What could be better than a night off from the kitchen or a fantastic lunch with friends? How about eating well and giving back to the community at the same time? Between fundraising to educate girls in rural China, to providing jobs for the blind, these Beijing eateries have the heart to give back.

At a time when succeeding in business is harder than ever, these places find that satisfying diners’ desires for a great meal while serving the community is a recipe for success. So ditch the apron and head for one of these local restaurants. Eat a meal you can feel good about!

Miam Miam – Love is Blind

Bridget’s smile lights up her face when she talks about her job.

“Making juice is my favorite. I like making coffee too, but sometimes the cups are too hot,” said Bridget, who is visually impaired and has worked at Miam Miam for about three years.

“Bringing blind people into hospitality opens another opportunity for them,” said Managing Director of Groupe FLO Asia Jimmy Loh. He explained that Bridget works full-time, lives in a dormitory, and takes the bus to work.

“Hiring handicapped people is relatively new in China. You have to create an environment for success,” explained Loh, who installed a fully automatic coffee machine for Bridget to use. She has since graduated to a semi-automatic machine and dreams of becoming a barista one day.

In addition to hiring Bridget, Miam Miam partners financially with the non-profit Bethel China to support children with visual impairments by donating a portion of sales from three popular menu items.

“I tell my team to treat her like everyone else. She has the best attitude, and now my staff complains less and enjoys work more. They realize how blessed they are,” he said.

“Charity should be from the heart, not just a marketing gimmick,” said Loh. “Bridget is the glue that holds us together. She brings out the best in all of us.”

Address: 40, B1, Ground Floor, Fenghuanghui Shopping Center, 5, Shuguang Xilijia

曙光西里甲5号凤凰汇购物中心地下一层B1 40号

Hours: Daily, 10am-10pm

Phone: 8436 7501

Moka Bros – Eat Well, Feel Good

“Being involved in the community is part of our DNA.” –Anna Lin Yip

It’s easy for your taste buds to be satisfied after feasting on power bowls, salads, and wraps, but with four locations across Beijing, Moka Bros gives customers something else to warm our hearts. Their list of do-good deeds is as colorful and varied as their menu:

• Power Up smoothie sales benefit Smile Angel, a charity that helps kids with cleft palates regain their smiles.

• Wooden cutlery sales from takeout orders generate revenue for Roots & Shoots’ tree-planting project.

• A special Lanzhou Power Bowl provides schooling for girls in rural China.

• Even natural disasters have a silver lining. In the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Moka Bros donated half a day of income from all locations across China to disaster relief.

Now that’s something to smile about.

Address: Sanlitun, 1/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu

朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园1层

Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-10.30pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11.30pm

Phone: 5208 6079

Hulu by TRB – A Helping Hand

Being involved in the community has been the core value for Hulu since the beginning.

“Including my guests or being included in their charitable events allows me to have a deeper connection and better understanding of what our guests truly need,” said Ignace Lecleir, owner and founder of Hulu/TRB Hospitality Group.

Attend just about any citywide event and you’re likely to see Hulu’s presence, from WAB’s Winter Charity Bazaar benefitting Migrant Children’s Foundation to ChiFan for Charity, where Hulu/TRB donated this year’s grand raffle prize: a 12-course wine dinner for eight at TRB Forbidden City, valued at over RMB 20,000.

“I’m trying my best to cover as many topics and [have]as much diversity as possible,” said Lecleir, whose hospitality group has supported animal rescue, library projects, and Wild Women on the Wall (WWOTW), a group of women who raise money for charity through fitness endeavors.

“Ignace has been extremely generous,” says Désirée de Wit, Head of Fundraising for WWOTW. “He supported our spin-a-thon with canapés and cocktails and sponsored us with sparkling wine for our celebration at the end of our three-day run/hike on the Great Wall last year.”

“I personally enjoy giving back in any form. Knowing those in need are being helped and taken care of is a good feeling indeed,” Lecleir said.

Address: 3/F, Taikoo Li South, Sanlitun

朝阳区三里屯太古里南区三楼

Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight

WeChat: HuluBeijingOfficial / ilovehuluforever

Side Street – Showing the Love

This year’s Burger Cup Champion believes it’s just good karma to give back.

