Moms juggle numerous responsibilities, and finding a balance between socializing with friends and catering to their children’s needs can be a challenge. Now, imagine a place where moms can gather to enjoy drinks and conversation while their children are entertained in a safe, dedicated play area. These (well-thought-out) restaurants provide a haven for parents to connect, unwind, and share experiences, all while knowing that their kids are being entertained in a safe and enjoyable environment. Basically, they’re the kid-friendly girls’ night out restaurants in the city.

So, where can you find such a place? Check out our recommendations:

Haidilao

They’re not going to have the greatest selection of drinks, but the food is delicious, and like with everything else that the restaurant chain offers, their kids’ room goes above and beyond with teacher-led activities and even an iPad provided for parents so they can watch their kids while they eat. Haidilao mainly offers beer and baijiu on their menu, but they do allow diners to bring in outside drinks.

It’s worth noting that the kids’ room isn’t open 24 hours like their restaurants. Each location may have their own operating time, so it’s best to call in advance.

Click here to read more about why parents love Haidilao.

FEAST at EAST Hotel

They’ve got the crème de la crème of free kids play areas in town. The restaurant renovated its entire private dining room and turned it into the coolest play area that is filled with ball pits, slides, swings, climbing things, and toys.

Prices (all include free-flow drinks):
Weekday lunch (Mon-Fri) for RMB 248
Weekday dinner (Mon-Thu) for RMB 268
Weekend brunch (Sat-Sun) RMB 398|
Weekend dinner (Fri-Sun) RMB 328
*free for kids aged 6 and under; half price for kids aged 7-12

FEAST is a semi-buffet, which means your starters, desserts, and drinks are laid out buffet style and you order your main course a-la-carte. Personally, by the time your main course comes, you’re probably going to be full, so the FEAST team will pack it (*ahem* your perfect hangover food) for you to take home for an additional RMB 60.

Find it:
2/F, EAST Beijing, 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥路22号东隅北京酒店2层
Tel: 8414 9820

The Rug at Chaoyang Park

I’ll be frank, it’s not the nicest play room, but it’s big. There’s a climbing wall and a few toys that kids can play with while you enjoy some wines, cocktails, and tasty dishes. We end up going to The Rug time and time again because of the comfort food and laid-back vibe. And even though the play room is pretty much the bare minimum, it does have enough things to keep toddlers busy while you sit down and enjoy a few hours with your girlfriends.

Find it:
Bldg 4, Lishui Jiayuan, Chaoyang Gongyuan Nanlu (opposite South Gate of Chaoyang Park), Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳公园南路丽水嘉园4号楼(朝阳公园南门对面)
Tel: 131 6174 2511

Looking for more restaurants with play areas? Add TBJHelper to join the jingkids FamFriendlyEats WeChat group and get first-hand feedback from other parents in Beijing.

Images: Romee

Rather than preparing a Christmas feast ourselves, many of us may have already made plans to dine at restaurants with friends and family. There’s no shame in sitting down at a restaurant on the holidays, but we don’t want to risk getting as red as Rudolf’s nose because we can’t order a single item off the menu! So to help you to order whatever you want with ease this holiday, here are some words and phrases for all your dining needs.

Food 食物 Shíwù

Vegetables 蔬菜 Shūcài

– Cabbage 白菜 Báicài
– Scallion/Green onion 葱 Cōng
– Onion 洋葱 Yángcōng
– Celery 芹菜 Qíncài
– Coriander 香菜 Xiāngcài
– Bamboo shoot 笋 Sǔn
– Mushroom 蘑菇 Mógū
– Tomato 西红柿/番茄 Xīhóngshì/ Fān qié
– Potato 土豆 Tǔdòu
– Corn 玉米 Yùmǐ
– Eggplant 茄子 Qiézi
– Cucumber 黄瓜 Huángguā
– Bean sprout 豆芽 Dòuyá
– Spinach 菠菜 Bōcài

Meat 肉 Ròu

– Pork 猪肉 Zhūròu
– Beef 牛肉 Niúròu
– Chicken 鸡肉 Jīròu
– Lamb 羊肉 Yángròu
– Ribs 排骨 Páigǔ
– Pork belly 五花肉 Wǔhuāròu
– Steak 牛排 Niúpái

Seafood 海鲜 Haixian

– Crab 螃蟹 Páng xiè
– Shrimp 虾 Xiā
– Fish 鱼 Yú
– Lobster 龙虾 Lobster
– Spicy Crawfish 麻辣小龙虾 Má là xiǎo lóng xiā

