Located on Parkview Green’s lower level and operated by Nemanja Maric, also the man behind the popular Mexican chain Avocado Tree – Beijing’s original burrito counter that serves up Californian style bowls, smoothies, tacos, and everything avocado, The Pizza Show’s minimalist and light space is more reminiscent of a food court than a first date spot, but the fact that it has drawn bustling crowds of shoppers and workers from nearby offices since day one is proof that it has nailed the fast-casual dining concept.

The Pizza Show is dedicated to using only the freshest ingredients, a fact that is apparent as soon as you see the bright red, green, and white bases atop each pie.

The dough itself is almost melt-in-your-mouth light, and features a just-charred crust *muah*, leaving you happily full from a 10-inch serving rather than gasping for air.

Of the pre-designed options that range between RMB 60-90, favorites include the white truffle cream and walnut pizza with dollops of peppy, deep-green basil sauce, the pistachio and pesto topped with generous layers of fresh ham, and the pepperoni, the simplicity of which letting the piquant marinara do the heavy lifting.

For vegan pizza lovers, The Pizza Show is also hosting a charity vegan pizza night on Jun 23 to help raise money for Furry Tales.

In case you’re unfamiliar, Furry Tales is an animal rescue group that was founded in Beijing earlier this year. Started by Elizabeth Rodewald and Sorcha Moore-Smith. They help rescue abandoned and abused dogs and cats in Beijing and then help get them fostered and adopted.

For one night only, The Pizza Show will be turning out the tastiest vegan pizzas in the city.

The night is dedicated to exploring different types of vegan pizzas. One of the most popular vegan pizzas that will be featured on their menu will be their Vegan Margherita pizza, made with vegan cheese, San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil.

The Pizza Show is a great option for pizza lovers in Beijing. The open-plan kitchen allows diners to see their selection go from raw dough to baked perfection, and the dedication to using only the freshest ingredients is evident. The vegetarian and famous pizzas on the menu are delicious, and the upcoming vegan pizza night is an exciting addition.

Images: The Pizza Show

Good news Shunyi residents, more of Beijing’s foodie favorites are moving to the neighborhood. Last week SliderNation opened up in Pinnacle Plaza, making their tasty sliders available way faster via waimai for Shunyi residents.

Today, Beijing’s biggest pie expands to Shunyi. Tube Station Pizza officially opens in Shine Hill!

Tube Station was founded in 1999, and went from a humble a hole-in-the-wall streetside sandwich joint to a fast-expanding pizza brand with 17 branches across China. Their laid back American-style pizza and New York style environment makes it fun for the whole family.

If you want a slide of Italian style pizza, this isn’t the place to go. But if you’re looking for a great (big) slice of New York style pizza then Tube Station will give you just that.

For years now they’ve become the go-to group casual party food, quick bites, and Pizza Festival highlights of Beijing. And their Shunyi location, they’re going to be offering the same extensive family friendly menu as their other locations across China.

Check out some photos of their new Shunyi location.

The Shine Hills location will be open daily from 10am-8pm.

Find it:
Shine Hills North, 9 Antai Street, Shunyi District
顺义区安泰大街9号中粮祥云小镇0308-109
Tel: 86409094

Images: Tube Station, Mina Yan

We have no shortage of excellent pizza in Beijing, so it’s easy to understand why we had such a great turn out at this year’s Pizza Cup, hosted inside of the cup’s official beer sponsor, Boxing Cat Brewery. After weeks of voting online, moving from 32 to 16 the Elite 8 and the Final Four announced just this past Friday, the people of Beijing have spoken, and the winner is Bottega!

Our sister site the Beijinger explains how the voting went down:

As the five sessions kicked off, each of the four competitors were roughly even in vote count. After the second session, Bottega and Q Mex stayed roughly neck-and-neck with a clear lead over Great Leap Brewing and Pizza Saporita. In the end, however, Saporita managed to climb its way back in the polls, landing just two votes over Q Mex at a count of 117. That landed Saporita the respectable slot of second place after taking the crown last year. Still, Bottega bested them all and took the cup with 161 votes.

