Beijing Food
Halal Food Guide: Beijing - 10 New Restaurants Worth Trying
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 6 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan. view all
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan.
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan.
Halal Food Guide: Beijing Breakfast — Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian & Henan Food
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 8 views • 16 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself. view all
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself.
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself.
Halal Food Guide: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 18 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor. view all
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor.
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor.
Halal Food Guide: Beijing - 10 New Restaurants Worth Trying
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 6 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan. view all
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan. view all
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Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan.
Summary: This Beijing food note records ten restaurants the writer recently tried, with names, dishes, locations, and photos kept from the original article. The account focuses on practical eating details, including flavors, portions, service, and where each stop fits into Beijing's wider halal and international food scene.
JM Italian Coffee Dongsi Branch
The JM Coffee shop owned by Brother Ma, a fellow Muslim (dosti), now has several locations in Dongsi, Beiluoguxiang, Tuanjiehu, and Baita Mosque, with new shops opening soon in Daji Lane and Niujie. Brother Ma is strict about where he gets his ingredients, and the shop is smoke-free and alcohol-free, so fellow Muslims can eat with peace of mind.
On Saturday, we had afternoon tea at the JM Coffee Dongsi branch. They focus on four types of coffee beans: Ethiopia Sidamo, Brazil Cerrado, Peru, and Kenya. Each is roasted differently, and you can smell each one in the shop before you decide. Besides Americano, latte, and dirty coffee, you can also order a half-black, half-white coffee. I ordered the Kenya latte, which had dried dark plum, roasted nuts, and brown sugar in it. It was very pleasant to drink.
They also have some special caffeine-free drinks, which are great for kids. We ordered the "One Peach" iced drink, which contains kaffir lime leaves, sous-vide nectarine, cardamom, lactic acid bacteria, and oolong tea.
For dessert and bread, we ordered cheesecake, cumin beef ciabatta, and a cinnamon roll. The cheesecake itself isn't sweet, and it comes with hawthorn sauce that really whets the appetite. The kids loved it. The cinnamon roll has tons of pecans and a strong cinnamon flavor. Ciabatta, also known as slipper bread, was invented by Venetian bakers to compete with the French baguette. Their ciabatta is made with cumin and beef, giving it a flavor similar to meat naan (rounang).
Halal Hunan Cuisine Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry
Huixiangyun Halal Stir-fry just reopened after an upgrade at the Wangjing Food City. They specialize in Sichuan and Hunan style stir-fries. The owner is a fellow Muslim (dosti) from Qinghai, and the shop is smoke-free, alcohol-free, clean, and tidy. We had Dongting poached fish, spicy chicken feet with yam, spicy shrimp tails, Zhangshugang pepper stir-fried beef, stir-fried chicken giblets Hunan-style, mashed pepper with century egg, and mouth-watering chicken (kou shu ji). The Hunan-style stir-fries are cooked over high heat with plenty of peppers, making them perfect with rice! The Dongting poached fish is delicious, and the Zhangshugang peppers are a Hunan specialty with a great texture. The beef is stir-fried until very tender.
Besides Hunan dishes, they also serve Qinghai dishes from the owner's hometown, such as the sweet and sour pork tenderloin and stewed beef (hu niurou) from the Qinghai "Old Eight Dishes" (lao ba pan), which are hard to find in Beijing. Huangyuan sweet and sour pork tenderloin is made by simmering aged vinegar and chili into a thick soup, which is poured over fried tenderloin when served. Stewed beef (hu niurou) is made by boiling and slicing the beef, steaming it, and then pouring a savory sauce and toppings over it. The beef is soft and tender, making it a favorite for both the elderly and children.
To accommodate those who can't eat spicy food during group meals, they also offer non-spicy dishes like Beijing grilled lamb (zhizi kaorou) and braised luffa with garlic. The handmade yogurt made by the Qinghai chef is also excellent, with a texture like creamy ice cream.
Shandong Dezhou Lamb Soup and Steamed Dumplings
In the morning, I had steamed dumplings (zhengjiao), lamb bone broth (yangtang), and sesame flatbread with meat (shaobing jiarou) at Old Ma's place in Zhaogongkou, Fengtai. The owner is from Dezhou, Shandong, and the lamb broth is in the style of Shan County. It is a milky white broth made by boiling crushed lamb leg bones over high heat until they emulsify. White broth and clear broth taste different, and the white broth is much richer.
Their sesame flatbread with meat tastes great. The flatbread is very crispy and softer than the typical Beijing style, with plenty of sesame seeds on both sides. The meat inside is shredded and also softer than the usual Beijing-style sesame flatbread with meat. We ordered shepherd's purse dumplings and beef dumplings. The beef ones are juicy, and the shepherd's purse filling is rare in Beijing and tastes quite fresh and fragrant.
