Beijing Muslim History: Old Halal Notes from the Northern City (Part 3 of 6)
Reposted from the web
Summary: Beijing Muslim History: Old Halal Notes from the Northern City is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: East City:. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Muslim History, Northern Beijing, Hui Muslims while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source. This is part 3 of 6.
Part 3 of 6
The Zhang family used to sell fried tofu and fried meatballs. These were affordable, but they didn't stand out, so the family stopped the business for a while and started pulling rickshaws instead. They later reopened and focused on selling meat pies (roubing) filled with green onion and lamb. They chose high-quality ingredients and had great skills. Each pie weighed over a pound and was perfectly even in thickness. They cut and sold the pies fresh based on how much the customer wanted. The pies were cheap, delicious, and earned a great reputation. Although the shop was named Longdezhai, people usually just called it Meat Pie Zhang (Roubing Zhang).
Market Records: A History of Beijing Dong'an Market by Dong Shanyuan.
6. Baikui at Longfu Mosque
Lamb head meat (yangtou rou) from the old Bai Kui shop.
The old Bai Kui shop was right across from the Changong Cinema on Longfu Mosque Street. I was young back then, so I only ever bought their lamb head meat. Cooked sheep heads are piled up above a bubbling pot that is three feet wide, or more accurately, they are stacked on an iron grate sitting on top of the pot. When someone buys one, the elderly man selling the sheep heads quickly uses a small iron hook to grab one and place it on the scale, then asks after weighing it, "Do you want it deboned?" If you say yes, in the blink of an eye, the entire sheep face is spread out flat on the large wooden table like a sheet of paper. I have watched the old man's hands closely more than once, but I still cannot figure out how he peels the meat off the sheep head in one whole piece. If a customer wants it sliced thin, the old man will do that too, then sprinkle on some seasoned salt (jiaoyan), add a small sprig of cilantro, and wrap it all up in yellow straw paper. I still cannot forget the unique, clean fragrance of the sheep head from Baikui.
From "Past Events in Beijing" by Zhang Zheng, "Baikui's Roasted Lamb".
When people mention roasted lamb, everyone thinks of Baikui on Longfusi Street in Dongsi. Bai Kui's braised lamb (shao yangrou) is famous because there is a noodle shop right across the street. You can borrow a bowl from the noodle shop, buy some lamb shank (yang jianzi) or a pair of lamb trotters (yang ti'er) at Bai Kui, and ask for extra braised lamb broth. Take it back to the noodle shop to fill a bowl with noodles, cook them in the lamb broth, and it tastes better than any stir-fried noodle dish.
From "Cuisine of Eastern Beijing" by Wu Zhengge: Bai Kui's Five-Spice Braised Lamb (wuxiang shao yangrou).
It is a tradition to give away free broth when selling braised lamb. The broth is fresh and delicious, which customers really love. Braised lamb is best eaten with a hanging-oven flatbread (gualu shaobing). The favorite way to eat it is to add the lamb and broth to noodles with some shredded cucumber. Beijingers have a saying: "Braised lamb mixed with noodles is delicious in every bite."
When my father ran the business, he added stir-fried (pao), roasted, and hot pot lamb. For the stir-fried lamb, we set up a large griddle at the entrance. Customers would buy half a jin or four liang of lamb slices, stand around the griddle with one foot on a stool, and eat it as it was cooked. It was a very fun experience. Eating braised lamb or stir-fried lamb with a flatbread, followed by a bowl of lotus leaf porridge or millet porridge, is both a treat and very affordable. Bai Kui was one of the first restaurants in Beijing to serve hot pot lamb (shuan yangrou), and they hired master chefs to slice the meat. You must use pine and cypress wood to roast the meat. The roasted meat takes on the scent of the wood, which is a unique and special pleasure.
Selected Historical Materials of Dongcheng District, Beijing, Volume 1: Bai Kui's spiced roast lamb (wuxiang shaoyangrou). Hei Deliang (Wang Dongsi: The author was the manager of Bai Kui from 1942 to 1957).
Bai Kui's roast lamb (shaoyangrou).
