Reposted from the web

Summary: This Kuala Lumpur halal food map issue 7 covers Limapulo Baba Can Cook, Ali-Han Muslim buffet hot pot and barbecue, Petaling Street halal malatang, Bartolo Lisboa Bakehouse, Village Park nasi lemak, Yunnan rice noodles, An Bang chicken rice, Barraca, and Hai Kah Lang seafood fish head noodles.

The restaurants in this issue are as follows:

1. Limapulo: Baba Can Cook (Nyonya cuisine)

2. Ali·Han Muslim buffet hotpot barbecue

3. Petaling Street Halal Malatang

4. BARTOLO LISBOA BAKEHOUSE (Portuguese cuisine)

5. VILLAGE PARK RESTAURANT (Nasi Lemak)

6. Steaming Era (Chaoshan Cuisine)

7. Yunye·Yunnan Rice Noodles

8. Anbang Paradise Chicken Rice Restaurant (Fujian cuisine)

9. BARRACA (Spanish food)

10. Hai Jiao Ren (seafood stall)

1. Limapulo:Baba Can Cook



This is a Malay-Nyonya restaurant that has been on the Michelin list for four consecutive years. Among Malay cuisines, I like to eat Nyonya food the most, because Nyonya food combines the cooking skills and taste of Nanyang Chinese.





The photo should be the founders. You can see that they are wearing traditional clothes and have Nanyang characteristics.



This restaurant is very popular. In Malaysia, any restaurant that can get Michelin certification is very popular because the consumption here is not expensive, with an average of 20-40 ringgit per person.



There are many things on the menu. In order to avoid being confused, I chose the most popular dishes based on the recommendations of most netizens.



Most of the people who come to eat at noon are office workers nearby, so there is no need to queue.



A cup of Nanyang-style teh tarik. The teh tarik here tastes good and moderate in taste. I don’t like drinks that are too sweet.



Satay chicken skewers, satay means grilled skewers. The white one should be Nyonya cake. The chicken itself is marinated. To eat satay, it needs to be paired with sauce. This dipping sauce is slightly sweet and not spicy. I am not used to the spicy taste in Southeast Asia.



This is one of the store's signature dishes, called shrimp tart. It is made of shrimp and crispy shell into the shape of an egg tart, with vegetable salad inside. You can dip it in the sweet and salty sauce. It is very delicious.



The restaurant is located near the World Trade Center. Parking is not easy around. You need to park in a parking lot in a nearby building. The passage in that parking lot is very narrow and the parking fee is relatively expensive. It is best not to drive here.

Address: Limapulo (Limapulo Baba Can Cook)

2. Ali·Han Muslim Buffet Hot Pot



A newly opened Chinese northwest-style self-service hotpot on Petaling Street. The owner is from Qinghai. The northwest flavor is mainly reflected in his northwest noodles such as Youxiang and bitter bean rolls.



You can choose between hot pot and barbecue, or both, and the per capita consumption is around RM40.



There is a wide variety of ingredients, including everything you should have, including desserts and ice cream.









You can choose the mandarin duck pot as the bottom of the pot, barbecue and hot pot are both available together.



The location is opposite the famous Chinese Ramen on Petaling Street, but it can’t be found on the map.

Address: Baker Street (Petaling Street)

3. Halal Malatang



Petaling Street is a Chinese food street, and next to the Muslim hotpot there is a Malatang that does a good business.



This Malatang used to be a Ma Jinlong franchise store, but it is no longer there. There are two branches in the same street.



The style is the same as in China, you can choose your own ingredients, and the vegetarian and meat dishes are the same price.



In fact, the taste is not as good as the spicy hotpot in China, but the business is booming, and the diners are mainly Malays.

Address: Baker Street (Petaling Street)

4. BARTOLO LISBOA BAKEHOUSE



This was the first time I saw a Portuguese restaurant, so I came over to try it out of curiosity. This shop specializes in Portuguese bread and also has simple meals.



The owner looks like a serious Portuguese at first glance, and the menu is all in Portuguese. I asked the waiter to recommend a local specialty to me.



This egg-like pancake is called Bolo do caco. It is a round flatbread with a shape like a fire and a soft texture. It is a traditional Portuguese staple food.



Portuguese egg tarts are probably the most famous snacks in Portugal. This authentic Portuguese egg tarts are larger, thicker and sweeter than the egg tarts we eat in China.



I ordered a strawberry milkshake for my son. The freshly squeezed strawberries and milk tasted sour and sweet, and it was quite delicious.



The prices in this store are on the high side, with the three items costing a total of RM64.

Address: Bartolo (Bartolo Lisboa Bakehouse)

5. VILLAGE PARK RESTAURANT



This is a very famous nasi lemak restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. I have been here twice, both times at noon. It is very popular and you have to queue for more than ten minutes during peak hours.



Although there are many people, the service is still very good. The waiters are unhurried and arranged in an orderly manner.



Nasi lemak is the national dish of Southeast Asia. Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia all consider themselves to be the birthplace of nasi lemak.



My experience is that just choose their signature chicken drumstick nasi lemak, the others are not as delicious as the signature.



This meal only costs RM12, so the value for money is really hard to beat.



Their store opens at six in the morning, and you can have hot spring eggs dipped in bread for breakfast.





For drinks, we recommend a cup of white coffee, which is the most popular coffee category in Southeast Asia.

Address: 5, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

6. Steaming Era



When eating seafood in Kuala Lumpur, the first choice is a restaurant opened by Chaoshan people. This steamed seafood restaurant is the most delicious seafood restaurant I have ever eaten in Kuala Lumpur.





Malay seafood restaurants often sell dead frozen products. Only Chaoshan people prefer fresh seafood, because the fresher the seafood, the less fishy it smells.



The method of steaming seafood is also simple. Put the raw porridge at the bottom of the pot, put the seafood on top, cover it, wait a few minutes, and you can eat the seafood on top. After eating the seafood, the porridge at the bottom is also ready, and the seafood soup will flow into the bottom of the pot, which is delicious.



There are many kinds of seafood in this store, and there are many ways to eat them. The seafood can be eaten raw or steamed.





More than a dozen kinds of dipping sauces, mix and match as you like.



Their signature milk tea is better than other milk tea shops outside. It tastes sweeter and sweeter. The waiter even asked me what I thought of the taste. I said it was very good.



This thing is very similar to northwest pasta. It is made by Chaoshan people with Hui oil flavor. It is a thin layer with a hollow inside, which can be eaten with vegetables.



The seafood casserole porridge, the seafood in it can be tasted and the ingredients are fresh, definitely not made from frozen products.



The prawns and scallops are both alive and will jump around when put in the steamer.



After steaming the seafood, I just had porridge. This steamed dish, paired with their dipping sauce, is more delicious than eating Malatang.









Seven-star spotted fish is a fish that we all like to eat. It has no small spines and the meat is tender and firm. It has no shortcomings except that it is expensive.



I have been to this steamed seafood restaurant twice, and each time I ate different dishes, they all tasted great. If you don’t eat expensive ingredients, the per capita consumption would be around RM70.