Each table received their “VIPizza” package, including hats from the Beijinger, Boxing Cat vouchers, and a free bottle of wine per every person at the table, generously donated by the Cup’s sponsor, JSS Delivery. You’ll want to open up their bilingual app and order some pizza right away after seeing all the smiling faces in attendance at the Taste-Off yesterday.

KEEP READING: Would You Track Your Kids on an App?

Photos: Uni You

Well, it’s been a long, hard-fought battle that saw many a good pizza meet an honorable and distinguished end. But like any struggle for supremacy, there can be but one victor, and while we won’t actually know who that is until the Final Four Taste-Off this Saturday, Dec 19 at Boxing Cat Brewery, we do know who will be competing. Of the 100 pizza purveyors to enter the Thunderdome – nay, Thunderoven – Pizza Saporita, Bottega, Great Leap Brewing, and Q Mex emerged best in class.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been watching with bated breath as some of the biggest names in Beijing’s pizza scene went head to head. We gasped as reigning champ Pizza Saporita narrowly put down Annie’s and stared wide-eyed as previous title winner Bottega rose like a Phoenix from the ashes to oust three-time champ Gung Ho. Meanwhile, in a brewer-meets-brewer battle royale, Great Leap outlasted Jing-A, and Q Mex once again proved that they’re more than just a Tex-Mex restaurant when they edged past Pie Squared.

Bottega and Great Leap face off…

…against Pizza Saporita and Q Mex

Now, it’s easy to miss certain bits of information when you’re knee-deep in holiday concerts, school parties, and vacation planning but remember: the only way to vote in the Final Four is to be present at Boxing Cat Brewery on Saturday, Dec 19. Moreover, there will be absolutely no tickets available at the door. We have but a few left – we’re talking like five tables of six seats each – so if you want to play a pivotal part in the outcome of 2020’s most consequential election, then you’re going to need to scan the QR code in the poster below and book a table, like, yesterday.

But seriously, book one today, before all the tables are gone. You don’t have to have all six seats filled when you reserve; it’s a great present for a friend or two to invite them to your table!

You will not only cast the deciding vote; look at the cool pizza and Beijinger swag you also get to take home — along with a full belly of delicious pizza pie from our Final Four!

As for those of you who bought tickets already, if you want to confirm your details, scan this QR code and start priming your stomach for the tastiest taste off this side of the Yangtze River.

Get all your ticket details right here

Whether your top choice didn’t make the cut, you haven’t tried one of the finalists, or you simply want to support the runners-up in their time of need, a great way to do all of those things is by pulling up your JSS Delivery App and placing an order. More than just the lovely sponsor of all things Pizza Cup 2020, JSS Delivery is in fact our go-to bilingual grocery and restaurant delivery service.

Pizza Cup Cat

Now for a bit more fun. It wouldn’t be a proper internet-based Pizza Cup without two very important things: pizza, of course, and cats, the only reason the internet exists! As such, we asked you to caption this image:

This space intentionally left blank

Some of the best responses were:

And you wonder why I bring you dead mice for supper.

At least it’s not durian

Enough with the pineapple

Hawaiian? I’d rather lick my own butt

I have a cat, I have a Pizza… Pineapple

My face when the Grilled Mouse and Pineapple pizza comes with ham instead

Pineapple?!? Who do you think I am? The dog?

This is a good slice of pizza…to poop on!

This isn’t anchovies!!!

You gonna eat the crust?

KEEP READING ALL THE SURVEY RESPONSES AT the Beijinger‘s Final Four announcement.

Photos: the Beijinger

This year, the Final Four will be decided in person at the Final Four Taste-Off this Saturday, Dec 19 at Boxing Cat. Once you’ve cast your ballot this round, be sure to grab your tickets while they last … as there’s only 500 to be had, and most are already sold! The first two time slots are the family-friendly ones, and the coolest thing is you can grab a table for four or six and invite friends to join!

