Restaurants

By Charmaine Mok

The hearty fare that characterises the cuisine of northern China, such as in Beijing and Dongbei, could provide welcome respite from the cold winter days ahead.

At Taste of Beijing, there are the ubiquitous steamed dumplings, all fluff and warmth, filled with juicy, umami-rich minced pork and vegetables. Springy, fat wheat noodles are slathered in fermented soybean sauce flecked with pork, and topped with slivers of crisp carrot and cucumber: an agreeable version of the Beijing classic zhajiang mian.

Soothing rice porridge (congee, a southern Chinese dish) with pieces of preserved egg and crisp-fried dough may have been bland, but it had the warming zip of white pepper. Our enthusiastic waitress waxed lyrical about the seafood hotpot, but we had no more room after the generous portions of our earlier dishes.

The chef, we’re told, had a hand in the catering for the Beijing Olympics. This place – small, with three large communal tables – might not take the gold medal, but it’s different and a very good option for a cheap and filling feed.

Time Out London Issue 2047: November 12-18 2009