Address: Marina Seafood (Marina Seafood Restaurant Steam Times)

7. Yunye·Yunnan Rice Noodles·Sichuan Small Bowl Dishes



Friends who want to eat Yunnan rice noodles in Kuala Lumpur are in luck, a Yunnan rice noodle shop has opened at the back of the Bank of China Building.



They specialize in a variety of small bowl dishes, but the rice noodles are what attracts me the most.



The diners at noon are mainly office workers nearby. This kind of small bowl dish is convenient to choose and the price is cheap.





The rice noodles are made in the traditional Yunnan way, with mint added and the beef soup stewed very thick.

Address: 1, Megan Avenue, C-0-7, 189, Jln Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

8. An Bang Paradise Chicken Rice Restaurant



This chicken rice restaurant is one that I often visit. It is a pork-free restaurant run by a local Chinese. The chicken rice is very delicious.





This is also a traditional Nanyang Chinese craft that has been practiced in Ampang for two generations.



For chicken rice, you can choose either plain-cut chicken or grilled chicken legs. I have tried both, and they are both delicious, and the accompanying dipping sauces are amazing.



The store's homemade herbal tea and Fuzhou fish balls show that their ancestors are from Fujian.





This is for dine-in dining, and you can also choose to take it out. They will pack it in a sealed box, and the taste will not be affected at all after it is opened.



The Ampang Paradise Chicken Restaurant street reminds me of Penang, because this area is also a gathering place for Chinese.

Address: 158, Jalan Besar Ampang, Pekan Ampang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor

9. BARRACA



This is a newly opened Spanish restaurant in Ampang, and its main specialty is of course paella.



I have eaten Spanish restaurants in Indonesia before. There are also some restaurants in China that make Spanish paella, but it is difficult to eat authentic ones.



Facts have proved that Spanish paella is just that, not that good, because the rice they use is a bit hard, and it mainly depends on the freshness of the ingredients.



This shop has just opened and is very popular. There are only a dozen staff working in the kitchen.



The bread that comes with the meal is a standard feature of Western food.





This thing that looks like sushi is topped with octopus. Spanish and Portuguese people like to eat octopus.



This goat cheese salad is very delicious, mainly because the cheese has a rich milky aroma. Spain has a well-developed animal husbandry and first-class dairy products.

Address: L1-08 The Campus Ampang Jalan Kolam Air Lama, Mukim, 68000 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

10. Hai Kah Lang



Hai Jiao Ren is an Internet celebrity Michelin restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, specializing in a variety of seafood and Nanyang Chinese snacks.



The difference between this store and Steam Times is that this one is a food stall, while Steam Times is a more high-end business dinner. In the steaming era, seafood was steamed, but this restaurant mainly specializes in spicy stir-fried, fried and various curries.



When Chinese people eat seafood, of course they still have to eat it fresh.



Haijiaoren is quite large, but it is still full, and you have to queue for more than ten minutes for lunch.



We followed the recommendations on Dianping and chose the most popular signature dishes.



A cup of Hainan tea, Hainan tea is white coffee, and a cup of lemongrass lemonade.



This is called soft fried crab, and you can eat it with the shell because it is really soft.



I still chose my favorite seven-star grouper. This kind of fish is delicious no matter how you prepare it, as long as the ingredients are fresh.



This is mixed seafood, with kway teow at the bottom. The kway teow is like vermicelli or rice noodles. The soup base is Tom Yum Goong. This bowl is very generous, with shrimps, crabs, shells, and fish in it. The meal costs 60 ringgit per person.

Address: Hai Kah Lang (Taman Cheras) Hai Kah Lang Seafood & Fish Head Noodle view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Kuala Lumpur halal food map issue 7 covers Limapulo Baba Can Cook, Ali-Han Muslim buffet hot pot and barbecue, Petaling Street halal malatang, Bartolo Lisboa Bakehouse, Village Park nasi lemak, Yunnan rice noodles, An Bang chicken rice, Barraca, and Hai Kah Lang seafood fish head noodles.

The restaurants in this issue are as follows:

1. Limapulo: Baba Can Cook (Nyonya cuisine)

2. Ali·Han Muslim buffet hotpot barbecue

3. Petaling Street Halal Malatang

4. BARTOLO LISBOA BAKEHOUSE (Portuguese cuisine)

5. VILLAGE PARK RESTAURANT (Nasi Lemak)

6. Steaming Era (Chaoshan Cuisine)

7. Yunye·Yunnan Rice Noodles

8. Anbang Paradise Chicken Rice Restaurant (Fujian cuisine)

9. BARRACA (Spanish food)

10. Hai Jiao Ren (seafood stall)

1. Limapulo:Baba Can Cook



This is a Malay-Nyonya restaurant that has been on the Michelin list for four consecutive years. Among Malay cuisines, I like to eat Nyonya food the most, because Nyonya food combines the cooking skills and taste of Nanyang Chinese.





The photo should be the founders. You can see that they are wearing traditional clothes and have Nanyang characteristics.



This restaurant is very popular. In Malaysia, any restaurant that can get Michelin certification is very popular because the consumption here is not expensive, with an average of 20-40 ringgit per person.



There are many things on the menu. In order to avoid being confused, I chose the most popular dishes based on the recommendations of most netizens.



Most of the people who come to eat at noon are office workers nearby, so there is no need to queue.



A cup of Nanyang-style teh tarik. The teh tarik here tastes good and moderate in taste. I don’t like drinks that are too sweet.



Satay chicken skewers, satay means grilled skewers. The white one should be Nyonya cake. The chicken itself is marinated. To eat satay, it needs to be paired with sauce. This dipping sauce is slightly sweet and not spicy. I am not used to the spicy taste in Southeast Asia.



This is one of the store's signature dishes, called shrimp tart. It is made of shrimp and crispy shell into the shape of an egg tart, with vegetable salad inside. You can dip it in the sweet and salty sauce. It is very delicious.



The restaurant is located near the World Trade Center. Parking is not easy around. You need to park in a parking lot in a nearby building. The passage in that parking lot is very narrow and the parking fee is relatively expensive. It is best not to drive here.

Address: Limapulo (Limapulo Baba Can Cook)

2. Ali·Han Muslim Buffet Hot Pot



A newly opened Chinese northwest-style self-service hotpot on Petaling Street. The owner is from Qinghai. The northwest flavor is mainly reflected in his northwest noodles such as Youxiang and bitter bean rolls.



You can choose between hot pot and barbecue, or both, and the per capita consumption is around RM40.



There is a wide variety of ingredients, including everything you should have, including desserts and ice cream.









You can choose the mandarin duck pot as the bottom of the pot, barbecue and hot pot are both available together.



The location is opposite the famous Chinese Ramen on Petaling Street, but it can’t be found on the map.

Address: Baker Street (Petaling Street)

3. Halal Malatang



Petaling Street is a Chinese food street, and next to the Muslim hotpot there is a Malatang that does a good business.



This Malatang used to be a Ma Jinlong franchise store, but it is no longer there. There are two branches in the same street.



The style is the same as in China, you can choose your own ingredients, and the vegetarian and meat dishes are the same price.



In fact, the taste is not as good as the spicy hotpot in China, but the business is booming, and the diners are mainly Malays.

Address: Baker Street (Petaling Street)

4. BARTOLO LISBOA BAKEHOUSE



This was the first time I saw a Portuguese restaurant, so I came over to try it out of curiosity. This shop specializes in Portuguese bread and also has simple meals.