Scan to cast your vote now in the Elite Eight and get your JSS Delivery Coupon:

Each table also gets this fun VIP package!

Scan with WeChat to grab your table for the whole crew and their friends. Children at the table will have offerings other than beer, of course!

KEEP READING: Hulu (Next to WAB) Appreciates Teachers With Free-Flow Drinks

Photos: the Beijinger, Unsplash

When the kids ask what’s for dinner you can never go wrong with pizza. And when it comes down to deciding who’s got the city’s best pie, we’ve all got our own opinions. Thin crust vs. deep dish? Classic margarita vs. pineapple and durian? Round vs. square? Who’s to say what makes a pizza great? The Beijinger can! The annual Pizza Cup is back but due to COVID-19 restrictions, there wasn’t enough time to fit all the regular food events into Beijing’s six warm months, and since no one wants to eat pizza outdoors in the cold, the PIzza Cup is a bit different this year.

This year’s Pizza Cup is going to be decided with a Final Four Taste-Off indoors in the cozy confines of Boxing Cat Brewery, this year’s official beer sponsor of the cup, on Dec 19!

At the event, you will be served pizza from all Final Four contestants, drink beer, and make merry – but this is key: only those present who have tasted all four can choose the ultimate champion for 2020. It’s time to call the sitter and plan for a night out with just your grown-up friends and a lot of pizzas.

This year’s event is sponsored by JSS Food Delivery, the premiere food delivery app for Beijing and Shanghai, which features a fully bilingual interface. You’ll find using it a breeze – and you’ll also find a wide selection of popular restaurants, including ones you won’t find on other delivery platforms. All voters in the Pizza Cup will receive an RMB 30 coupon from JSS for any pizza order, and those attending the Taste-Off will receive even more valuable discounts and goodies from JSS.

Grab a slice, decision 2020 is on!

Book now to reserve your seats, as only 500 seats total are available for this exclusive event. We’ll be selling tables of 6 and tables of 4, with a very limited number of single seats available at the bar.

Each table will receive:

• Whole pizzas from the Final Four (leftovers are yours to take home)
• Craft Beer from Boxing Cat
• Beijinger beer mugs for everyone
• Hipster Pizza Cup 2020 beanies/ski hats for everyone
• Discount pizza vouchers from JSS for everyone
• and other surprises!

So gather your pizza-loving peeps and book your table for one of the following times:

Early Bird Lunch Session: 11am-1pm
Late Lunch Session: 1:15pm-3:15pm
Mid-Afternoon Session: 3:30pm-5:30pm
Early Bird Dinner Session: 5:45pm-7:45pm
Late Dinner Session: 8pm-10pm

Tickets will go fast, so book before you regret it for the premiere pizza event of 2020.

SCAN TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE 2020 PIZZA CUP TASTE-OFF

Scan with WeChat. Payment must be made with WeChat pay

---

How the Pizza Cup 2020 Works

This year, we start off Pizza season with the annual Pizza Cup – our initial seeding list features 100 choices where you can choose those worthy of placement in our 32-slot World Cup-style elimination bracket. Voting starts today (Nov 27).

The list starts with last year’s Top 100. We eliminate those that have gone to the Great Pizza Oven in the Sky (RIP) and added all the newbies who have opened since our last Pizza Cup in November 2019.

The pies go head to head (or crust to crust) until but four remain… and that’s when we’ll leave it up to the 500 diners that have booked a seat for the taste-off.

So don’t miss out on the chance to try all four of Beijing’s best pizzas, choose the winner, and have a great time.

