What to Actually Eat in Beijing: 13 Honest Reviews
Real food reviews from real meals — from ¥0 waiting hacks at Nanmen Sharou to the ¥80 birthday coupon trick at Siji Minfu. No fluff, just what's worth eating.
Trip Highlights
The Full List
1. Nanmen Sharou — Tiantandian Branch 🥇
Call to reserve a week ahead — zero wait, walk right in after visiting Temple of Heaven. The big pot comes with vegetables, and both beef and lamb are excellent. The sesame sauce is the star, but try adding the seafood dip and chili oil to mix things up.
2. Siji Minfu — Forbidden City Branch
Get there by 11 AM and don't insist on a window seat — you'll sit down immediately. The tossed pea sprouts (拌豆苗) were the best dish! Duck was solid, not greasy, comes with multiple dipping sauces. The pepper-salt duck carcass is a must-order! Duck soup was warming and rich.
💡 Money-saving hack: Register as a member on their app and set your birthday to the day before your visit. You'll get a ¥30 member coupon + ¥50 birthday coupon = ¥80 off. The birthday coupon is valid for a month.
3. Heyan Meat Pie — Wangfujing Branch
The Kung Pao Chicken Leg (宫保鸡腿丁) was unexpectedly amazing! The Jingjiang Shredded Pork came with bean curd skin wraps instead of pancakes — interesting twist. Qianlong Cabbage is basically salad with sesame sauce dressing.
4. Kaorou Liu — Huofangqiao
Halal spot, beef and lamb are both solid — no misses here. The lamb with pickled cabbage combination is 🔥. Only downside: everything gets progressively saltier as you eat. Bring water.
5. Baodu Feng — Langfang Ertiao
Halal tripe spot. If you're not used to the texture, the thick sesame sauce might feel overwhelming and a bit tiring on the jaw. Gets a slight off-taste when it cools down. An acquired taste for sure.
6. Chenji Luzhu — Langfang Ertiao
The fatty intestines (肥肠) are genuinely delicious! The overall luzhu stew is on the salty side and takes some getting used to — but the intestines alone make it worth ordering.
7. Fangzhuan Chang #69 Zhajiangmian
Not the zhajiangmian I had in my imagination — but the tripe noodle soup (爆肚粉) was amazing! Still thinking about it days later.
8-13: Quick Hits
- San Ge Saozhou (Three Brooms) — Decent, surprisingly good value for being inside a scenic area
- Wu Yutai Tea — Flower tea ice cream 🍦 light, floral, refreshing. Really good.
- Shunshi Er Yin — Almond tofu osmanthus tea. Strong almond flavor at first sip, but grows on you — a slow-burn kind of drink
- Jingshan Park Peony Ice Cream — Matcha version has rich tea flavor. Worth grabbing.
- Xiao Diao Li Tang (delivery) — The beef rice bowl has real chunks of beef, generous portion, solid flavor. Reliable.
- Sanyuan Milk — Unbelievably good! The taro thick milk (香芋厚乳) is a personal obsession.