The owner looks like a serious Portuguese at first glance, and the menu is all in Portuguese. I asked the waiter to recommend a local specialty to me.



This egg-like pancake is called Bolo do caco. It is a round flatbread with a shape like a fire and a soft texture. It is a traditional Portuguese staple food.



Portuguese egg tarts are probably the most famous snacks in Portugal. This authentic Portuguese egg tarts are larger, thicker and sweeter than the egg tarts we eat in China.



I ordered a strawberry milkshake for my son. The freshly squeezed strawberries and milk tasted sour and sweet, and it was quite delicious.



The prices in this store are on the high side, with the three items costing a total of RM64.

Address: Bartolo (Bartolo Lisboa Bakehouse)

5. VILLAGE PARK RESTAURANT



This is a very famous nasi lemak restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. I have been here twice, both times at noon. It is very popular and you have to queue for more than ten minutes during peak hours.



Although there are many people, the service is still very good. The waiters are unhurried and arranged in an orderly manner.



Nasi lemak is the national dish of Southeast Asia. Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia all consider themselves to be the birthplace of nasi lemak.



My experience is that just choose their signature chicken drumstick nasi lemak, the others are not as delicious as the signature.



This meal only costs RM12, so the value for money is really hard to beat.



Their store opens at six in the morning, and you can have hot spring eggs dipped in bread for breakfast.





For drinks, we recommend a cup of white coffee, which is the most popular coffee category in Southeast Asia.

Address: 5, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

6. Steaming Era



When eating seafood in Kuala Lumpur, the first choice is a restaurant opened by Chaoshan people. This steamed seafood restaurant is the most delicious seafood restaurant I have ever eaten in Kuala Lumpur.





Malay seafood restaurants often sell dead frozen products. Only Chaoshan people prefer fresh seafood, because the fresher the seafood, the less fishy it smells.



The method of steaming seafood is also simple. Put the raw porridge at the bottom of the pot, put the seafood on top, cover it, wait a few minutes, and you can eat the seafood on top. After eating the seafood, the porridge at the bottom is also ready, and the seafood soup will flow into the bottom of the pot, which is delicious.



There are many kinds of seafood in this store, and there are many ways to eat them. The seafood can be eaten raw or steamed.





More than a dozen kinds of dipping sauces, mix and match as you like.



Their signature milk tea is better than other milk tea shops outside. It tastes sweeter and sweeter. The waiter even asked me what I thought of the taste. I said it was very good.



This thing is very similar to northwest pasta. It is made by Chaoshan people with Hui oil flavor. It is a thin layer with a hollow inside, which can be eaten with vegetables.



The seafood casserole porridge, the seafood in it can be tasted and the ingredients are fresh, definitely not made from frozen products.



The prawns and scallops are both alive and will jump around when put in the steamer.



After steaming the seafood, I just had porridge. This steamed dish, paired with their dipping sauce, is more delicious than eating Malatang.









Seven-star spotted fish is a fish that we all like to eat. It has no small spines and the meat is tender and firm. It has no shortcomings except that it is expensive.



I have been to this steamed seafood restaurant twice, and each time I ate different dishes, they all tasted great. If you don’t eat expensive ingredients, the per capita consumption would be around RM70.

Address: Marina Seafood (Marina Seafood Restaurant Steam Times)

7. Yunye·Yunnan Rice Noodles·Sichuan Small Bowl Dishes



Friends who want to eat Yunnan rice noodles in Kuala Lumpur are in luck, a Yunnan rice noodle shop has opened at the back of the Bank of China Building.



They specialize in a variety of small bowl dishes, but the rice noodles are what attracts me the most.



The diners at noon are mainly office workers nearby. This kind of small bowl dish is convenient to choose and the price is cheap.





The rice noodles are made in the traditional Yunnan way, with mint added and the beef soup stewed very thick.

Address: 1, Megan Avenue, C-0-7, 189, Jln Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

8. An Bang Paradise Chicken Rice Restaurant



This chicken rice restaurant is one that I often visit. It is a pork-free restaurant run by a local Chinese. The chicken rice is very delicious.





This is also a traditional Nanyang Chinese craft that has been practiced in Ampang for two generations.



For chicken rice, you can choose either plain-cut chicken or grilled chicken legs. I have tried both, and they are both delicious, and the accompanying dipping sauces are amazing.



The store's homemade herbal tea and Fuzhou fish balls show that their ancestors are from Fujian.





This is for dine-in dining, and you can also choose to take it out. They will pack it in a sealed box, and the taste will not be affected at all after it is opened.



The Ampang Paradise Chicken Restaurant street reminds me of Penang, because this area is also a gathering place for Chinese.

Address: 158, Jalan Besar Ampang, Pekan Ampang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor

9. BARRACA



This is a newly opened Spanish restaurant in Ampang, and its main specialty is of course paella.



I have eaten Spanish restaurants in Indonesia before. There are also some restaurants in China that make Spanish paella, but it is difficult to eat authentic ones.



Facts have proved that Spanish paella is just that, not that good, because the rice they use is a bit hard, and it mainly depends on the freshness of the ingredients.



This shop has just opened and is very popular. There are only a dozen staff working in the kitchen.



The bread that comes with the meal is a standard feature of Western food.





This thing that looks like sushi is topped with octopus. Spanish and Portuguese people like to eat octopus.



This goat cheese salad is very delicious, mainly because the cheese has a rich milky aroma. Spain has a well-developed animal husbandry and first-class dairy products.

Address: L1-08 The Campus Ampang Jalan Kolam Air Lama, Mukim, 68000 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

10. Hai Kah Lang



Hai Jiao Ren is an Internet celebrity Michelin restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, specializing in a variety of seafood and Nanyang Chinese snacks.



The difference between this store and Steam Times is that this one is a food stall, while Steam Times is a more high-end business dinner. In the steaming era, seafood was steamed, but this restaurant mainly specializes in spicy stir-fried, fried and various curries.



When Chinese people eat seafood, of course they still have to eat it fresh.



Haijiaoren is quite large, but it is still full, and you have to queue for more than ten minutes for lunch.



We followed the recommendations on Dianping and chose the most popular signature dishes.



A cup of Hainan tea, Hainan tea is white coffee, and a cup of lemongrass lemonade.



This is called soft fried crab, and you can eat it with the shell because it is really soft.



I still chose my favorite seven-star grouper. This kind of fish is delicious no matter how you prepare it, as long as the ingredients are fresh.



This is mixed seafood, with kway teow at the bottom. The kway teow is like vermicelli or rice noodles. The soup base is Tom Yum Goong. This bowl is very generous, with shrimps, crabs, shells, and fish in it. The meal costs 60 ringgit per person.

Address: Hai Kah Lang (Taman Cheras) Hai Kah Lang Seafood & Fish Head Noodle view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing halal food guide opens the 2024 must-eat list with Niububi Sichuan hot pot, old Beijing halal snacks, Xinjiang cuisine, Tatar food, Chongqing hot pot, suancai fish, roast duck, and Azerbaijani dumplings, all from places the author personally visited.