Beijing roast lamb is rich, tender, and crispy. This cooking method is unique to Beijing and I have not seen it anywhere else. It is not suitable for home cooking. Only lamb restaurants and lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi) specialize in this dish. A lamb stall (yangrou chuangzi) is a specific name for a lamb shop. In the past, most lamb shops in Beijing were run by Hui Muslims. They would slaughter sheep at the morning market, and the cutting board looked like a wooden bed, which is why they were called lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi). These lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi) are a daily necessity for residents, and you can find them on almost every street. Except for the very smallest shops, almost every place makes roasted lamb (shao yangrou) in the summer, though the quality varies quite a bit. The earliest famous shop for roasted lamb is Bai Kui in the East City, which everyone in old Beijing knows.
Bai Kui was a person's name, and he was a Hui Muslim. He opened the Dongchangshun Halal Restaurant on Longfu Mosque Street near Dongsi Pailou during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, so it has a history of over two hundred years. The shop became famous for its roasted whole lamb. Although it changed owners several times, it always kept the Bai Kui roasting technique, so the shop has always been called Bai Kui. This roasted lamb is famous first because the ingredients used are very carefully selected. People say they use over twenty kinds of spices like fennel and cardamom in the broth, adding them in specific amounts to their aged stock (laotang), which gives the lamb a rich and mellow flavor. The second reason is that they raise their own sheep. The meat is fatty and tender, and they only use castrated male sheep. It is not affected by the seasons, and the feed has its own special features, so it hits the market every February.
The roasted lamb (shao yangrou) at typical lamb stalls is not as fancy as the kind at Baikui, but every shop follows the tradition of using a master stock (laotang). Because of this, the roasted lamb always has a unique flavor that you just cannot make at home. A whole lamb (quanyang) means the entire animal is used, as if the whole thing goes into the pot, and it is sold at different prices based on the quality of the cut. The lamb head and lamb neck are not sold in small pieces; you have to buy the whole part. Lamb chops, lamb shanks, and lamb spine (yangxiezi—the spine with the meat and marrow left on) are sold in chunks and are not cut into smaller pieces. Lamb meat is the richest and most delicious part, and it can be cut into small pieces. Also, the heart, liver, tripe, spleen, and intestines are collectively called offal (zasui), which is mostly sold in small pieces at a cheaper price. You can buy a pair of lamb trotters for just two copper coins. The most flavorful part is the lamb head, which includes the brain, tongue, eyes, and ears; it is fun to cut it up yourself. Every part of the lamb is a seasonal summer treat, whether you eat it with drinks, stuff it into a sesame paste flatbread (shaobing), or mix it into noodles.
When buying roasted lamb, you can ask the seller to deep-fry it again, but they will only do it if you spend a certain amount; they won't do it for less than ten cents. Deep-fried roasted lamb is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making the rich, fatty flavor even better. The sellers also give away meat broth with your purchase. The broth is fresh and fragrant. If you buy more than ten copper coins' worth of meat or offal, you get a small bowl of broth, and the more you buy, the more you get. If you buy a whole lamb head or twenty to thirty cents' worth of roasted lamb, you can get half a pot of the original broth. Using this broth to pour over noodles or to cook tofu is the most delicious and affordable side dish, and it is a common meal for native Beijing families. Some laborers, after a long day of work, come to the steamed bun shop in the evening. They cook a pound of noodles, borrow a bowl, go to the lamb stall to buy twenty copper coins' worth of roasted lamb (about five cents), and ask for a bowl of broth to pour over the noodles. With a few cloves of garlic on the side, it makes for a very cheap, delicious, and filling dinner. Most families are small, so they often use this method for summer dinners. It saves money and effort, and it is very common.
Memories of Snacks: Jin Yunzhen
7. Baodu Man at Dongsi Pailou
The halal restaurant Baoduman is located north of the Dongsi Mosque, right where the original Yitiaolong hot pot halal restaurant used to be. It was founded during the Guangxu reign and was originally run by a man named Man, which is why it is called Baoduman. In 1956, it became a joint state-private enterprise and kept the name Baoduman. The original owner, Man Ba'er, still works at the shop and handles the main preparation process for the tripe (baodu). Among Hui Muslims, the term ba'er is like saying comrade, mister, or boss in standard Chinese. Someone named Ma is called Ma Ba'er, someone named Ha is called Ha Ba'er, and someone named Man is naturally called Man Ba'er. Han Chinese acquaintances call it by the same name too.