Side Street changes things up by letting patrons take over the kitchen twice a week. Chef Mannu cooks up Venezuelan Arepas on Saturdays, and Chef Hakan rolls out Turkish Pide on Thursdays.

“It’s a special thing. We’re offering something unique,” said Uday Phalgun, one of Side Street’s partners. “They have quite a following. It helps them out because they share in the revenue, and it brings us new customers.”

But it’s not just humans that get the love; Side Street has a big heart for furry friends. In July they hosted Pints for Pups, a fundraiser for Lost Puppies of Beijing which cares for rescue dogs. Feline companions have something to purr about thanks to Side Street’s “Cocktails for Cat Tails” events, which donate a portion of vegan burger and cocktail sales to cat welfare charities.

“These events are about giving back to the community, but since more people hear about us, it promotes our business too,” Phalgun said.

That’s a win win in our book – and stomachs.

Address: 113-02 Jiaodaokou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District

东城区交道口东大街113-02

Hours: 11.30am-late

WeChat: SideStreet街旁

KEEP READING: The Foster Fail Puppy: One Beijing Family Finds Value in Lost Puppies

Photos: Uni You, Moka Bros.

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 December issue

The Flo Group’s latest restaurant addition has a little bit of everything for everybody, making dining there as a family that much easier. The open space restaurant located on the sub-level 1 of Phoenix City Galleria is decorated like a foodie’s gaming paradise, with food challenges and foosball for anyone who wishes to partake in some friendly competition. The staff is friendly and laid-back, so if your kid is still at the age of uncontrollable occasional out-bursts at restaurants, nobody will mind.

Yoga-instructor-mom Angelina Liu and her two boys Oliver and Tristan, both professional models and familiar faces on the runway, spent an afternoon at Miam Miam with their tasty favorites. The brothers have different tastes when it comes to food, and Miam Miam’s menu variety is enough to keep both boys (and more) happy.

Pizza! Pizza!

We at beijingkids don’t take sides when it comes to pizza toppings. We love the ZA – any kind of topping, any kind of crust! There’s quite a bit of debate about putting fruit on pizza. Some people are 100 percent against it, while others love the way a sweet slice of pineapple mixes with warm gooey cheese. Miam Miam’s pizzas are among their best sellers, offering two styles, classic Italian-style toppings or the more creative Miam Miam-style pizzas like Aloha Hawaiian (RMB 33) and lamb kebab (RMB 26) that are a combo of local and Italian snack favorites.

Smooth Criminal

Nothing hits the spot like a freshly made smoothie after an intense game of foosball. Miam Miam offers four delicious smoothie options and freshly squeezed orange juice to quench your thirst.

Eat Your Greens

Meals need to stay balanced with a bit of green. The crisp, chilled Cesar salad (RMB 53) is just the thing if your kids aren’t fans of salads. It’s not all healthy greens. Topped with a hard boiled egg, parmesan cheese, and yummy bacon bits, it’s a great “entry-level” salad that’ll have them asking for kale in no time.

All About Comfort

Oliver’s favorite is a comfort food that’s popular with kids and adults alike. The big bowl of fragrant jasmine rice mixed with Thai basil and pork (RMB 56) is satisfying no matter what age you are.

For The Kiddos

While only two items on the menu are created specifically for kids, most of the dishes at Miam Miam have been well received by their pint-size patrons. Their tasty mini burgers (RMB 40) come in a stylish race car fully loaded with fresh fruits, green veggies, and juice.

A note worth mentioning is that Miam Miam is a proud partner of Bethel, an organization created in 2003 to help blind and visually impaired children. Each time anyone orders a margarita pizza or any item from the kids’ menu, Miam Miam donates RMB 5 to Bethel China’s “Love is Blind Project” which offers scholarships to low-income families of preschool students.

Nice Buns!

Their juicy beef cheeseburgers aren’t just for kids. For the grown-ups (or kids with really big appetites) the banjo burger (RMB 69) is as big as one’s head. If you can finish one on your own, then hey, count us impressed!

Photo: Uni You

MIAM MIAM 咪吖咪吖
Daily, 10am-10pm
B140 Phoenix City Galleria, 5 Shuxing Xili, Chaoyang District
曙兴西里甲5号凤凰IC购物中心地下一层B140号
(8436 7501)

This article appeared in the beijingkids November 2019 Beijing Baba issue