Friends familiar with my style know that I write about every place I eat. I do not write about shops I have not visited, and I have definitely eaten at every shop I write about. Regardless of whether a restaurant suits my personal taste, I still write about it. My goal is to include as many halal restaurants with different flavors as possible. I generally do not give bad reviews to halal restaurants because I want their businesses to thrive and spread everywhere, making travel easier for us. People often ask me which restaurants in Beijing are worth recommending. As a Beijinger whose family roots in the city go back at least to the Ming Dynasty, I do have a list of high-quality restaurants in my mind. My taste is very down-to-earth, so as long as you are not an extremely picky eater, you will likely find the places I enjoy delicious too.

The variety of halal dining in Beijing is arguably the richest in the world. It brings together halal versions of Chinese regional cuisines as well as halal restaurants from many other countries. I wrote a list of must-eat Beijing-style halal restaurants in 2020 and again in 2022. A few years have passed, and some restaurants on those lists have changed. Below, I present my latest must-eat list of Beijing-style halal restaurants.

The list is in no particular order. I will specifically note if a restaurant does not serve alcohol; otherwise, assume it does.

1. Niububi Hot Pot



Niububi is a halal chain brand from Sichuan. I first ate at Niububi in Chengdu in 2016. That was my first time having authentic halal Chengdu-style hot pot. I waited in line for over two hours, but it was worth it. Later, I ate at their Xining branch (which has since closed) and kept thinking about it after returning to Beijing. Now I can eat those Chengdu flavors right at my doorstep. Since the opening of Subway Line 19, I can go directly from Niujie to Niububi, giving me one less reason to travel to Chengdu.

Today, there is more than one Sichuan-style hot pot place in Beijing. Junbang Hot Pot in the Xinjiang Building is also Sichuan-style. Junbang and Xihan Meatball Soup share the same owner, and the environment and service are excellent, but Niububi remains my number one choice for Sichuan-style halal hot pot.



The restaurant is located on the second floor of Quanpin Jinsha in Mudanyuan. The space is roomy, and the interior design was reportedly created by Hui Muslim designers.



The owner of Niububi is a local Hui Muslim from Sichuan, and the head chef is also a Sichuan Hui Muslim who is skilled at making Sichuan cuisine.



Iced jelly (bingfen)

Iced jelly (bingfen) is a must-have dessert for Sichuan hot pot. It is mainly used to relieve the spiciness and is cold, sour, and sweet.



Duck intestines

Duck intestine and beef tripe are must-order dishes for Chengdu hot pot, and the duck intestine cooks as soon as it hits the water.



Beef tripe

Shabu-shabu beef tripe is a signature dish. Fresh beef tripe only needs a few seconds in the pot, a technique locals call 'seven up, eight down,' or it will get tough.



Crispy fried meat (xiaosurou)

Freshly fried crispy meat is a standard snack for Sichuan hot pot, and the beef is tender and crunchy.



Brown sugar sticky rice cake (hongtang ciba)

Unlike some shops that just heat up pre-made cakes, Niububi makes their brown sugar sticky rice cakes on the spot to ensure the best texture.



The shop is named 'Niububi' because they believe their beef doesn't need to be compared to others. It also sounds like the slang 'niubi' (awesome), and among our friends, the shop really is awesome.



2. Xinjiang Hotan Rose Pilaf (zhuafan)



Hotan Rose is a halal Xinjiang restaurant that only serves pilaf. They have chain stores in Urumqi, and this location just opened recently.



Their signature pilaf is a hit with everyone I know. Besides pilaf, the shop also serves baked buns (kaobaozi), thin-skinned buns (baopibaozi), and three types of free side dishes.





Their free side dishes are especially delicious.



The lamb and oil are both shipped from Xinjiang.



Uyghur staff run the kitchen, and the lamb leg pilaf (zhua fan) at this shop is excellent. I arrived late, so only one lamb leg was left. The meat was very tender and flavorful, and the pilaf was fragrant. It is arguably the best pilaf you can find at a Xinjiang restaurant in Beijing.



3. China-Pakistan Friendship Restaurant



There are at least 10 Indian and Pakistani halal restaurants in Beijing. Samosa is a popular, alcohol-free spot that consistently serves good food. A samosa is a fried triangular snack in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The owner used to run another Indian and Pakistani buffet called ZamZam, and this Samosa is located in Xibahe.



You can eat various Pakistani snacks here. Besides the buffet, you can order a la carte, and they offer halal Western fast food like pizza and pasta.





This is freshly baked butter naan, one of my favorite Indian and Pakistani treats. I can eat a whole basket of bread with curry.





The buffet includes two desserts and three drinks. I like the green mint drink. They use high-quality ingredients, serve generous portions of meat, and the place is clean and hygienic.



The China-Pakistan Friendship Restaurant opened a new branch in Sanlitun this year, and both locations are currently open.

4. Wanfu Halal Iron Pot Stew



This Harbin-style halal iron pot stew in Daxing tastes very good. I think it is better than Uncle Oyster's. Beijing has another halal iron pot stew place worth recommending called Dunyishou, but it falls a bit short compared to Wanfu because it lacks the Northeast-style stir-fried dishes.



Besides the iron pot stew, the biggest surprise is their sweet and sour pork (guobaorou). They offer it in several styles, using either chicken or beef, and you can choose between a sweet or savory flavor.







This is called sticky roll (nianjuanzi). It is made with unleavened dough and dropped into the pot. After steaming with the stew for 15 minutes, it is ready to eat and tastes delicious.



The owner gave us some stone-ground tofu on the house. They make the tofu themselves, and with the savory sauce and toppings, it feels just like eating tofu pudding (doufunao), which is also very tasty.



We added dried green beans and dried potatoes to the iron pot. These two ingredients taste even better stewed than when they are fresh.



The sweet and sour pork (guobaorou) made by Hui Muslims in Harbin is savory. Their version is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We finished the whole plate in no time. It is great to finally have authentic savory sweet and sour pork in Beijing again.

5. La Medina Tunisian Restaurant



Beijing once had a Moroccan-style restaurant called Camel Team that was open for many years before closing due to the pandemic. However, a Tunisian-style restaurant opened during the pandemic. Since Tunisia and Morocco are both in the North African Maghreb region and have similar eating habits, this place helps fill the gap left by the Moroccan restaurant.



This shop has moved to a new location in the last two years, growing from a small space to a larger one. The chef is an Arab from Tunisia. We talked and he confirmed it is a halal restaurant, even though they do not display the sign. In China, you must get approval from the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau to apply for halal certification, otherwise, individuals cannot put up the halal sign on their own.





Classic Moroccan bean soup



Couscous (Tunisian millet rice)

The most unique dish in Tunisia is this couscous. It is called millet rice and has the texture of millet, but it is actually made from ground hard wheat grains.



Tunisian pastry (brik)



shakshuka eggs (shasuka) served on a hot iron plate



beef and wheat bun



The spray nozzle in the bathroom; those who know, know what it is for.

6. Niushi Japanese BBQ



Niushi Japanese BBQ has been open in Beijing for about five years. They used to have three locations, but now only the main CBD branch remains.



The owner of Niushi is named Hei and is a Hui Muslim from Beijing. His family has been in the beef business for generations and they have their own cattle farm in Gansu. The owner knows a lot about beef and is even a consultant for the Ministry of Agriculture on beef, so the quality of the beef at Niushi is guaranteed.



