| OUR JIA CHANG CAI/HOMESTYLE RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS |
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朝阳区新源西里中街19号
Xinyuan Xili Zhongjie, 19 hao
Chaoyang District, north of Dongzhimenwai area near Canadian and Australian embassies
Tel: 010-6460 6711
$: Dinner for 8, including duck, under 400rmb; Duck 98rmb (68 for half a duck), including all condiments and you can take home the carcass or have it made into soup
Xiang Man Lou is an great place for no fuss homestyle dining that compromises nothing on taste. It has a respectable and reasonably priced Peking duck, and nothing we have tried so far has disappointed. Like all good restaurants in Beijing, XML suffers from its success in that there are too many people trying to get in; it’s a competition to get a table. They only honor reservations until 6:30PM, and are ruthless about giving your table away if you are late, so be prepared to eat early or wait on the sidewalk with half of Beijing. In addition to the duck, try the eggplant in claypot (shao qie zi, sautéed dragon beans (si jiao dou or long dou) and crispy fried tower of potato threads (tu dou si) 
素烧茄子 su shao qie zi: claypot braised eggplant
炒龙豆 chao long dou: sautéed leng dou, or 'dragon beans'
香辣脆土豆丝 xiang la cui tu dou si: crispy spicy shredded potato tower
北京烤鸭 bei jing kao ya: Beijing roast duck
炒小豆苗 chao xiao dou miao: tender sauteed baby pea sprouts
东城区东直门内大街235号
235 Dongzhimennei Dajie
Dongcheng District
Tel: 010-6405 1908
$: lunch for four, 143rmb
Directions: On the stretch of Dongzhimennei (inside the Second Ring Road) known as Guijie, with an endless (and, yes, charming despite the touts and crowds) stretch of restaurants and red lanterns. Hua Jia Yi Yuan is east of Yonghegong Dajie (Lama Temple Road), on the north side of the street. There are other locations but this one is the original location set in a converted courtyard house. 
What we think
This is an extremely pleasant place to have lunch where you can fully enjoy the quiet courtyard setting; evenings tend to be crowded and loud. Marketed as homestyle cooking, Hua Jia Yi Yuan goes beyond the same old standards and brings to their menu creative but well-executed choices. There is also a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. In addition to good Peking roast duck, two duck dishes with a twist to try are the crispy fried duck meat and sticky rice “cake”, and duck meat rolled in tofu skin with chives. The eggplant with abalone sauce is also fragrant, savory and complex.
 
Recommended dishes
酒舅久韭煎鸭 jiu jiu jiu xiang jian ya: crispy fried layered duck meat and sticky rice cake
八爷鸭方 ba ye ya fang : another great duck dish--fried tofu skin rolls with duck meat and chives stuffing
酱香菊花笋 jiang xiang ju hua sun: awesome bamboo shoots that looked like squid
鳗鱼烧南茄 man zhi shao nan qie: eggplant with abalone sauce; one of the best savory eggplant dishes I've ever tasted.
西芹炒百合 xi qin chao bai he: western celery sauteed with tender starchy lily bud petals
蚕豆猪耳凉菜 can dou zhu er liang cai: cold dish with marinated pigs ear and fava beans (far more delicious than it sounds--a wonderful interplay of flavor and texture!)
野菜沙拉 ye cai sha la : interesting garlicky tart wild fern salad
三里屯南路59 号, 三里屯区
San li tun nan lu 59 hao
59 South Sanlitun Street
Sanlitun district
Tel : 010-6585 6245
$: Dinner for four, 148rmb
Directions: Head south from Gongti Beilu, away from the Sanlitun bar strip. The restaurant will be on your right/west side, across the street from Beer Mania and next to a slightly sketchy looking hole-in-the-wall place.
A good cheap and cheerful option if you find yourself in Sanlitun (a neighborhood with few Chinese characteristics or non-expat oriented restaurants) and wanting simple but good homestyle food. No frills, but reliable and packed with local Chinese most nights. If you are a bit more adventurous and want a super cheap meal, head next door to the little hole in the wall place for some dumplings, noodles or other simple fare eaten alongside off-shift security guards and migrant labor foremen. They know good, cheap food.
Recommended dishes
烧汁牛粒鲜蚕豆 shao zhi niu li xian can dou: beef with fava beans
樟茶鸭 zhang cha ya: camphor smoked tea duck
菠菜花生米沙拉 bo cai hua sheng mi sha la: vinegary spinach and peanuts salad; sometimes the spinach is gently blanched, sometimes it comes fresh but both versions are a tasty way to perk up your taste buds and appetite.
铁板肉酱茄子 tie ban rou jiang qie zi: savory, garlicky sizzling eggplant
葱花饼 cong hua bing: this chewy and fragrant scallion pancake is a nice alternative to rice
小王府 - Xiao Wang Fu
Location near Kerry Center:
朝阳区光华路东里2号楼
Directions: This location can be a little hard to find. If you are driving west on Guang Hua Lu from the Third Ring Road (Dong San Huan), just after you pass the Kerry Center complex on your right, look left for the next small alley (they has been a lot of road construction so you may need to drive up further and U-turn around to turn down the alley now). Xiao Wang’s is about 50 meters down the alley. Some people refer to this as the China World location, as it can also be approached from the south on the same alley.
Ritan Park location:
日坛公园内; Ritan Gongyuan Nei; Bei Tian Men dong ce
Inside Ritan Park, North Gate, towards the east
Chaoyang, near Jianguomen
Tel: 010-8561-7859/5985
$: Prices slightly higher than Kerry Center location; duck is 138rmb.
What we think
Their great duck roasting oven is showcased right at the entrance to Xiao Wang’s Guanghu Lu/Kerry Center location. While you might not go there just for the duck, it is a reliable accompaniment to a casual meal of jia chang favorites. Although both locations are quite popular among expats, the Kerry Center location has a homier Chinese family restaurant feel to it, whereas the Ritan Park location is more upscale and with a view over Ritan Park. On a summer or spring evening that isn’t too hot, the rooftop tree-shaded deck at the Ritan Park location is a nice place to eat al fresco. After your meal, you can walk it off in Ritan Park, which is one of Beijing's nicer spots.
北京烤鸭 beijing kaoya: Peking roast duck, cooked in a traditional wood burning oven
清朝豆苗 qing chao dou miao: sauteed baby pea shoots
水饺 shuijiao: steamed pork dumplings, served in plates of 12. Some might think it incongruous, but a few shuijiao, a half a duck and some pea shoots is a pretty tasty way to sate your hunger.
Xiao Wang's does many Sichuan favorites very well.
 朝阳区,日坛公园东北角
Chaoyang qu, ri tan gong yuan dong bei jiao
Northeast corner of Ritan Park
Chaoyang
Hours: 11AM-2PM; 5-10PM
Tel: 010-8561-7643
$: Modest lunch for two, 150rmb; duck 198rmb including condiment set
What we think
Though the cooking here is pretty good, the prices reflect the proximity of the neighboring diplomatic compounds and heavily expat clientele. Although it is an upscale restaurant, it is often called the ‘hole in the wall’ place because the entrance is an actual hole in the wall, a traditional keyhole doorway through the Ritan Park wall. The menu boasts specialties of four regions: Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong and Huaiyang/Shanghai. The kitchen seems to juggle all four, though the tastes
芝麻脆牛肉 zi ma cui niu rou: crispy beef with sesame
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