Philly cheesesteak
In the evening, after my son fell asleep, my wife and I went for a walk in Sanlitun. We often eat at the shawarma shop run by a Palestinian owner in Sanlitun SOHO. Before, we could only eat outside, but now we can sit inside to eat grilled meat, drink tea, and have coffee.
Besides shawarma wraps, they also serve Philly cheesesteaks, which are a classic street food. The Philly cheesesteak was invented by Italian-Americans on the streets of Philadelphia in the 1930s. It is made by putting shredded beef, cooked onions, and melted cheese into an Italian roll, often with other toppings. I think their Philly cheesesteak is more filling than the shawarma wrap; one is enough to make me feel full and satisfied. For a drink, I highly recommend the Middle Eastern diluted yogurt drink ayran, which is just yogurt mixed with water and a little salt. Their ayran has a rich, tangy, and milky flavor that is very appetizing.
This reminds me that food has no borders. On a summer evening in Beijing, we are eating Italian-American snacks made by our Palestinian brothers, and as long as the food is good, that is enough.
Roma Restaurant
Roma Restaurant is a very hidden spot inside Chaoyangmen, located in the basement next to a pool hall across from Galaxy SOHO. The owner is Pakistani and speaks fluent Chinese. He says he has a PhD from Peking Union Medical College and is currently a doctor at the Panjiayuan Cancer Hospital, so running the restaurant is just a side job.
They specialize in Western-style light meals and Pakistani curry. We ordered the spaghetti set, beef burger set, charcoal-grilled lamb cheese pizza, Caesar salad, and yogurt sauce. Their set meals offer great value for money.
I highly recommend the pizza; they are generous with the cheese and it tastes good. The Caesar salad portion is huge with plenty of chicken breast. It is healthy enough for one person to eat as a meal, and my child really likes it.
The spaghetti uses a creamy white sauce with chicken chunks, which my child loves. The set also includes two pieces of chicken pizza, a slice of chocolate cake, four grilled shrimp, and a small salad. It is really a great place to bring kids for a change of pace. The salad uses Thousand Island dressing, which gives it that old-school Western restaurant vibe. Usually, our Pakistani friends don't serve salads this way.
The beef burger tastes okay and the meat is good. It has various vegetables inside, but it is rare to find carrot slices in it. The burger combo comes with cola, fried chicken wings, french fries, and salad. The fries are fried well, but the chicken wings feel like they have a bit too little meat.
I do not recommend the yogurt sauce at the end. The yogurt has no flavor, and the side vegetables are the same as the salad, which feels a bit repetitive.
Mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang).
I came to Muyuzhai on Dongsi Shitiao for breakfast and ordered mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) with beef and fennel buns (baozi). The mashed garlic lamb intestines (lansu yangchang) is their original creation. It mimics the thickened sauce of the traditional snack fried liver (chaogan), and it contains lamb intestines and lamb liver. After eating, I felt the thickened sauce was quite authentic. The lamb intestines were a bit tough, but the lamb liver was okay. Also, their paper cups are too deep, which makes them inconvenient to drink from and hard to hold. If you are not careful, they can easily fall into the pot. I hope the owner can change this.
I personally strongly support the learning and innovation of halal food as long as it stays within the rules of the faith. This is because halal food has been developing for hundreds of years by learning from and integrating various food cultures. Nearly a hundred years ago, the famous Beijing chef Chu Xiang boldly introduced ingredients never before used in Chinese cooking at Xilaishun, such as tomatoes, asparagus, lettuce, tomato sauce, and salad dressing, which made halal cuisine much richer than before. Many dishes that we take for granted today were actually only passed down because our predecessors boldly tried them despite controversy.
Inner Mongolia Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red (caoyuan shiliuhong).
The Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) from Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, which we often eat at Huguosi, has opened a branch on Qianmen Street. We went there for a group dinner on Sunday night. The Qianmen branch is right next to Xianyukou Food Street. The shop is very spacious with open tables on the first floor and private rooms on the second. There are young ladies performing Mongolian dances, and there is a viewing platform to enjoy the night view of Qianmen. They specialize in steamed dumplings (shaomai), Mongolian food, and grassland hot pot. We ordered pot tea (guocha), wild onion lamb steamed dumplings (shaomai), lamb leg steamed dumplings (shaomai), hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), Mongolian lamb intestines (yangchang), and stir-fried lamb with vermicelli. The taste is basically the same as the Huguosi branch.
For the pot tea (guocha), they first stir-fry butter, then pour in milk tea, roasted rice, milk tofu, milk skin, and dried meat. It is very comforting to drink. The steamed dumplings (shaomai) are wrapped and steamed to order. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives, and it is more pungent than the lamb leg flavor. If there are many people, I suggest ordering both fillings to try. The hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou) is very tender, and children love it too. Dipping it in fresh chive flowers really brings out the flavor.