The restaurant is on the high-end side. The bottle of non-alcoholic grapefruit juice I drank cost 330 yuan. The average cost per person here is over 200 yuan, and if you order some good beef, the bill can easily go over a thousand.



This 200g piece of marbled Wagyu beef costs 380 yuan. It is not cheap, but it is tender and juicy. Paired with the fruit sauce developed by the restaurant, it is truly a top-tier dish.



Besides expensive beef, the shop also has some affordable snacks. If you only eat meat to get full, your wallet will be empty. I suggest pairing it with staples like udon noodles, grilled meat rice, or ramen. They are not only affordable but also delicious. These portions are small, so they are perfect for one person.



Udon noodles



Grilled meat rice

Niushi does not serve raw food like sashimi. Food safety rules require strict separation between raw and cooked food preparation, which needs a lot of kitchen space, so they cannot make sashimi right now.



The private rooms have a Japanese style where you need to take off your shoes, so remember to make sure your feet are clean before you come. The restaurant moved to a new location this year not far from the old one, so regular customers should take note.

7. Tomato Pizza and Pasta



Tomato is a new fast-food chain created by the owner of the original Xihongmen Speed Pizza. They focus on made-to-order food at affordable prices. The owner is a Hui Muslim from Xueying in Daxing.



The shop became popular as soon as it opened, and you have to wait in line during peak dining hours.



Their specialties are pizza and pasta, which are both made on the spot and served quickly.



They have soda for 3.9 yuan with free refills that kids can enjoy, and Fahim especially loves their tomato pasta.



A pizza there costs just over 20 yuan and pasta is around a dozen yuan, but the quality of the ingredients is guaranteed.



We have been to the Xindongan and Changping Super Hopson One locations, and the taste was great at both. Now they have added locations at the Communication University of China and Raffles City.

8. Sultan Turkish Restaurant



Formerly Kubei Turkish Restaurant, the original team changed the place into Sultan Turkish Restaurant. Sultan is a chain brand. I ate at one in Yiwu once and the taste was excellent. You could say it is the gold standard for Turkish restaurants in China, perhaps even better than what you might eat in Turkey. It was not very crowded when it first opened, but I hear it has become a viral hit recently and you have to wait in line for a long time.



Sultan serves the famous Turkish ice cream brand MADO. It is made from goat milk without adding water, giving it a rich and creamy flavor.



Beijing also has Dardanelles Turkish Restaurant, Desert Rose Turkish Restaurant, and West Court Show Turkish Restaurant, which are all quite good. Desert Rose and Dardanelles do not sell alcohol, but personally, I think Sultan offers the best dining experience.



Sultan offers many types of Turkish-style breakfasts. You can choose a single or double set meal, and you can even order breakfast during regular meal times. Turkish people are used to eating two meals a day—one in the morning and one in the evening—with each meal lasting a long time.







Balloon flatbread (pide)







MADO layered ice cream, with a choice of four flavors.



Just for this MADO ice cream, it is worth a visit. The quality is higher than Haagen-Dazs.



The open kitchen lets you see the chef baking naan bread by the oven.



Various Turkish desserts served with tea.

9. BRBR Syrian Restaurant



This is the only Syrian restaurant in Beijing. It has been open for many years, and I have watched it grow from a small storefront into a larger space by taking over neighboring shops. At lunchtime, people line up to eat here. This year, BRBR opened a new branch in SOLANA, and business continues to boom.



Syrian food is essentially Arabic food. There are quite a few Arabic restaurants in Beijing, such as One Thousand and One Nights and Al Safir, which are both excellent. The staff there are mostly Arabs from Syria and Palestine.



Honey and nut layered pastry (baklava)



Hummus dip with flatbread.





BRBR mixed grill.



Shawarma rice.



SOLANA branch.

Ever since the Syrian restaurant in Wudaokou, Haidian became popular, the owner wanted to open a branch in Chaoyang District. He finally got his wish, choosing a spot on the second floor of the SOLANA mall near McDonald's.



The SOLANA branch is much larger, the decor is very refined, and the private rooms have a wider view than the previous ones.



The menu is exactly the same as the Wudaokou shop, and the flavors are basically the same.





I suddenly realized that Syrian barbecue and Zibo barbecue are the same thing. Syrian barbecue is also eaten by wrapping meat in thin flatbread. The difference is that Zibo barbecue uses green onions inside, while Syrian barbecue uses onions.



Kunafa.



Syria has a deep connection with coffee. The world's first coffee house was opened in Istanbul in 1554 by two Syrians, one from Aleppo and one from Damascus. It wasn't until a hundred years later that France had its first coffee house in Europe.



So, the sand-brewed coffee at BRBR is also worth trying. Next to the Wudaokou shop is a coffee house run by BRBR.





The shop sells beautiful coffee cups. We happened to be there for the opening day celebration, and the owner gave every guest who came to check in a beautiful coffee cup.



10. Yuelangzhai



In Xiguanshi Village, Changping, there is a halal restaurant with a very impressive history. Before I arrived, I learned that the restaurant was once the Imperial Escort Agency (Yuqian Biaoju), named for its role in protecting Empress Dowager Cixi during her escape to Xi'an.

Yuelangzhai Restaurant started in 2014. The Li family ancestors worked as professional escorts (biaoshi). Although that profession no longer exists, the descendants of the Li family have good cooking skills. They decided to open a restaurant, taking advantage of the prime location of their ancestral property.



A screen wall at the entrance is carved with the four characters for Imperial Escort Agency, which research confirms was a gift from the emperor. The Imperial Escort Agency was originally called Xiguangyu Escort Agency. To safely escort Empress Dowager Cixi out of Beijing, the owner, Li Entao, recommended Yang Juchuan to accompany her all the way to Xi'an, and later, they escorted her back to Beijing.



A set of dragon chairs is displayed in the front courtyard with a yellow imperial robe hanging nearby. A plaque reading Yuelangzhai hangs in the center, signifying that this shop once served the royal family.



Walking through the porch into the main hall, the space is wide and open. The interior uses a traditional Chinese style that is simple and elegant. The restaurant has two floors: the first floor is for general seating, and the second floor has private rooms.



Inside a private room, the decor remains traditional Chinese with square tables and wooden stools. Calligraphy and ink paintings hang on the walls, creating an atmosphere that feels like a trip back to the late Qing Dynasty.



Vinegar-stir-fried egg and beef (culiu muxu) is a common Beijing home-style dish found in many restaurants. It should actually be called culiu muxi because the scrambled eggs look like osmanthus flowers. It requires high culinary skill; while it looks simple, it is not easy to make well and the method is very particular.



Manager Li specifically recommended the beef meatballs. He said he is usually cautious about ordering this dish at other restaurants because he often feels they contain too many fillers and not enough beef. At Yuelangzhai, the beef meatballs are made with real, quality ingredients. I picked one up and took a bite. It was just as Manager Li said: full of beef flavor with no taste of starch or other fillers. The beef meatballs were soft, delicious, and melted in my mouth.