READ MORE: Mandarin Monday: Don’t Let a Menu Get Between You and Your Seafood

Famous Regional Dishes 有名的地方菜 Yǒumíng de dìfāngcài

– Peking duck 北京烤鸭 Beijing kǎoyā
– Shanghai small steamed buns 上海小笼包 Shànghǎi xiǎolóng bāo
– Xi’an hamburger 西安肉夹馍 Xī’ān ròujiámó
– Sichuan hotpot 四川火锅 Sìchuān huǒguō
– Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles 兰州拉面 Lánzhōu lāmiàn
– Hangzhou braised pork belly 杭州东坡肉 Hángzhōu dōng pō ròu
– Changsha-style stinky tofu 长沙臭豆腐 Chǎngshā chòu dòufu

READ MORE: Festive Feasting: Pamper The Family with These Christmas Dining Offers

Drinking 饮品 Yǐnpǐn

– Tea 茶 Chá
READ MORE: Mandarin Monday: Knowing the Types of Chinese Tea
READ MORE: Hold That Tea Bag! What You Need to Know Before Brewing Another Pot

– Red wine 红酒 Hóng pútáojiǔ
– White wine 白葡萄酒 Bái pútáojiǔ
– Beer 啤酒 Píjiǔ
– Juice 果汁 Guǒzhī
– Ice water 冰水 Bīngshuǐ
– Coca-Cola 可乐 Kělè
– Herbal tea 王老吉 Wánglǎojí

Phrases

Hi, what do you want to order?
你好，请问你要点什么？ Nǐhǎo，qǐngwèn nǐ xiǎng diǎn shénme？

I’d like to have __.
我想要__。 Wǒ xiǎngyào__.

Hi waiter, I’m a vegetarian, can you recommend some vegan food to me?
你好，服务员， 我是素食主义者，请问你能推荐我一些素食菜给我吗？ Nǐhǎo fúwùyuán, wǒshì sùshízhǔyìzhě, qǐngwèn nǐneng tuījiàn yìxiē sùshícài gěiwǒ ma?

I really like to eat steak!
我很喜欢吃牛排! Wǒ hěn xǐhuan chī niúpái!

Photos: Pixabay.com

Is it really that big of a deal to let your child have a sip of alcohol during the holidays?

For the record, drinking age in China is 18 years old, but I’ve yet to see a single restaurant card their younger-looking customers, and videos of small children doing beer and cigarette runs for their dad have been circulating on video streaming sites for years now.

I’m from California, and while the legal drinking age in the US is 21, my mom, along with my friends’ parents, were all pretty lenient about us having a drink with dinner and even having parties with alcohol in high school. I think their logic was sound. “They’re high school kids and they’re going to drink anyway. Might as well let them do it with us around so we know they’re safe.” Making alcohol available to us took away the thrill that we were doing something taboo. It made it unnecessary to own a fake ID and it allowed us to know our own limits before jetting off to college.

We never had to throw parties behind our parents’ backs. Every party, no matter how crazy it got, always had an adult present who stayed out of our way but was available if anything happened.

My fellow Southern Californian beijingkids editor Drew Pittock had a different experience growing up. His parents didn’t allow him to drink a single drop of alcohol at home before he was 21, but when they were on vacation in other countries where the drinking age is 18, he’d be allowed to drink alcohol. It wasn’t a matter of health and safety, it was a matter of legality.

So what’s Beijing parents’ take on letting their kids have a sip during the holidays?

According to Zeus Zou, a Beijing native, he grew up having small sips of beer and wine at family dinners along with the occasion sips of baijiu when he still in his teens, especially around the holidays. “None of us are alcoholics or even that into drinking. It’s just the family culture that everyone gets a drink around the holidays and during family reunions, ” says Zou.

It’s not uncommon for Chinese parents, especially the dads, to give their sons as young as 8 or 9 years old sips of baijiu or beer in front of other adults. I’ve also seen dads proudly tell other dinner guests that his 8-year-old son likes the taste of beer as if it was a rite of passage to manhood.

Not all parents in Beijing agree though.

“The evidence is there for all to see: drinking while your brain is developing, as a child, through your teens and even in your early twenties, has been shown to cause permanent damage to the still-developing brain.” Juliet London tells beijingkids. London is a mother of two, ages 17 and 20. “Most of my friends think I’m being ridiculous when I say we should expect our children not to drink, but I strongly believe that our children are most likely to conform to our expectations. While we don’t want them to drink, if we expect them to, then, guess what? They are likely to drink. I don’t not let my children. Instead, I take an informed consent approach. I have given my children as much information as possible about the reasons they should delay drinking alcohol. I have never banned it. But equally, I have not encouraged them to drink at home with the belief that ‘A little bit can’t do them any harm.’ It definitely can do them harm. Research shows it. We try to keep the channels open. I’m aware that my children have drunk alcohol and of course occasionally continue to do so and are open about it. I would never punish them for this. If there is ever a problem, either for them personally or their friends, that they know they can tell me about it. Indeed, even at their tender ages, they tell me they are concerned about friends who they know are drinking alcohol in an unhealthy way – they come from all kinds of backgrounds, from the most abstemious to the most lenient.”