This is my second visit to Lianying Steamed Dumplings (shaomai) Grassland Pomegranate Red outside Qianmen. Last time I had the pot tea (guocha) and hand-grabbed lamb (shouba yangrou), and this time I had lamb spine (yangxiezi) and roasted whole lamb. The lamb spine (yangxiezi) is neither spicy nor salty. The lamb is stewed in old broth and does not have a gamey smell. There is just a little less meat on the bones, so you mainly eat it for the pleasure of gnawing on the bones. The skin of the roasted whole lamb is a bit tough, but the meat is very tender and the flavor is relatively light. Dipping it in cumin powder and chili powder makes it suitable for the whole family to eat together. The restaurant hired Mongolian dancers and a horse-head fiddle player, so you can experience grassland culture while you eat.
I chatted with Boss Li this time. He started learning to make baked flatbread (beizi) at seventeen. Later, he moved from Hohhot to Jining to build his career, and now he has even opened two shops in Beijing. He is truly impressive.
Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) in Wangfujing
I came to Mufu, a newly opened Gansu spicy hot pot (malatang) restaurant in Wangfujing, for a meal and to offer a sacrifice (qurbani). The shop is right next to WF Central, so the location is great. The chili for the spicy hot pot (malatang) comes from the owner's hometown in Linxia, Gansu. The mild version is fragrant but not spicy, and they can also make it extra spicy or non-spicy to suit everyone.
This shop and the beef noodle place next door are the same business, so you can order grilled skewers (kaochuan) to eat in the spicy hot pot (malatang) shop. The grilled meat is very fragrant and tender. It is quite pleasant to eat skewers (chuan) under the shade of the trees by the door on a summer evening.
A restaurant in a courtyard house (siheyuan)
I was invited by a friend (dosti) to have a meal at Yuezhen Yayuan next to the Lama Temple. It is probably the halal restaurant with the best atmosphere near my home. The small courtyard house (siheyuan) is very unique, lush, and relaxing, though there are mosquitoes in the summer.
We ordered braised oxtail, crystal vegetable buns, crispy golden beef ribs, clay pot king beans, healthy corn cakes, and baked chicken wings with golden orchid sauce. They have updated their menu, and the dishes are all very refined now. I think the braised oxtail is delicious. It is cooked until very soft, and the seasoning is good. The crystal vegetable buns have a Cantonese feel; they are small but quite refreshing. The corn cakes are like snacks, perfect for eating while drinking tea and chatting. I thought the chicken and pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were just average this time. The chicken texture was not good, and the pan-fried dumplings (jianjiao) were not cooked through at first and had hard centers, so they took them back to redo.
Dongsi Naan Shop
The newly opened Afanti Naan Shop on Dongsi North Street is right at the entrance of Lingtouyang. A Uyghur brother was making meat naan, sesame naan, and onion naan (piyazi naan). When I arrived, I caught the baked buns (kaobaozi) coming out of the oven, so I ate two while they were hot. I also bought some meat naan and sesame naan to bring home for soaking in lamb soup (yangtang) in the morning.
Thinking back, there were not many specialized naan shops in Beijing a few years ago, but now they are everywhere. It is becoming more and more convenient for Beijingers to eat fresh, hot naan.
Halal Food Guide: Beijing Breakfast — Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian & Henan Food
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 8 views • 16 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself. view all
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself.
Summary: This Beijing breakfast guide introduces four distinctive places connected with Pakistani, Turkish, Inner Mongolian, and Henan food. The article keeps the original shop details, dishes, photos, and personal notes while presenting them as a practical English food account.
Pakistani breakfast: flatbread (naan) and curry.
The Pakistani restaurant Samosa in Xibahe just started serving breakfast! You can order a la carte or choose a set meal from 7:30 to 11:00 in the morning. The three-person set includes three staples: butter naan, layered flatbread (paratha), and thin crispy bread (puri). It also comes with three dishes: chickpea masala curry, potato bhaji curry, and a Pakistani-style spicy scrambled egg (khagina). For dessert, there is homemade yogurt and semolina pudding (halawa), plus a unique mango pickle. For hot drinks, you can choose milk tea, milk, or coffee. This three-person set has a huge variety, making it perfect for a family to eat and chat on a weekend morning. Their naan is softer than the kind in Xinjiang, which makes it perfect for dipping in curry. The paratha is similar to northern Chinese griddle cakes, but it is made with butter and is very fragrant. The puri is very popular with kids, and it tastes great paired with the halawa dessert. Their yogurt is homemade, unsweetened, and has a very rich milky flavor. The halawa is not too sweet, so it feels light to eat.
