Looking for family-friendly restaurants and fun, non-touristy places around China to visit? Tired of getting cat-fished by stunning faked photos and reviews? Then it’s time for you to follow the jingkids International account on Dianping – China’s version of Yelp/Tripadvisor and a must-have app for getting the most out of your stay in the country. It’s where you’ll find our honest, no-holds-barred English reviews of all the hidden gems around Beijing and beyond.

Over the weekend, my family enjoyed a leisurely Saturday by watching the latest instalment in the Planet of the Apes film franchise – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – at Joy City Chaoyang. After that, we were headed over to our usual haunt for tasty Mexican food at Moji (full review on Dianping) when we came across a relatively new place – Sushi Atatakai. The chance discovery turned into what is probably our favorite Japanese casual in-mall dining experience in our time in Beijing in five years! Read our full review with pictures and videos on Dianping below.

Earlier this year for a rare date night occasion, my husband and I were treated to an incredibly romantic time by the good people who manage Fukumimi and Beyond Yakitori. Unlike the previous two Japanese-themed restaurants, La Copa is – you guessed it – based on Spanish cuisine. We had a wonderful time in the intimate reservations-only restaurant with attentive service, strong drinks and tasty tapas. Read the full review on our Dianping account.

With Mother’s Day just past, I was reminded of one of my favorite “li’l bit fancy” brunches at The Orchard out in the neighbour that’s right on the cusp of Chaoyang/Shunyi. It’s the perfect place for little ones who will enjoy the breezy walk around the pretty orchard after eating their fill at the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet. The full review is available here.

If you’re seeking more ways to enjoy the wonderful weather outdoors, look no further than Shenglu Vineyard. This beautiful campground/outdoor playground is possibly my favorite place in all of Beijing to bring my whole family (fur kid included) for a day of lazing around soaking up the sun.

Choose to rent their glamping tents, bring your own to set up at their grounds (RMB 100), or, as I’ve recently discovered, just bring camping chairs to avoid the campground fee altogether! They’ve got food trucks offering all sorts of goodies, from one of the best fresh fruit yogurt bowls I’ve had in the city to BBQ chuan’r and, most recently, Schindler’s sausages and frankfurters! With the warming weather, you might also enjoy a little splash about on the Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP), which cost RMB 240 for an hour and are open to kids and adults alike. Read the full review and watch our video by scanning the QR code below!

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Images: Pexels, Vivienne Tseng-Rush

Living downtown, I don’t make it out to Shunyi much. So when the opportunity arose and my family was in the neighborhood for an event, we decided to make the most of the trip and check out a Shunyi-only restaurant. The name M.E.A.T By Ernest popped up, courtesy of TripAdvisor’s Best Steak Places list, where it is incredibly ranked 13 (Spoiler alert: don’t believe it). I verified the place on Dianping, where it has a 4.6 rating and rather rave reviews from locals, so off we went.

A two-hour car ride (both ways) and RMB 3,980 later, I wish I had never heard of the place.

Heads up: We knew heading into the restaurant that it was going to cost more than your average meal – we were celebrating a little – and we were prepared for five-star prices (RMB 68 for fresh-squeezed juice, RMB 188 for Caesar salad, RMB 1,888 for a 1kg USDA porterhouse…) as long as the food was five-star as well. Sadly, it was far from it.

The small-ish restaurant is located to the side of Tongli Market – where many a Rumble in the Jumble has taken place. The interior mimics most steakhouses – with an open kitchen concept and dry room that displays the meats, white tablecloths and low light. The atmosphere was nice enough, though a big turn-off about the restaurant is that it has no washrooms of its own and requires customers to walk through the building to get to a squatting public toilet which is one of the worst I’ve experienced in an urban building in Beijing. As I washed my hands, thankful they had running water, a man blew cigarette smoke in my face as he exited the men’s. Certainly, it’s not the restaurant’s fault for all this, but it did not help the experience.

