Restaurants.
According to official estimates from several years ago, the number of restaurants in Beijing is between 30,000 and 40,000, but with new eateries opening every day, and possibly some of the smaller joints not being taken into account, the number could by now be well over 50,000.
By simple calculation that is approximately one restaurant for every 340 people, and could sustain the need for variety of a 137 year old person to eat out once a day for his entire life.
So, to sum up the restaurant scene in Beijing, it's suggested to follow these rules of thumb:
1. Take local recommendations. If someone suggests a particular restaurant, they mean it whole-heartedly, as it would be a waste of time to mention anything other than the best. While this advice is only applicable outside of major tourist information hubs (i.e., hotel lobbys, western grocery stores, or the ex-pat club), it is great advice.
2. Follow the crowds. If a restaurant is busy, it's because the food is GOOD. Afterall, with all these choices around, who's got time to waste on a terrible eating (and post-eating) experience? If the house is packed, it's because the cuisine is worth it.
3. Be ready to be surprised. Beijing is a center for global tourists and Chinese citizenry from across the nation. This is a nation that boasts at least 34 distinct cultural traditions, backgrounds and, most importantly... FOODS! This means a cuisine that spans from spicy to subtle, seafood to fresh mountain veggies, and everything in between, ranging from the ordinary to the exotic.
Here are some of the different cuisines that can be found at Beijing's multitude of restaurants:
Beijing of course has its famous Peking Duck, as well as a vast number of restaurants serving both steamed (baozi) and boiled (jiaozi) dumplings, while Hong Kong and Taiwanese restaurants often serve subtly flavored selections.
Xinjiang is the western province, and it offers a distinct mixture of spices. The majority of the Muslim population eats little pork, but beef, and especially lamb, are deliciously spiced and cooked over an open coal bed. Restaurants serving Muslim cuisine also often have deliciously chewy, homemade "pulled" noodles on the menu.
Qingdao and other famous sea-side cities have also developed unique regional flavorings, meaning that one can eat seafood in hundreds, or even thousands, of ways.
Shanghai restaraunts are said to be more on the sweet side, while Chongqing dishes, imported from the notoriously spicy Sichuan province, should be enjoyed with ample amounts of cold Yanjing beer.
It must also be mentioned that, due to the international crowd that is gathered here in the capital of China, many of southeast Asia’s most distinctive meals can be found in nearly every district. Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean food round out the Asian palette, while a number of Western restaurants offer decent cuisine from the United States and Europe. While many of the foreign establishments may have zero foreign staff, and offer a Chinese version of some selections, generally the facsimiles are close to the original.
Despite the fact that Western and other international cuisine can readily be found in Beijing, here's word for the wise: The more willing you are to try new things, the more you'll discover about what it really means to be living in China! So... whether it's spicy frogs, "1000-year-old" eggs, or pig's feet, give it a go, or you might never know what you've been missing.
Author: Kirsten Melby-Thompson