You can also choose a simple meal of a sandwich and a hot drink. Their sandwiches are delicious, with chicken breast or tuna options, plus vegetables and eggs. They are very healthy and great for when you are in a rush for work.
Since subway lines 12 and 17 opened, it is very convenient to get to Samosa. After eating, you can take the subway directly to Sanlitun for shopping and enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Turkish breakfast: bread and...
cheese.
Mado is a famous Turkish snack chain from the city of Kahramanmarash in southeastern Turkey. Its biggest feature is that it uses goat milk from its hometown to make all its signature dairy products and ice cream. Their breakfast is also very rich.
I have eaten Mado breakfast at their Yiwu and Guangzhou locations before, and in 2024, it became available at the Sultan Turkish Restaurant in Beijing. Mado has many breakfast options. We ordered the two-person set, which is served starting at 10:30 and is available all day. The two-person set includes Turkish-style fried eggs with sausage, Marash cheese, feta cheese, a yellow cheese platter, honey with Turkish cream, green olives, black olives, tomato chili paste, tahini syrup, cherry jam, dried apricots, walnuts, feta cheese spring rolls, a kiwi-orange-banana platter, a cucumber-tomato platter, plus bread, flatbread (naan), and Turkish black tea. It is a very rich variety. Their naan is very fluffy, and it tastes great when you tear it open and spread different jams on it.
Inner Mongolian breakfast: steamed dumplings (shaomai) and pot tea (guocha).
Lianying Shaomai is a time-honored brand from Jining, Inner Mongolia, and they also have a branch on Huguosi Street in Beijing. You can have an Inner Mongolian breakfast there in the morning. The pot tea contains milk skin, milk tofu, beef jerky, and roasted millet. It has a very rich milky flavor, and our whole family loves it. We ordered the mutton filling and the mutton with wild onion (shacong) filling for the shaomai. Both are made with chunks of meat and have very thin skins. The wild onion flavor is between green onion and chives; it is very pungent and suits the taste of people from Xinjiang. You can get free refills on their cold dishes and corn grit porridge (bangzazhou). They also serve salty baked flatbread (beizi) with Inner Mongolian lamb offal. We ordered the flatbread this time, and it was quite good.
Henan breakfast: bean flour soup (doumo) and vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang).
The Yuwei Xiaoyao Town spicy soup (hulatang) shop on Dongsi North Street opened in 2024. When we don't want to cook breakfast at home on weekends, we go there to eat. We often order the fennel and egg or chive and egg vegetable snake-shaped rolls (caimang), spicy soup (hulatang), bean flour soup (doumo), and millet and pumpkin porridge. The skin of the vegetable snake-shaped roll (caimang) is very thin, and I think it tastes better than steamed buns (baozi).
They serve braised noodles (huimian) in the morning, made in the Zhengzhou style with kelp, shredded tofu, vermicelli, quail eggs, and sliced meat. The white broth is light, so you can add chili and pickled garlic yourself.
Halal Food Guide: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 18 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor. view all
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor.
Summary: Beijing International Neighbors Festival - Iranian, Azerbaijani and Maldivian Food is presented as a clear English travel account for readers interested in Muslim life, halal food, architecture, and local history. The article keeps the original names, food details, photographs, and cultural context while focusing on Beijing Food, Cultural Festival, Halal Food.
Yesterday, I attended the International Neighborhood Festival at the Jianwai Diplomatic Apartment. This festival has been held for six years. You can eat snacks from different countries and experience a rich variety of cultures.
At the Iran booth, we ate chocolate cake and butter raisin cookies, and drank saffron tea. Sholezard is a special Iranian saffron pudding. It is a rice pudding made with saffron, sugar, rose water, cinnamon, and cardamom. It is the most common dessert Iranians eat to break their fast during Ramadan every year.
At the Azerbaijan booth, we tasted stuffed grape leaves (dolma) and the signature grilled meat skewers (lula kebab). There were also children wearing traditional Azerbaijani clothing.
In Turkish, dolma means "stuffed." It refers to putting meat filling inside various vegetables. Dolma was a staple dish for farmers during the Ottoman Empire. They usually stuffed cabbage in the winter and grape leaves in the summer. Today, dolma is widely found across Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once ruled. Every place has its own unique version.
Lula kebab is made by grinding lamb and onions together into a mince, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and then grilling the meat on iron skewers.
I also saw a Maldives booth, and the Maldives embassy is located right inside the apartment building. The booth had all kinds of Maldivian snacks. We bought a spicy Maldivian flatbread (Kulhi Roshi) that contained ginger, garlic, onion, curry leaves (jiulixiang), shredded coconut, red chili powder, black pepper, cumin powder, tuna powder, fish paste (Rihaakuru), and lime juice. It had a very strong flavor.