Pan-fried tofu (guota doufu) is a classic Beijing-Shandong dish. The tofu is cut into 5-centimeter squares, and shrimp are minced into a paste. The shrimp paste is mixed with egg liquid, and the tofu is dipped in the egg mixture and pan-fried. It is cooked over low heat, and when the oil is about 60 percent hot, the tofu is carefully slid into the pan, fried until golden brown on both sides, and then covered to simmer until the sauce is absorbed.



The main dish is grilled noodles (zhizi kaomian). I had never heard of this before. I only knew about grilled meat (zhizi kaorou), but I had never eaten noodles cooked this way. Manager Li said he invented this dish. He seasons hand-rolled noodles and stir-fries them on a hot iron grill, similar to how you make stir-fried noodles. The high heat of the grill adds a lot of aroma and texture, and it is very popular with diners.

11. Bai Xiaobei Northeast Barbecue



This is the only halal Qiqihar-style barbecue restaurant in Beijing. It has been open for over three years and just opened a second branch in Wangjing. I brought friends here to try it during the soft opening. Northeast-style barbecue is known for small skewers, which is different from Northeast-style stir-fry dishes that come in large portions.



Hot pot beef tripe (shuan niudu)

I actually do not mind small portions because it lets me try more flavors and helps avoid waste.



Stir-fried screw snails (baochao dingluo)

After the tips of the screw snails are knocked off, you just take a quick suck to pull the meat out. The texture is crunchy, tender, and chewy.



Fruit cold noodles (shuiguo lengmian). I have to say, the cold noodles here are quite authentic and taste much better than the halal Yanji cold noodles I mentioned earlier.



The skewers are called 'Five Elements Lack Skewers' (wuxing que chuan). I do not know what that means, but I can tell it is beef, and the yellow part is cheese.



This dish is called 'Wocao Super Big Salad' because it is named after the huge plate it is served on. People from the Northeast love eating raw vegetables, and the owner gave us this cold salad for free.



Grilled oysters and scallops are also a must. The ingredients are very fresh, but the price is not cheap.



Deep-sea flathead fish head (shenhai dieyutou). This fish has sharp teeth and a fierce nature. The more aggressive the fish, the firmer and tastier the meat.



The cold-tossed fish skin has no fishy smell, which shows it is very fresh, and it is crunchy when you eat it. Cold-tossed fish skin is a typical home-style dish in Northeast China. I wanted to try roasted silkworm pupae, but my friend talked me out of it because they were scared.



Shenyang chicken rack is a very famous local specialty in the Northeast. The chicken rack is fried until it is golden and crispy, and you can even chew the bones. This shop has a wide variety of small skewers, covering almost all the specialty barbecue of the Northeast. The prices are a bit expensive, with an average cost of over 150 yuan per person.

12. Dianxinyuan



Dianxinyuan is currently the only remaining halal Yunnan restaurant in Beijing. It has been open for 13 years, and the owner is from Shadian.



Beijing used to have halal Yunnan restaurants like Ayidianchang, Hailiye, and Dalifu, but they have all closed down. It is not easy for this Dianxinyuan to have lasted until today.



You can basically eat all kinds of Yunnan specialty foods here, including Mengzi small-pot rice noodles (xiaoguo mixian), copper-pot boiled fish, Dai-style tofu with sauce (baojiang doufu), Dai-style shredded chicken, Gejiu roasted tilapia, porcini mushroom fried rice, and dried beef (niuganba).



The small-pot beef rice noodles are especially close to the taste I had in Yunnan.









13. Jiasan Steamed Buns



This is the Beijing branch of the time-honored Jiasan soup-filled steamed bun (guantang baozi) shop from Xi'an, and it has been operating in Beijing for over ten years. They sell various halal snacks from Xi'an, including soaked bread in soup (paomo), barbecue, and steamed beef with rice flour (fenzheng niurou).



For the soup-filled steamed buns, you should first take a small bite to drink the soup inside, then eat the bun.



I really like eating this vegetable stew (huicai). For Xi'an food in Beijing, there is also Old Xi'an Restaurant, Xi'an Old Yang Family Restaurant, and Qin Laoda Paomo. Jiasan is an old shop with a very complete selection of Xi'an snacks, and you can even eat halal venison here. Jiasan currently has two branches in Beijing, with the other one located at Yangqiao.

14. KAVKAZ Ruilin Restaurant



This is a Caucasian-style restaurant on Shenlu Street in Chaoyang. There used to be an Azerbaijani restaurant next door called Bakuli with a similar style, but it closed. Another halal Russian-style restaurant called NAIL also closed, so it is not easy for this shop to have lasted until today.



Beet soup (borscht)

Beet soup (borscht) is a famous Russian dish. You drink it before your main meal to whet your appetite.



Stuffed grape leaves (dolma)

Stuffed grape leaves (dolma) use grape leaves for the outer layer with beef filling inside. This dish is also a common specialty in Central Asia.



Dumplings (pelmeni)

These are Azerbaijani dumplings (pelmeni). Historically, people in the Caucasus region have been eating dumplings for a long time, though the ones they make are much smaller. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing halal food map issue 43 visits Haiji Xiaohuo, Xinjiang mixed noodles, Lebanese food, Indian cuisine, barbecue, Northwest-style snacks, hand-made dumplings, and Xiaoma Halal Steamed Bun Shop, with practical notes on dishes, neighborhoods, and restaurant style.



The halal restaurants we visited this time are as follows:

1. Haiji Xiaohuo

2. Yilan Jianglaiwang

3. Sumac Lebanese Restaurant

4. Tandoori Indian Cuisine

5. Zanjin Xiaoyuan Barbecue

6. Nazilan Jiangwei

7. Wenzhutang

8. Xiaoma Halal Steamed Bun Shop

1. Haiji Xiaohuo



Haiji Xiaohuo is a spicy hot pot (malatang) shop opened by people from Xiji and Haiyuan in Ningxia, which is why it is called Haiji Xiaohuo. This location at the West Railway Station is a branch, and there is another shop in Changying. The young man from Haiji has done a great job with the decor, and the shop is very clean. The kitchen is open and visible, so you can eat with peace of mind.



Haiji County does not actually exist. Ningxia has three places called Xiji, Guyuan, and Haiyuan, collectively known as Xihaigu. You can read more in my travel guide about the halal food tours in Yinchuan and Xihaigu, Ningxia.









There are five soup base flavors for the spicy hot pot (malatang). I chose the Xiji dipping sauce style. The shop also sells lamb offal soup (yangza) from Wuzhong, small noodles (xiaomian), and flatbread (baijimo), which are all specialties of Northwest China.



There are many items for the hot pot, including some unusual vegetables like fennel and fresh daylily.





You can mix your own dipping sauce, which makes the experience feel a lot like Sichuan-style hot pot.



Keeping the food and the dipping sauce separate is a good idea, as you can add them according to your taste. Some people cannot handle spice, so they can choose the clear broth instead.

2. Yilan Jianglaiwang



This is a newly opened Xinjiang restaurant on Shenlu Street in Chaoyang. Shenlu Street has turned into a street for Xinjiang cuisine, but every restaurant here has its own unique style.



The staff in the shop are all young Uyghur men.



The specialty of this shop is home-style mixed noodles (banmian), which are made with hand-cut wide noodles.



