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

Reposted from the web

Summary: Hyderabad — Muslim Food and Old City Streets is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: It is the Lunar New Year, so let's eat something good. The account keeps its focus on Hyderabad Travel, Indian Halal Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

It is the Lunar New Year, so let's eat something good! view all