A Bite of Beijing: Unmissable Local Signature Dishes

Roast duck, noodles with soybean paste, and royal steamed buns are some of the signature dishes of the local cuisines in Beijing – a city of novel gastronomical experiences for every foodie!
Maybe theLiqun Roast Duck Restaurant is more popular with foreigners than Chinese. During visits to Beijing, many foreign celebrities and diplomats like to dine here and then post selfies on YouTube or Facebook. Its duck roasting method is the same as Quanjude, another time-honored roast duck brand, both using fruit tree branches as fuel. In fact, the founder of Liqun, Zhang Liqun, once worked at Quanjude. 
The restaurant is worth trying. After all, many celebrities and foreign ambassadors have dined there. Its menu is bilingual. One can accompany a foreign friend to visit Beijing's hutongs and taste roast duck at the same time. 

If you want to take your friends to taste authentic Beijing desserts, Fuhuazhai Pastry Restaurant is the best choice and has almost zero negative comments online. It was founded by Wang Xifu, a descendant of the chef of the Imperial Kitchen in the Qing Dynasty. I was shocked when I first tasted the pine nut mooncake from the restaurant, which is identical to what is described in the classical novel Dream of the Red Chamber. The pastry is called Bobo in local dialect. 
Despite its small size, the restaurant's reputation has spread by word of mouth, leading to its astonishing popularity today. For foreign customers, the restaurant thoughtfully prepares knives and forks in traditional packages of the Qing aesthetic flavor - a combination of Chinese and Western styles.

A modern-style roast duck restaurant, Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant has been rated with "three diamonds" in the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, the Chinese version of the MICHELIN Guide, which means "a restaurant that one must visit once in a lifetime." The restaurant is ideal for business banquets. Dadong is noted for its art of plating - even a common dish like Kung Pao chicken can look extremely attractive there. So, it is an ideal place to treat distinguished guests.
Many may be curious about the difference between traditional and modern styles of Beijing roast duck. Simply speaking, the traditional roast duck offered by time-honored restaurants is renowned for its "orthodox flavor," while the modern roast duck offered by Dadong features a combined style with artistic touches, which caters to the taste of people from everywhere. 

TIDU is also featured in the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. Though a Chinese-style restaurant, older-generation diners may be a bit confused by its menu. Deep-fried pancake with cherry foie gras and sake, Beijing roast duck with caviar, sautéed sliced mutton with scallion, and mojito might seem like "crimes" to them. Uniquely wild pairings are the theme of TIDU – blending traditional Chinese cuisine with international culinary styles.
In Chinese, TIDU means "provincial commanders-in-chief," who were responsible for defending regional security and maintaining peace for local residents in ancient times. In addition to authentic Beijing dishes, TIDU also offers unique dishes such as Five-flavored Roast Duck Eaten in Three Ways. Moreover, compared to many high-end restaurants in Beijing, TIDU is less expensive, and even young people with humble salaries can afford it.

Fangzhuanchang No. 69 is a noodle restaurant rated "one star" in the MICHELIN Guide. Many may feel the reputation is unfounded. Unlike roast duck, almost every household in Beijing can cook noodles with soybean paste at home, each has a unique recipe that they consider "most authentic." However, none but Fangzhuanchang No. 69 has made the noodles into the MICHELIN Guide.
The restaurant now sells its homemade soybean paste online. Perhaps Fangzhuanchang No. 69 is the most affordable restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide, and it is definitely worth a visit.

(Sources: China Pictorial Press, Information Office of Beijing Municipality)
Source: BeijingService