When you eat quick-boiled tripe (baodu), you do not need to ask for the dipping sauce. As soon as you sit down, they bring a portion for everyone. The sauce is similar to the one used for hot pot lamb (shuan yangrou), but it is simpler and has more sesame paste, making it quite thick. Quick-boiled tripe is a classic Beijing snack, and few people from the south eat it. Quick-boiled tripe is actually just the stomach of a sheep or cow. No matter how fancy the name sounds, it is always this same thing. Both cow tripe and sheep tripe have a part called stomach kernel (duren), but other parts have different names. Cow tripe includes leaf tripe (baiye) and thick head (houtou), while sheep tripe has even more varieties like loose tripe (sandan), board core (banxin), stomach board (duban), stomach ridge (duling), and mushroom head (mogutou). These many names come from the different parts of the stomach, and the prices vary accordingly. The best parts are the stomach kernel and mushroom head. People say you need the stomachs of several sheep to make just one plate of these. The stomach kernel is crunchy, and the mushroom head is tender. The stomach kernel is crunchy but easy to chew, unlike the loose tripe or leaf tripe, which are tough and often have to be swallowed whole. Because of this, the stomach kernel and mushroom head are more expensive. When eating quick-boiled tripe (baodu), start with a plate of omasum (sandan) to chew on, then follow it with a plate of tripe center (duren); that is what we call 'clearing the skies after rain'. The quick-boiled tripe at Baoduman is truly excellent, both crispy and tender. It might be because the owner, Man Ba'er, prepares it himself, so the heat is just right. Pair it with a hot sesame flatbread (shaobing), and it tastes absolutely delicious.
In the mid-1950s, Baoduman expanded into a two-story building. The ground floor still sold quick-boiled tripe and offal (zasui), keeping it very accessible; you could get full on two sesame flatbreads and a plate of tripe. The upstairs served mutton hot pot (shuan yangrou) and traditional halal dishes (jiaomen caicai). After the Cultural Revolution began, the Baoduman at Dongsi Pailou closed down. In the early 1980s, the Ruizhenhou Restaurant, which had moved from Zhongshan Park, opened in the original two-story building where the old Baoduman once stood.
After the Reform and Opening-up, the descendants of Baoduman reopened at 27 Shuru Hutong in Niujie. The full name of the shop is 'Old Baoduman Five-Spice Roasted Beef and Mutton' (Lao Baoduman Wuxiang Shao Niuyangrou); the shop front is as wide as the sign is long. The shop has two sections: one is a takeout window for cooked beef and lamb, and the other is for dining in. The restaurant is quite small with only three rooms, which were originally part of a three-bedroom apartment. Each room holds three or four tables. They do not serve many items, focusing mainly on tripe (baodu), sesame flatbread (shaobing), and braised beef and lamb.
The Baoduman blog by ruiren491112 on Sina. The blogger, Chen Junyuan, was born in Beijing in 1949 and has lived there for generations.
8. The mutton shop at the corner of West Kushuijing and Xinxian Hutong inside Chaoyangmen.
There is a lamb shop at the intersection of Xikushui Jing and Xinxian Hutong that sells breakfast. Early in the morning, you can hear the owner tapping a rolling pin from far away, followed by the mouth-watering smell of baking flatbread (shaobing). The owner's wife looks like a typical person from the Western Regions. My Last Century by Guan Geng
9. The sesame flatbread shop (shaobing) on West Kushuijing Hutong inside Chaoyangmen.
At the entrance of Xikushuijing Hutong, there is a sesame flatbread (shaobing) shop run by an elderly Hui Muslim. He starts his business every morning before dawn. When he makes the bread, he taps his rolling pin loudly and creates a unique patterned crust. The sesame flatbreads (shaobing) made by this elderly Hui Muslim have plenty of sesame seeds, many flaky layers, and a generous amount of sesame paste. You can smell the fresh bread from far away. It has been about sixty years, but I still cannot forget that smell. I cannot find this kind of sesame flatbread (shaobing) anywhere anymore.