Service at M.E.A.T was … inconsistent. One server stands out for being extremely prompt and helpful – rushing out into the cold to help us when he saw us dismounting from the car hauling our bicycle. However, the rest of the service staff needed a lot of prompting to even get them to fill our glasses and clear our plates, while the maître d’ for that evening was rather aloof and never once smiled or said a friendly word. He gave off an impatient vibe while we browsed the menu and wouldn’t repeat my order.

Even after all this, we would have been fine with the place if the food made it all worth it. But as you already know, it wasn’t. But let’s go into further detail. For starters, we tried the Brussel sprouts served with apple slices (RMB 138), which was a fun pairing, though the thoroughly blackened Brussel sprouts had too much vinaigrette for my and my child’s taste, and were a tad bitter due to being overcooked. The Canadian scallops with Beluga caviar (RMB 888) were decent, but the slightly fishy scallops would have been so much better if they were chilled and not served at room temperature.

My child wanted a burger (RMB 258) but had to settle for the fish and chips (RMB 898) because the burger was only available Mondays through Thursdays. The fries were overcooked, managing to be dry and oily at the same time. The Atlantic cod which we paid to fly first-class from France apparently, was tender and tasty, but not worth its price tag.

My husband and I decided to share a 400g Wagyu Ribeye steak (RMB 1,388), cooked medium rare (level 5 in Chinese terms). It was more done than we had requested, and far chewier than it should have been. We would have paid half the price for such a steak.

Dessert-wise, the homemade vanilla ice cream with house-made marmalade (RMB 58), which we ordered on the recommendation of the maître d’, was not even as good as store-bought Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream to be honest. My child enjoyed the crème brûlée (RMB 98), but a more discerning palette would tell you that it was subpar. What we did enjoy completely was the dulce de leche with Parmigiano Reggiano chips (RMB 98) – that classic sweet and salty mix really worked.

At the end of the day, the food at M.E.A.T by Ernest isn’t horrible – if you were paying a quarter of the price. But you’re not, and it just isn’t worth it. For about the same price, you could enjoy an absolutely amazing dinner at TRB Forbidden City, Iberico, or Morton’s Steakhouse instead.

You can trust our reviews on Dianping. We review parks, restaurants, kids’ playgrounds, and more to rate their family-friendliness! Follow jingkids International on the app by scanning the QR code below!

Images: Courtesy of Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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You probably know of Brotzeit Bier Bar & Restaurant that serves up authentic German cuisine and beer on tap, but did you know that the franchise chain actually started out of Singapore? I grew up seeing Brotzeit around in Singapore, though I never set foot in one until I was in my twenties and my colleagues wanted to drink while watching the Premier League game. That was my introduction to German food.

Imagine my delight when I saw a Brotzeit restaurant right here in Beijing! Located at the Grand Summit in Liangmaqiao, the restaurant offers a spacious outdoor patio to enjoy some sunshine, and loops popular sports channels indoors. Its interior seating uses the franchise’s signature wooden bench and table to offer a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

Now when you hear German food, you’ll probably thinking “pork knuckle” straightaway, and of course Brotzeit has a cracking good one. But, personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of pork knuckle. Instead, one of my and my child’s favorite things to eat at Brotzeit is the wiener schnitzel, otherwise known as the original veal escalope. The thinly cut meat is lightly breaded and cooked to golden perfection, and the touch of sweetness from the jam adds a lovely contrast to every bite. The chicken and pork versions are pretty much just as good too!

The classic cheese spätzle dish with fried onions is also another favorite. Think of it as a lighter version of mac and cheese, with the delicious crunch of French fried onions to offset the creamy cheesiness.

And last but not least, the sausages. Brotzeit offers a great variety of sausages, but after trying the platter to sample most of them, my kid’s top choices are the Thüringer and Nürnberger pork sausages.

If you want to try out Brotzeit some time, they offer a good bargain on their weekday lunch specials priced at RMB 88! Our recommendations from the lunch specials menu would be the cordon bleu, oven-baked meatballs, and smoked salmon with rösti.

For more reviews on the go, follow the jingkids International account on must-download local app Dazhong Dianping by simply scanning the QR code below!

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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