3. Sumac Lebanese Restaurant



This is a newly opened Lebanese restaurant in Liangmahewan. It is a chain restaurant that also has a branch in Hong Kong. The owner is a Lebanese Catholic, and the kitchen team is made up of Lebanese Muslims. The restaurant does not display a halal sign, but I am used to that. In Europe and America, not every halal restaurant puts up a sign, especially those run by Middle Easterners who do not have the habit of doing so. You just need to ask when you walk in.



Sumac restaurant is in the heart of the Liangma River bay, right next to the water. Sitting by the river in the evening to drink tea and enjoy the food is a wonderful experience.



The restaurant's decor also draws inspiration from Lebanese history and culture.



The background on the wall features Phoenician script. Lebanon is the birthplace of Phoenician script, which is the mother of all European languages.



Dining at a river-view restaurant in Liangma River bay is quite a luxury. The average cost per person is 300 yuan, and sitting by the river gives you the illusion of being by the Mediterranean Sea.



Hummus (humusi)

Hummus is made by mixing mashed chickpeas and sesame paste, served with olive oil.



Stuffed grape leaves (putaoye juanfan)

The outer layer is made of real grape leaves, stuffed with rice, tomatoes, parsley, and pomegranate sauce.



Tabbouleh salad (tabuli shala)

Tabbouleh salad is a traditional Arab salad. The ingredients include chopped parsley, tomatoes, onions, mint, and bulgur wheat, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.



Phoenician classic salad

Phoenician wheat seeds (faymai), chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, walnuts, pomegranate, and mint, served with pomegranate molasses dressing.



Cold tossed dandelion greens

Fresh dandelion leaves slow-fried in olive oil, seasoned with onions and garlic, and topped with crispy caramelized onions.



Deep-fried falafel balls (falafel)

Made from chickpeas and fava beans with added herbs and spices, served with tahini sesame paste and homemade pickles.



Grilled meat platter (small)

Includes chicken, beef, lamb, and prawns, served with roasted tomatoes, roasted onions, and roasted peppers.



Crispy shredded milk pudding (kunafa)

A shredded pastry shell wrapped around milk cream pudding, served with traditional orange blossom syrup.



Pistachio milk pudding

Milk pudding with rose water, garnished with pistachio nuts from the inside out with pistachio kernels.



Kibbeh labanieh (baked meatball with yogurt sauce)

The ingredients include minced meat, fine bulgur wheat, onions, and spices, all simmered in a yogurt sauce with garlic and dried mint.



Chicken liver with pomegranate molasses

Chicken liver stir-fried with a garlic and pomegranate molasses sauce.



Roasted lamb leg with pilaf



Mediterranean-style fried sea fish

This dish features two types of fish, red snapper and golden threadfin bream, served with traditional tarator sauce (Lebanese sesame paste).



Sumac spice

The restaurant is named after this spice, sumac. It looks like saffron and is made from an ancient sumac berry once enjoyed by nobles.

4. Tandoori Indian Cuisine



There is an Indian restaurant inside the hotel next to Sumac restaurant by the Liangma River. The staff are all Indian, and this is the original Tandoor restaurant from the Zhaolong Hotel.



Indian cuisine in Beijing has become more common in recent years, and these restaurants are doing quite well.



The restaurant has a great, clean atmosphere and serves all the classic traditional Indian dishes.









5. Zanjin Xiaoyuan Barbecue



This barbecue shop in Fengtai is run by people from Gansu. It is quite spacious but a bit out of the way.



The restaurant mainly sells various barbecue skewers and some traditional snacks from Northwest China.



The skewers are charcoal-grilled and taste pretty good.





They also have fermented vegetable noodles (jiangshuimian) that Northwest people love. This version is served hot, but I prefer the cold version.

6. Nazilan Jiangwei



There is a newly opened Xinjiang restaurant on Shenlu Street near Chaoyangmen.



They have a menu written in the Uyghur language.





Soccer is really popular in Xinjiang, and the restaurant uses a soccer theme.



Nazilan's specialty is mixed noodles made with yellow noodles (huangmian), which have a nice chewy texture.



The pilaf (zhuafan) and grilled meat are also excellent.





Another highlight at Nazilan is the handmade Xinjiang-style ice cream, which has a very rich milky flavor.

7. Wenzhutang



This private halal restaurant in Tongzhou District has been open for less than six months and serves both Beijing-style dishes and French cuisine.







The restaurant uses a temporary menu, and some dishes require advance booking. Since we arrived without a reservation, we did not have many options.



The restaurant consists entirely of small private rooms, making the environment very intimate and perfect for chatting.





We ordered the Australian wagyu beef cubes and the pan-seared French-style lamb chops, both of which tasted great.





They make their own dumplings by hand, and they are especially delicious.



Parking is difficult in the old town of Tongzhou, but the restaurant provides free parking spaces right in front of the entrance.

8. Xiaoma Halal Steamed Bun Shop



This is a long-standing steamed bun (baozi) shop in Daxing. In the past, there were many small halal shops like this in the city that specialized in steamed buns, but most of them have closed down now.



Their steamed buns look beautiful, the dough is soft and fluffy, and the filling is generous. These buns remind me of the steamed dumplings (zhengjiao) I ate in Changzhi.



Having a steamer of buns, a bowl of porridge, and a small plate of pickles for breakfast reminded me of my school days. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This Beijing halal food guide maps issue 41 of the series, covering Bollywood Story Indian Restaurant, pizza and pasta, electric grilled skewers, Yangfang hot pot, Xinjiang Saimimi, beef offal pot, Lanzhou feast, Indonesian food, Tianshui malatang, and halal snacks.

Beijing Halal Food Map (Issue 41) is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Many people have asked me why I didn't write about this. Why not write about that. The account keeps its focus on Beijing Halal Food, Muslim Travel, Middle Eastern Food while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Many people have asked me why I didn't write about this. Why not write about that? I never said I would list every halal restaurant in Beijing. If I didn't write about one, it's because I haven't eaten there, I forgot, or I didn't think the place was special enough. There are many Northwest-style and Beijing-style spots, and I don't want to write about places with repetitive flavors. In fact, I have definitely eaten at more than 309 halal restaurants in Beijing since I was a kid. I will make the list more complete when I release a new edition, but don't expect me to include every single one. You didn't even tip me, yet you demand so much for free.

Here is the list of halal restaurants for this guide:

1. Bollywood Story Indian Restaurant

2. Tomato Pizza and Pasta (Super Hopson branch)

3. Zhenren Yimen Electric Grilled Skewers (Super Hopson branch)

4. Yangfang Hot Pot (Super Hopson branch)

5. Xinjiang Saimimi Restaurant (Super Hopson branch)

6. Sanliujiu Wan Charcoal Beef Offal Pot

7. Mailiya Lanzhou Feast

8. Walishan Yinshe Indonesian Cultural Exchange Center Restaurant

9. Zhangchuan Spicy Hot Pot (malatang)

10. Qingxiangbao

1. Bollywood Story Indian Restaurant



A new Bollywood-themed Indian restaurant just opened in the ground-floor shops of the Apple Community in Shuangjing. It is run by the same owners as the Dastan Indian Restaurant in Sanlitun. There is no halal sign in the shop, but the staff and the kitchen crew are all from South Asia. They promised me it is halal. It is actually easy to tell if an Indian restaurant is halal. First, check if the staff are of South Asian descent. If it is run by Hindus, it is likely a vegetarian restaurant, which is fine to eat at. If they have beef and lamb on the menu, it is almost certainly run by a Muslim friend (dosti).