Here are the dates to remember:

• Friday, November 27: Preliminary Seeding Round is announced
• Friday, December 4: Bracket featuring Beijing’s Top 32 Pizzas is announced
• Thursday, December 10: Sweet 16 is announced
• Monday, December 14: Elite 8 is announced
• Thursday, December 17: Final Four is set
• Saturday, December 19: Final Four Taste-Off

 

Your Pizza Cup Taste-Off Questions Answered

Q. I am unable to attend the event but I would like to vote in the Final Four. Can I do that?
A. No. Final Four voting is available only to those that attend the event and try all four pizzas. However, we welcome everyone to vote in the earlier rounds of the Pizza Cup.

Q. Which four pizza establishments will be serving their pizza at the Taste-Off?
A. This is all dependent on the previous rounds of the Pizza Cup, where our readers vote for their favorites. We will not know the Final Four until the day before the event.

Q. What toppings will come on the pizzas?
A. We will be serving the most popular combo from each of the Final Four. Because we will not know who these four contestants are until the day before the event, we cannot predict what the toppings will be.

Q. Will there be vegetarian / vegan / halal / kosher / gluten-free options available?
A. While there is a chance one or more of the pizzas will meet one or more of these dietary criteria, it is unlikely that they all will and there are no options for ordering special menus.

Q. I don’t drink. Will there be non-alcoholic choices available?
A. Yes, soft drinks will be offered for those that choose not to drink.

Q. Can my child come for a discount?
A. While we welcome families to attend the event, the prices are the same for adults and for children. In other words, the prices are by the seat, rather than by the age of the attendee.

Q. What about my infant that will sit in my lap or stay in a stroller?
A. We recommend that you do not bring infants to the event, as it will likely be crowded and noisy. If you choose to, you will need to buy a ticket for them as well.

Now then, all these questions are making us hungry! Time to grab a slice and get those voting fingers all greased up and ready for the ballot box.

KEEP READING: What Makes a Family-Friendly Restaurant?

Images: Uni You, UNSPLASH

Located on B2 of well-known shopping mall Parkview Green, The Pizza Show is Beijing’s newest Neapolitan-style pizza shop, combining the speedy service of a fast food joint with fresh and handmade food.

On a recent lunchtime visit almost all the tables were full, with a mixture of white-collar workers and families who already discovered this new hot spot. The interior of the parlor is casual yet modern. Fun and contemporary music gives the dining room a modern feel to match its stylish red chairs and marble tabletops.

Choose from their menu or create your own combination of toppings and sauces

Their open kitchen is the “show” in its name, allowing customers to see their pizza being made, from kneading the dough on one end to the pizza cooking in the oven on the other.

The Pizza Show serves Neapolitan pizzas featuring classic fluffy crusts with slightly crisp edges, assembled to order and cooked in under two minutes. Beijing pizza fans already familiar with places like La Pizza and Bottega will find a lot to love at The Pizza Show. 

Their menu features a variety of 9-inch combos priced between RMB 63 and RMB 83, though a long glass case in front is full of sauces and toppings. This set up will eventually allow customers to make their own pizza combinations, at the perfect height for a toddler to observe.

Their classic pepperoni pizza with fresh cherry tomato and plenty of mozzarella

We ordered a classic flavor – pepperoni, as well as a wonkier flavor, pistachio.  The pepperoni was dotted with ultra-thin sliced meat, fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and stretchy mozzarella on a mild tomato sauce base. The pistachio was delicious but not as exotic as we initially expected, with a pesto base, mortadella sausage, mozzarella, and a faint hint of pistachio sauce in the slivers of the nut on top.

Pepperoni and pistachio pizzas gave us an interesting contrast in their menu.

Other than pizza, the new shop offers a small selection of salads, along with fries, homemade meatballs, and the exotic-sounding fried artichokes!

Service at The Pizza Show was surprisingly fast. We ordered two pizzas that arrived at the table within five minutes of ordering – and this was during the lunch rush with almost every table filled.

One problem that needs work is its tableware situation – we couldn’t locate any proper plates or utensils, and when we asked for plates, we were offered what appeared to be a takeaway soup bowl. However, we’re sure this is just first week issues that will soon be fixed.