The shop also fries dough fritters (yougui). These fritters are similar to the crispy rings (jiaoquan) we have today, but they are shaped into a fine, net-like pattern, which is different from the large fried dough sticks (youtiao) sold now. If you buy a sesame flatbread (shaobing) and stuff a fried dough fritter (yougui) inside, the flavor is beyond words. Sometimes you can also ask for thin crispy crackers (baocui), which are fried until they are crunchy and golden, making them taste even better. I do not know why I cannot find the old taste anymore. Maybe the ingredients have changed or the traditional techniques were lost.
My Last Century by Guan Geng
10. Dongdeshun Restaurant inside Chaoyangmen
The fried meat sesame flatbread (shaobing) at Dongdeshun Restaurant
People say that sesame flatbreads (shaobing) are sweet in the south and salty in the north. The fried meat sesame flatbread (shaobing) created by Dongdeshun Restaurant has the flavor of Beijing meat pie (roubing) and the salty aroma of a sesame flatbread (shaobing). Beijingers call it the "double wonder."
To make it, you shape dough from regular flour, spread on sesame paste, wrap in seasoned meat filling, coat it with sesame seeds, bake it over a fire, and then deep-fry it until cooked. It is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly balances meat and vegetables.
Braised lamb brains (bai shao yang nao) at Dongdeshun Restaurant.
Braised lamb brains is a signature dish by Chef Song Enzhi at Dongdeshun Restaurant.
Fresh lamb brains are rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron, making them a healthy food that helps strengthen the brain and body.
To make it, take fresh lamb brains, blanch them in hot water, remove the membrane, boil them in water until 80% cooked, let them cool, and cut them into small diamond-shaped pieces. Heat chicken fat in a wok, then stir-fry ginger, green onion, garlic slices, and star anise over high heat until golden. Add chicken broth, lamb brains, salt, MSG, and starch. Toss everything together and serve on a blue-patterned plate. The dish is bright white, soft, and tender, making it a delicious and nourishing halal meal.
Collected Delicacies of Beijing Dongcheng, edited by Wei Lisen.
11. Deshengzhai on Jingshan East Street.
Not far east of the Second Campus of Peking University, on the north side of the road, is a restaurant called Deshengzhai. Deshengzhai is a restaurant for Hui Muslims that only serves beef and lamb dishes. The specialty at Deshengzhai is sesame flatbread (shaobing) with beef stew, which is what most students order. What left a clear impression wasn't the food, but a waiter who was about twenty years old. His surname was Yu, and the students all called him Little Yu. He was friendly and hardworking, but also very worldly. He could name almost every student who came in often. When he saw them from a distance, he would call them 'Mr.' and greet them with a nod, a bow, and a big smile, always finding something to talk about. If he had more time, he would be extra polite, saying that after graduation they would surely get promoted and become wealthy, or at the very least, become a bureau chief.
Fuxuan Suohua by Zhang Zhongxing
12. Yueshengzhai on Hubu Lane inside Qianmen.
A bet at Yueshengzhai.
One day, a Japanese acquaintance from the tourism bureau challenged Mengzhang to a bet. They would both take a group of foreign tourists out for a day of sightseeing and see if the guests chose to eat Chinese or Western food. The man boasted that if he lost, he would give a voucher for a ten-person meal at the Grand Hotel (Liuguo Fandian). If he won, Mengzhang had to bring all his guests to eat in his territory for a month.
Mengzhang was furious when he heard this and said, "Kid, you're getting cocky too early. That ten-person meal voucher is mine!"
However, Mengzhang was not confident, so he went to ask Ding Ziqing, the old manager of Donglaishun, for advice.
Ding Ziqing, whose courtesy name was Deshan, was the founder of Donglaishun. He was a very strategic man and a famous figure in the Beijing catering industry. After Meng Zhang explained why he was there, Shopkeeper Ding stroked his beard and said with a smile, "That is not hard at all." I will arrange a show for you that is guaranteed to be a hit. When it is time to eat, just bring your guests to the front of Yueshengzhai and leave the rest to me...