Alan Wong, founder and owner of the Hatsune Group and father of two, is a regular on the Beijing and Shanghai food and beverage scene. He sees it differently. He gave his son his first taste of wine at just 3 months. “I wanted to see his reaction,” Wong tells beijingkids. “For me, it’s the same thing as parents putting lemons or wasabi in kid’s mouths.” His son Mason is now 10 years old and still takes sips of dad’s wine at dinners. According to Wong, Mason has an impressively refined wine palette. His younger son Ryder is 7 years old and prefers a different beverage. Unlike his brother, Ryder likes the taste of beer. When we asked if Wong is worried that he’ll get in trouble with other parents, “I don’t care, I’m in the restaurant business, they’re gonna drink…”

Similarly, food and beverage professional, owner and founder of TRB Hospitality Group Ignace Lecleir is known for treating his kids like young adults. “I’m from Europe. My grandfather gave me sips of wine from when I was 8 years old. By 10 years old, having a glass of diluted wine with water on the weekends was pretty standard.” Lecleir tells beijingkids. “For me, it’s not a real issue to introduce kids to the different flavors of alcohol. I personally feel that when it’s a taboo, it becomes more exciting for kids to break the rules. When my daughter Paris turned 16 years old she expressed a strong interest in having some cocktails so we went to Janes and Hooch and had 2 cocktails. She enjoyed them, and got sick on the way home. She has been having an occasional drink ever since. She’s not 18 years old and has a very healthy, responsible relationship with alcohol.”

POLL:
Share with us your thoughts and scan the QR code to vote!

Is it OK for underage kids to drink alcohol?

Yes. Why not?
No. Absolutely not!
I’d rather not know what my kid is doing.
It’s only OK if I’m around.
It’s only OK around the holiday season.

Photos: giphy, unsplash, Alan Wang

A melodramatic Wall Street Journal article about a young Beijing expatriate’s month-long stint in a Beijing jail serves as a reminder to all of us to never forget that just because you are a foreigner doesn’t mean the local justice system can’t ensnare you.

In the article, Noak Jonsson, an 18-year-old Swedish student who was studying Mandarin at Peking University, appears to have been trying to stop a bar fight.

The incident outside an unnamed Haidian District club allegedly occurred a year ago last November after another expat Jonsson was partying with accused the club’s coat check crew of stealing her purse. According to the WSJ, the purse was returned the next morning.

"Outside the club, the argument continued. It came briefly to blows; a bystander who had jumped into the fray was bleeding and complained his nose was broken.

"Noak, who says he didn’t hit anyone, found himself in a police car," WSJ reported, which noted earlier in the story that all involved (except perhaps the coat check staff) had been drinking prior to the incident.

Jonsson spent a month in a jail, and then almost a year without his passport in Beijing before the charges were finally dismissed and he was allowed to return to Sweden, having already missed the enrollment deadline to study at prestigious Uppsala University.

Make no mistake, this particular expat was not singled out for poor treatment in the Chinese justice system – it’s more like par for the course, with the kid being treated much in the same way as a Chinese citizen would have been.

We don’t presume innocence or guilt in this case, but we can recommend the following common-sense guidelines for those who party in Beijing bars and clubs:

1. Drink in moderation when visiting local bars. Being sober is a great way to stay out of trouble.

2. Being a foreigner is not a "get out of jail free" card. A lot of expats tend to act as if the police will find it inconvenient to deal with a foreigner and just send them on their way if they are involved in something like a fight. This is not the case.

3. Don’t be a vigilante. Getting involved to mediate a fight is not in your personal best interest, as oftentimes all parties are rounded up regardless of who is at fault. We like to point out how sad it is that people here tend to look the other way and not lend a hand when public disturbances occur, but there seems to be a reason why this is the local custom.

4. Guanxi is a real thing in China, and as a foreigner, you are a lot less likely to have it than someone born and raised here.

5. Use caution when checking coats or other personal items, and don’t check purses, phones, or other expensive items. It’s too easy for things to disappear in there, be it by intention or by accident.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on March 7, 2015

Photo: Universia