If you’re a fan of traditional Italian style pizza, in the area, and want a quick, fresh and tasty pie, The Pizza Stop makes for an awesome stop.

The Pizza Show
Dongdaqiao Lu South
东大桥路南
9 Dongdaqiao Lu, LG 2 Chaoyang District
朝阳区东大桥路9号

KEEP READING: Mandarin Monday: China’s “Pizzas”- What kind of Bǐng Do You Like?

Images: Eloise Wester, unsplash

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

When it comes to dining out with the little ones, we love a place that has a wide variety of choices to choose from both for grown-ups and kids alike. Throw in some kid-friendly entertainment and a team that goes above and beyond for their guests, and we’ve got a family dining goldmine!

For most of us when we make dining plans at East Hotel it’s usually for their famous Feast (Food by East) brunch every Saturday and Sunday, but right outside of Feast is the pet-friendly open space all-day-dining area that caters to children of all ages with their Little Chefs Cooking Classes and cartoons all day long.

Restaurant Manager Maria Ma and her team make it their mission to provide excellent service and to know their regular guests on a personal level, making grabbing a meal at Domain like dining out at a friend’s.

Super mom Benita Sumita and her 7-year-old son Yohan Daniel celebrated the loss of his two front teeth at Domain with a table full of Yohan’s favorites (ranked in order from 1 – 5). From pizzas and burgers to freshly made cakes, one of our favorite things about Domain is that they’ve got something for everybody, regardless of what you’re in the mood for.

The Sliders

Domain has a huge Australian wagyu beef burger (RMB 148) that’s super popular with those looking for a quick work lunch, but they’ve also shrunk their famous recipe for their smaller guests. The wagyu sliders (RMB 98) are built like mini-beefy skyscrapers, with a thick juicy wagyu beef patty topped with fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese. Served with a side of thick-cut fries, and you’ve got yourself a hearty lunch combo. Although mini, these sliders are tall, and if your hands are still growing, you’ve got a lot of squishing to do before you can fit them in your mouth.

The Pasta-bilities

One of our all-time favorite comfort foods is pasta. A belly full of pasta makes for one happy kid. Domain’s pasta (RMB 80) is another example of how the restaurant will make what you like, just the way you like it. Have your choice of classic tomato, carbonara, fresh pesto, or our all-time favorite, bolognese prepared with your favorite type of pasta. Keep a stack of napkins on hand, because these saucy noodles tend to get messy.

The ZA!

Kids love pizza. That’s just a fact! Domain’s thin crust pizzas (RMB 78) are available all day long. Their toppings tend to cater towards a more mature palette with toppings that range from classic Napoletana to the more exotic Sichuan spicy sausage and dry aged beef. But when it comes to making pizza that the kids will love, Ma’s team is fast to make substitutions and changes to suit their smaller patrons.

The Fish ’n’ Chips

Their fish ’n’ chips (RMB 98) taste nothing like the frozen stuff (thank goodness) and also isn’t what you’d expect when you think of the classic pub food. Thick slices of sole fish are coated with a layer of crispy batter fried to golden perfection and served with a side of fries. These strips of fried sole fish are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, making them a popular choice amongst kids and adults alike.

The Sugar Rush

When it comes to desserts the Domain cake counter is every kid’s dream. With six freshly-made cakes to choose from each day they’re never in short supply of something sweet. While we’ve always been partial to their thick, creamy cheesecakes, Yohan couldn’t resist the temptation of the mango crêpe cake (RMB 40): moist layers of crêpes layered with sweet slices of ripe mangoes. Perfect during the warm Beijing months, or whenever you’re in the mood for something light and sweet.

Domain

Daily, 7am – 8pm

2F East Hotel 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号东隅酒店2楼（8414 9830）

This article appeared in the beijingkids October 2019 Family Foodies issue