Summary: Beijing Muslim History: Old Halal Notes from the Northern City is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: East City:. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Muslim History, Northern Beijing, Hui Muslims while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source. This is part 3 of 6.
Part 3 of 6
The Zhang family used to sell fried tofu and fried meatballs. These were affordable, but they didn't stand out, so the family stopped the business for a while and started pulling rickshaws instead. They later reopened and focused on selling meat pies (roubing) filled with green onion and lamb. They chose high-quality ingredients and had great skills. Each pie weighed over a pound and was perfectly even in thickness. They cut and sold the pies fresh based on how much the customer wanted. The pies were cheap, delicious, and earned a great reputation. Although the shop was named Longdezhai, people usually just called it Meat Pie Zhang (Roubing Zhang).
Market Records: A History of Beijing Dong'an Market by Dong Shanyuan.
6. Baikui at Longfu Mosque
Lamb head meat (yangtou rou) from the old Bai Kui shop.
The old Bai Kui shop was right across from the Changong Cinema on Longfu Mosque Street. I was young back then, so I only ever bought their lamb head meat. Cooked sheep heads are piled up above a bubbling pot that is three feet wide, or more accurately, they are stacked on an iron grate sitting on top of the pot. When someone buys one, the elderly man selling the sheep heads quickly uses a small iron hook to grab one and place it on the scale, then asks after weighing it, "Do you want it deboned?" If you say yes, in the blink of an eye, the entire sheep face is spread out flat on the large wooden table like a sheet of paper. I have watched the old man's hands closely more than once, but I still cannot figure out how he peels the meat off the sheep head in one whole piece. If a customer wants it sliced thin, the old man will do that too, then sprinkle on some seasoned salt (jiaoyan), add a small sprig of cilantro, and wrap it all up in yellow straw paper. I still cannot forget the unique, clean fragrance of the sheep head from Baikui.
From "Past Events in Beijing" by Zhang Zheng, "Baikui's Roasted Lamb".
When people mention roasted lamb, everyone thinks of Baikui on Longfusi Street in Dongsi. Bai Kui's braised lamb (shao yangrou) is famous because there is a noodle shop right across the street. You can borrow a bowl from the noodle shop, buy some lamb shank (yang jianzi) or a pair of lamb trotters (yang ti'er) at Bai Kui, and ask for extra braised lamb broth. Take it back to the noodle shop to fill a bowl with noodles, cook them in the lamb broth, and it tastes better than any stir-fried noodle dish.
From "Cuisine of Eastern Beijing" by Wu Zhengge: Bai Kui's Five-Spice Braised Lamb (wuxiang shao yangrou).
It is a tradition to give away free broth when selling braised lamb. The broth is fresh and delicious, which customers really love. Braised lamb is best eaten with a hanging-oven flatbread (gualu shaobing). The favorite way to eat it is to add the lamb and broth to noodles with some shredded cucumber. Beijingers have a saying: "Braised lamb mixed with noodles is delicious in every bite."
When my father ran the business, he added stir-fried (pao), roasted, and hot pot lamb. For the stir-fried lamb, we set up a large griddle at the entrance. Customers would buy half a jin or four liang of lamb slices, stand around the griddle with one foot on a stool, and eat it as it was cooked. It was a very fun experience. Eating braised lamb or stir-fried lamb with a flatbread, followed by a bowl of lotus leaf porridge or millet porridge, is both a treat and very affordable. Bai Kui was one of the first restaurants in Beijing to serve hot pot lamb (shuan yangrou), and they hired master chefs to slice the meat. You must use pine and cypress wood to roast the meat. The roasted meat takes on the scent of the wood, which is a unique and special pleasure.
Selected Historical Materials of Dongcheng District, Beijing, Volume 1: Bai Kui's spiced roast lamb (wuxiang shaoyangrou). Hei Deliang (Wang Dongsi: The author was the manager of Bai Kui from 1942 to 1957).
Bai Kui's roast lamb (shaoyangrou).
