jQuery(“document”).ready(function(){jQuery(‘#ngg-gallery-87-1172′).galleryView({panel_width:600,panel_height:400,frame_width:40,frame_height:40,transition_interval:0,overlay_color:‘#222′,overlay_text_color:‘white’,caption_text_color:‘#222′,background_color:‘transparent’,border:‘none’,nav_theme:‘dark’,easing:‘easeInOutQuad’});});Before I left for China,my parents had mentioned that I had to make it a point to go to Wang Fu Jing in Beijing. Wang Fu Jing is actually just the name of a street that runs north to south and is just slightly east of the Imperial Palace. The street consists entirely of shops and restaurants. The shops range from large department stores to smaller privately owned centers,so in that sense it kinda reminded me of Times Square in NYC or even the area around Macy’s at Herald Square. Where it differs though is that there’s a small entrance way that leads to an back network of alleys filled with street vendors. That’s where the REAL treasure of this place is.
If you think the picture above looks lethal,let me assure you,it’s way more lethal than you could possibly imagine. This spicy concoction is from a hot pot place located a couple blocks from my uncle’s apartment so location-wise,it was really convenient. On top of that,they give you a voucher for 20RMB for every 100RMB you spend…so a good deal if you’re a hot pot lover. My uncle’s word of advice was to stick to hot pot places that are well established like this one simply because you can be that much more sure of the cleanliness of the restaurant. jQuery(“document”).ready(function(){jQuery(‘#ngg-gallery-88-1166′).galleryView({panel_width:600,panel_height:400,frame_width:40,frame_height:40,transition_interval:0,overlay_color:‘#222′,overlay_text_color:‘white’,caption_text_color:‘#222′,background_color:‘transparent’,border:‘none’,nav_theme:‘dark’,easing:‘easeInOutQuad’});});I guess a dish that my mom must’ve loved from her time in Beijing was zha jiang mian. We had it a LOT at home so I was very familiar with this dish. This noodle dish uses a really thick and heavily seasoned paste instead of a broth and man,is it good. The paste usually consists of some sort of bean paste,some chili for heat,and meat like pork or some extra firm tofu. On it’s own,the paste can be a bit salty but with the noodles mixed in,it’s just perfect. Even if you’ve had home made zha jiang mian or have been to a restaurant that serves it state side,you still have to have a zha jiang mian restaurant on your hit list when you come to Beijing. jQuery(“document”).ready(function(){jQuery(‘#ngg-gallery-85-1148′).galleryView({panel_width:600,panel_height:400,frame_width:40,frame_height:40,transition_interval:0,overlay_color:‘#222′,overlay_text_color:‘white’,caption_text_color:‘#222′,background_color:‘transparent’,border:‘none’,nav_theme:‘dark’,easing:‘easeInOutQuad’});});If the pictures haven’t convinced you,let me just reiterate again that you must try the Peking Duck if you’re in Beijing. Not only do you get an amazing meal,but you also get to witness some really fantastic knife work from the chef. I’ve been to Beijing one other time and visited a different Peking duck restaurant and in both cases,the duck was brought out before you and carved right by your table. The chef uses a square shaped knife and peels the skin and meat off almost like you would use a small pairing knife to shave down a fruit or vegetable. As for the duck itself,Amanda said that she would’ve preferred the skin a little crispier to render off some of the fat. We ordered a couple sides that are staples of Beijing cuisine like the greens,the mushrooms cooked in a thick soy sauce based sauce,the stir fry shredded potatoes,and a braised pork belly (my dad’s favorite). Pro tip! Instead of smearing the hoison sauce all over the wrappers,which were extremely thin,dip the scallions,cucumbers,and duck pieces in hoison sauce first. This avoids any tearing in the wrapper from spreading and also is just less messy in general.  |  | |
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