Halal Hot Pot
Best Halal Food Beijing: Authentic Hui Muslim Restaurants, Malatang and Lebanese Food
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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
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 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.
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.
Best Halal Food Beijing: Indian Restaurant, Halal Hot Pot, Indonesian Food and Tianshui Malatang
Articles • yusuf908 posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 6 hours ago
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
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
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.
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.
Best Halal Food Beijing: Authentic Hui Muslim Restaurants, Malatang and Lebanese Food
Articles • yusuf908 posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 4 hours ago
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
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 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.
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.
Best Halal Food Beijing: Indian Restaurant, Halal Hot Pot, Indonesian Food and Tianshui Malatang
Articles • yusuf908 posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 6 hours ago
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
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
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.
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.