Beijing roast lamb is rich, tender, and crispy. This cooking method is unique to Beijing and I have not seen it anywhere else. It is not suitable for home cooking. Only lamb restaurants and lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi) specialize in this dish. A lamb stall (yangrou chuangzi) is a specific name for a lamb shop. In the past, most lamb shops in Beijing were run by Hui Muslims. They would slaughter sheep at the morning market, and the cutting board looked like a wooden bed, which is why they were called lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi). These lamb stalls (yangrou chuangzi) are a daily necessity for residents, and you can find them on almost every street. Except for the very smallest shops, almost every place makes roasted lamb (shao yangrou) in the summer, though the quality varies quite a bit. The earliest famous shop for roasted lamb is Bai Kui in the East City, which everyone in old Beijing knows.
Bai Kui was a person's name, and he was a Hui Muslim. He opened the Dongchangshun Halal Restaurant on Longfu Mosque Street near Dongsi Pailou during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, so it has a history of over two hundred years. The shop became famous for its roasted whole lamb. Although it changed owners several times, it always kept the Bai Kui roasting technique, so the shop has always been called Bai Kui. This roasted lamb is famous first because the ingredients used are very carefully selected. People say they use over twenty kinds of spices like fennel and cardamom in the broth, adding them in specific amounts to their aged stock (laotang), which gives the lamb a rich and mellow flavor. The second reason is that they raise their own sheep. The meat is fatty and tender, and they only use castrated male sheep. It is not affected by the seasons, and the feed has its own special features, so it hits the market every February.
The roasted lamb (shao yangrou) at typical lamb stalls is not as fancy as the kind at Baikui, but every shop follows the tradition of using a master stock (laotang). Because of this, the roasted lamb always has a unique flavor that you just cannot make at home. A whole lamb (quanyang) means the entire animal is used, as if the whole thing goes into the pot, and it is sold at different prices based on the quality of the cut. The lamb head and lamb neck are not sold in small pieces; you have to buy the whole part. Lamb chops, lamb shanks, and lamb spine (yangxiezi—the spine with the meat and marrow left on) are sold in chunks and are not cut into smaller pieces. Lamb meat is the richest and most delicious part, and it can be cut into small pieces. Also, the heart, liver, tripe, spleen, and intestines are collectively called offal (zasui), which is mostly sold in small pieces at a cheaper price. You can buy a pair of lamb trotters for just two copper coins. The most flavorful part is the lamb head, which includes the brain, tongue, eyes, and ears; it is fun to cut it up yourself. Every part of the lamb is a seasonal summer treat, whether you eat it with drinks, stuff it into a sesame paste flatbread (shaobing), or mix it into noodles.
When buying roasted lamb, you can ask the seller to deep-fry it again, but they will only do it if you spend a certain amount; they won't do it for less than ten cents. Deep-fried roasted lamb is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making the rich, fatty flavor even better. The sellers also give away meat broth with your purchase. The broth is fresh and fragrant. If you buy more than ten copper coins' worth of meat or offal, you get a small bowl of broth, and the more you buy, the more you get. If you buy a whole lamb head or twenty to thirty cents' worth of roasted lamb, you can get half a pot of the original broth. Using this broth to pour over noodles or to cook tofu is the most delicious and affordable side dish, and it is a common meal for native Beijing families. Some laborers, after a long day of work, come to the steamed bun shop in the evening. They cook a pound of noodles, borrow a bowl, go to the lamb stall to buy twenty copper coins' worth of roasted lamb (about five cents), and ask for a bowl of broth to pour over the noodles. With a few cloves of garlic on the side, it makes for a very cheap, delicious, and filling dinner. Most families are small, so they often use this method for summer dinners. It saves money and effort, and it is very common.
Memories of Snacks: Jin Yunzhen
7. Baodu Man at Dongsi Pailou
The halal restaurant Baoduman is located north of the Dongsi Mosque, right where the original Yitiaolong hot pot halal restaurant used to be. It was founded during the Guangxu reign and was originally run by a man named Man, which is why it is called Baoduman. In 1956, it became a joint state-private enterprise and kept the name Baoduman. The original owner, Man Ba'er, still works at the shop and handles the main preparation process for the tripe (baodu). Among Hui Muslims, the term ba'er is like saying comrade, mister, or boss in standard Chinese. Someone named Ma is called Ma Ba'er, someone named Ha is called Ha Ba'er, and someone named Man is naturally called Man Ba'er. Han Chinese acquaintances call it by the same name too.
