Mianjin
Northwest Cuisine is a major branch of Chinese cooking. It’s famous for its flair with flour. Mianjin (wheat gluten) is a great introdution to Dongbei cuisine. It’s best served al dente with steamed cold noodles, splashed with vinegar and sesame oil and topped with sliced vegetables, sesame seeds, chillis and parsley. RMB 28 at Xibei Xibeicai.
Mung bean and Black Pearl Tapioca Shaved Ice
This delicious Taiwanese-style dessert contains lotus seeds, mung beans, taro, and black pearl tapioca over shaved ice. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine the ingredients can help eliminate “excessive internal heat”. RMB 26 at Xianyuxian.
Full English Breakfast
Vineyard Café’s Full English Breakfast adheres to the old saying “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a merchant, and dinner like a pauper.” For RMB 84, you get two homemade sausages, two bacon rashers, home fries, grilled tomato, mushrooms and an egg of your choice (fried, scrambled, or poached). The breakfast is accompanied with tea (Earl Grey or English Breakfast) or coffee.
Asparagus, Onion and Tomato Pasta
It may sound like a bakery, but Beiluo Bread Bar is fast becoming known for its selection of simple but appetizing pastas. This asparagus, onion and tomato variety (RMB 50) finds the perfect balance between moistness and crunch. Best of all, the pasta is made fresh onsite, and tastes like it too.
These dishes were tried-and-trued by Sijia Chen, Dana Cosio-Mercado, Oscar Holland, and Aisling O’Brien. Want to take a bite for yourself? See Directories for restaurant listings. Got a suggestion? Send a photo and a description to editor@beijing-kids.com.
This article originally appeared on p29 of the beijingkids October 2013 issue.
Check out the PDF version online at Issuu.com