elementfresh.com
Phone: 6430 2170 delivery hotline
Hours of delivery: Daily 7am-10pm.
Delivery zones: Sanlitun area, Lido area
Green Bites Dumpling Bar
Type of cuisine: Chinese
Website: www.lvheziwaimai.com/en.html
Phone: 8590 0645/46, 8590 0475 (English hotline)
Hours of delivery: Daily 10.30am-8.30pm.
Delivery zones: Only within 3km of Sanlitun Soho. Free delivery for places near Sanlitun Soho; mimimum orders of RMB 50 for further destinations.
See Directory for complete listings and check online/contact the
restaurant for delivery details.
This article is excerpted from the beijingkids Jan/Feb 2012 issue. View it in PDF form here or contact distribution@beijing-kids.com to find out where you can pick up your free copy.