When you eat quick-boiled tripe (baodu), you do not need to ask for the dipping sauce. As soon as you sit down, they bring a portion for everyone. The sauce is similar to the one used for hot pot lamb (shuan yangrou), but it is simpler and has more sesame paste, making it quite thick. Quick-boiled tripe is a classic Beijing snack, and few people from the south eat it. Quick-boiled tripe is actually just the stomach of a sheep or cow. No matter how fancy the name sounds, it is always this same thing. Both cow tripe and sheep tripe have a part called stomach kernel (duren), but other parts have different names. Cow tripe includes leaf tripe (baiye) and thick head (houtou), while sheep tripe has even more varieties like loose tripe (sandan), board core (banxin), stomach board (duban), stomach ridge (duling), and mushroom head (mogutou). These many names come from the different parts of the stomach, and the prices vary accordingly. The best parts are the stomach kernel and mushroom head. People say you need the stomachs of several sheep to make just one plate of these. The stomach kernel is crunchy, and the mushroom head is tender. The stomach kernel is crunchy but easy to chew, unlike the loose tripe or leaf tripe, which are tough and often have to be swallowed whole. Because of this, the stomach kernel and mushroom head are more expensive. When eating quick-boiled tripe (baodu), start with a plate of omasum (sandan) to chew on, then follow it with a plate of tripe center (duren); that is what we call 'clearing the skies after rain'. The quick-boiled tripe at Baoduman is truly excellent, both crispy and tender. It might be because the owner, Man Ba'er, prepares it himself, so the heat is just right. Pair it with a hot sesame flatbread (shaobing), and it tastes absolutely delicious.
In the mid-1950s, Baoduman expanded into a two-story building. The ground floor still sold quick-boiled tripe and offal (zasui), keeping it very accessible; you could get full on two sesame flatbreads and a plate of tripe. The upstairs served mutton hot pot (shuan yangrou) and traditional halal dishes (jiaomen caicai). After the Cultural Revolution began, the Baoduman at Dongsi Pailou closed down. In the early 1980s, the Ruizhenhou Restaurant, which had moved from Zhongshan Park, opened in the original two-story building where the old Baoduman once stood.
After the Reform and Opening-up, the descendants of Baoduman reopened at 27 Shuru Hutong in Niujie. The full name of the shop is 'Old Baoduman Five-Spice Roasted Beef and Mutton' (Lao Baoduman Wuxiang Shao Niuyangrou); the shop front is as wide as the sign is long. The shop has two sections: one is a takeout window for cooked beef and lamb, and the other is for dining in. The restaurant is quite small with only three rooms, which were originally part of a three-bedroom apartment. Each room holds three or four tables. They do not serve many items, focusing mainly on tripe (baodu), sesame flatbread (shaobing), and braised beef and lamb.
The Baoduman blog by ruiren491112 on Sina. The blogger, Chen Junyuan, was born in Beijing in 1949 and has lived there for generations.
8. The mutton shop at the corner of West Kushuijing and Xinxian Hutong inside Chaoyangmen.
There is a lamb shop at the intersection of Xikushui Jing and Xinxian Hutong that sells breakfast. Early in the morning, you can hear the owner tapping a rolling pin from far away, followed by the mouth-watering smell of baking flatbread (shaobing). The owner's wife looks like a typical person from the Western Regions. My Last Century by Guan Geng
9. The sesame flatbread shop (shaobing) on West Kushuijing Hutong inside Chaoyangmen.
At the entrance of Xikushuijing Hutong, there is a sesame flatbread (shaobing) shop run by an elderly Hui Muslim. He starts his business every morning before dawn. When he makes the bread, he taps his rolling pin loudly and creates a unique patterned crust. The sesame flatbreads (shaobing) made by this elderly Hui Muslim have plenty of sesame seeds, many flaky layers, and a generous amount of sesame paste. You can smell the fresh bread from far away. It has been about sixty years, but I still cannot forget that smell. I cannot find this kind of sesame flatbread (shaobing) anywhere anymore.