The reason there is no sign is that the legal owner might not be from an ethnic minority, such as a Han Muslim owner, or the owner might be a foreigner. Regulations now forbid posting halal signs in restaurants without official approval, even if the sign is in Chinese characters. Do not be surprised; this is in line with international standards. It is the same in Malaysia, where you cannot post a halal sign without official government approval.



The Bollywood star posters hanging in the shop are all Indian Muslims.



Scan the QR code on the table to order. They have a very complete selection of Indian dishes.



Masala papad

This dish has a thin, crispy base topped with chopped salad. It is very crunchy and refreshing, a bit like eating a Mexican taco.



I always order the butter chicken curry, garlic naan bread, and cumin cilantro basmati rice when I eat Indian food.





The plain Indian yogurt (lassi) is very thick and sour. Drinking it after the curry helps cut the grease and balances the spicy taste in your mouth.



This is a type of Indian-style chewing gum. You grab a handful after a meal and chew it to freshen your breath. The food here is prepared with great care, and it is not expensive, costing less than 100 yuan per person.

2. Tomato Pizza & Pasta (The Hyper Hopson One store)



The newly opened Hyper Hopson One in Changping was packed with shoppers during the May Day holiday. A Tomato Pizza & Pasta opened on the B1 floor, and it is so busy that you have to wait in line during peak hours.



Some people used to argue with me about whether this place was halal, but now they have put up their halal certification, and this type of fast-food shop does not sell alcohol anyway.



Their specialties are pizza and pasta, which are both made on the spot, and the service is fast.



They have soda for 3.9 yuan a cup with free refills, which kids can really enjoy. Fahim especially loves their tomato pasta.



Another highlight is the low price. A pizza is only 20-something yuan and pasta is just over 10 yuan, but the quality of the ingredients is guaranteed.







3. Zhenren Yimen Electric Grilled Skewers (Super Hopson branch)



In the same block as Tomato Pizza & Pasta, there is another halal electric-grilled skewer stall. The owner is from the Zhao family of Hui Muslims in Sanlihe.



Besides skewers, they also have snacks like cheese and almond tofu (xingren doufu). I tried the almond tofu and it tasted good; it even comes with a small bag of rock sugar water to adjust the sweetness.



Their signature electric-grilled skewers also taste good. This stall is a great place to stop for a snack if you get tired while shopping.



4. Yangfang Hot Pot (Super Hopson branch)



There are four halal restaurants at Super Hopson. Yangfang Hot Pot (Yangfang Shuanrou) is the third one I am introducing, and you can see its location in the picture above.



Yangfang Victory Hot Pot has officially changed its name to Yangfang Hot Pot (Yangfang Shuanrou) and has become a local landmark.



One of their signature items is the live sunflower sprout (guazi miao). This hydroponic vegetable tastes very refreshing in hot pot. Just ask a server to come over and cut it for you when you are ready to eat to ensure it stays fresh.



The freshly fried chili oil is steaming hot and gives off a strong, spicy aroma.



As for the meat quality, I feel that most decent hot pot restaurants in Beijing today use good ingredients. The real difference lies in the dipping sauces and special services, and Yangfang Hot Pot stands out in this regard.



They really care about the service experience now, and it feels like they are trying to surpass Haidilao.







The grilled meat skewers were very tender. We ate four, but it wasn't enough, so we ordered four more.



The kids' meal we ordered for the baby looked very appetizing. After we finished eating, the restaurant manager gave us a set of children's tableware, so Fahim had something new to play with.



5. Xinjiang Saimimi Restaurant (Super Hopson branch)



This is the fourth halal restaurant in Super Hopson, and all the staff inside are Uyghurs. They have a restaurant area and a takeout window where you can buy naan bread (nang) and grilled skewers.



Restaurants run entirely by Uyghur staff usually serve great food.



I had their stir-fried meat with noodles (guoyou rou banmian) and rice pilaf (zhuafan). The flavors were fantastic, and the grilled meat skewers (kaorou) and baked buns (kaobaozi) were also authentically Xinjiang.







6. Sanliujiu Wan Charcoal Beef Offal Pot



This Hong Kong-style beef offal pot (niuzabao) shop near Puhuangyu has been open for over three years. It recently got a new Hui Muslim owner, so it switched to halal recipes. They plan to add Hong Kong-style dim sum soon, which will really round out the halal food scene in Beijing.







This place is very popular and you have to wait in line. The drink is their house-made duck-shit lemon tea, which tastes quite good. The other signature drink is their milk tea. This Cantonese-style milk tea is delicious.





The dipping sauce for the beef offal pot comes with young ginger and small lemons.



We ordered a chicken pot and a beef offal pot. The meat was tender and flavorful. It is truly delicious, so it is no wonder they are so busy.



7. Mailiya Lanzhou Feast



This shop is in Shijingshan and just opened recently. During the trial period, the hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhuayangrou) is half price.





We had their hand-grabbed lamb and roasted lamb leg. The meat quality was good, and it was prepared in the Dongxiang style, which is very fragrant.







This corn flatbread (yumibingzi) is genuinely delicious, soft, and tasty.

8. Walishan Yinshe Indonesian Cultural Exchange Center Restaurant



The Indonesian Cultural Exchange Center is located in the Langyuan Station complex in Chaoyang District. The owner is an Indonesian Chinese, and the Indonesian Ambassador to China attended the opening day. The restaurant is mid-to-high end, with two chefs from Indonesia and some ingredients imported from Indonesia.



You can also buy various Indonesian-style items here.









Indonesian sweet tea



Fried fish dumplings and fried tofu



Fish and shrimp skewers



Lamb stew



Grilled beef ribs



Bali street-style mixed rice



Dirty duck (bebek betutu)



Black glutinous rice porridge



Coffee



Grilled squid





Javanese-style fried chicken



Durian pancake

This restaurant makes very delicate dishes that taste great, and the service is good too. However, the portions are small and the prices are high. The six of us ordered everything on the menu, and it cost about 200 yuan per person.

9. Zhangchuan Spicy Hot Pot (malatang)



Zhangchuan is Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County, which is under the jurisdiction of Tianshui City, Gansu. The recently very popular Tianshui spicy hot pot (malatang) is not far from Zhangjiachuan.







Spicy hot pot in Gansu uses chili oil, but it is different from Tianshui spicy hot pot. If you want to eat authentic Tianshui spicy hot pot, you can come to Silk Road Yilan on Niu Street.



Tianshui spicy hot pot

This picture shows the Tianshui spicy hot pot at Silk Road Yilan. Tianshui spicy hot pot is served dry without soup, and the chili is fragrant rather than spicy.

10. Qingxiangbao



Near Xiajia Hutong in Fengtai District, there is a takeout stall selling burgers and fried chicken. The prices are very cheap, with a burger costing only 8 yuan. The burgers are made on the spot and taste good. Next to it is a halal Jiujiu Duck window.





The street-facing window of Tanguojü is the halal Jiujiu Duck. view all