The shop also fries dough fritters (yougui). These fritters are similar to the crispy rings (jiaoquan) we have today, but they are shaped into a fine, net-like pattern, which is different from the large fried dough sticks (youtiao) sold now. If you buy a sesame flatbread (shaobing) and stuff a fried dough fritter (yougui) inside, the flavor is beyond words. Sometimes you can also ask for thin crispy crackers (baocui), which are fried until they are crunchy and golden, making them taste even better. I do not know why I cannot find the old taste anymore. Maybe the ingredients have changed or the traditional techniques were lost.
My Last Century by Guan Geng
10. Dongdeshun Restaurant inside Chaoyangmen
The fried meat sesame flatbread (shaobing) at Dongdeshun Restaurant
People say that sesame flatbreads (shaobing) are sweet in the south and salty in the north. The fried meat sesame flatbread (shaobing) created by Dongdeshun Restaurant has the flavor of Beijing meat pie (roubing) and the salty aroma of a sesame flatbread (shaobing). Beijingers call it the "double wonder."
To make it, you shape dough from regular flour, spread on sesame paste, wrap in seasoned meat filling, coat it with sesame seeds, bake it over a fire, and then deep-fry it until cooked. It is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly balances meat and vegetables.
Braised lamb brains (bai shao yang nao) at Dongdeshun Restaurant.
Braised lamb brains is a signature dish by Chef Song Enzhi at Dongdeshun Restaurant.
Fresh lamb brains are rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron, making them a healthy food that helps strengthen the brain and body.
To make it, take fresh lamb brains, blanch them in hot water, remove the membrane, boil them in water until 80% cooked, let them cool, and cut them into small diamond-shaped pieces. Heat chicken fat in a wok, then stir-fry ginger, green onion, garlic slices, and star anise over high heat until golden. Add chicken broth, lamb brains, salt, MSG, and starch. Toss everything together and serve on a blue-patterned plate. The dish is bright white, soft, and tender, making it a delicious and nourishing halal meal.
Collected Delicacies of Beijing Dongcheng, edited by Wei Lisen.
11. Deshengzhai on Jingshan East Street.
Not far east of the Second Campus of Peking University, on the north side of the road, is a restaurant called Deshengzhai. Deshengzhai is a restaurant for Hui Muslims that only serves beef and lamb dishes. The specialty at Deshengzhai is sesame flatbread (shaobing) with beef stew, which is what most students order. What left a clear impression wasn't the food, but a waiter who was about twenty years old. His surname was Yu, and the students all called him Little Yu. He was friendly and hardworking, but also very worldly. He could name almost every student who came in often. When he saw them from a distance, he would call them 'Mr.' and greet them with a nod, a bow, and a big smile, always finding something to talk about. If he had more time, he would be extra polite, saying that after graduation they would surely get promoted and become wealthy, or at the very least, become a bureau chief.
Fuxuan Suohua by Zhang Zhongxing
12. Yueshengzhai on Hubu Lane inside Qianmen.
A bet at Yueshengzhai.
One day, a Japanese acquaintance from the tourism bureau challenged Mengzhang to a bet. They would both take a group of foreign tourists out for a day of sightseeing and see if the guests chose to eat Chinese or Western food. The man boasted that if he lost, he would give a voucher for a ten-person meal at the Grand Hotel (Liuguo Fandian). If he won, Mengzhang had to bring all his guests to eat in his territory for a month.
Mengzhang was furious when he heard this and said, "Kid, you're getting cocky too early. That ten-person meal voucher is mine!"
However, Mengzhang was not confident, so he went to ask Ding Ziqing, the old manager of Donglaishun, for advice.
Ding Ziqing, whose courtesy name was Deshan, was the founder of Donglaishun. He was a very strategic man and a famous figure in the Beijing catering industry. After Meng Zhang explained why he was there, Shopkeeper Ding stroked his beard and said with a smile, "That is not hard at all." I will arrange a show for you that is guaranteed to be a hit. When it is time to eat, just bring your guests to the front of Yueshengzhai and leave the rest to me...
