The easiest way to remember a city is with your taste buds.
The summer solstice has passed, and midsummer has officially begun. As the sun fades, the night falls, the neon lights come on, and the cars come and go, it is then that the gentleness of the capital's summer nights becomes apparent.
In Beijing, a city where history and modernity meet, there is always a taste that you will never forget. It’s traditional hot pot with the characteristics of old Beijing, regional dishes with the flavours of various regions, or western food with violins and piano music… The countless late-night snack streets is a place where white-collar workers can mingle and drink after taking off the stress of the day. It's also a great place for strollers to feel the alive atmosphere. Food is a great cure for mood, so let me take you on a journey through Beijing's popular late-night eateries.
1.Guijie: the crawfish you can't forget
Guijie’ Maxiao has long been an icon of Beijing, just like the bashful noodles of Xian and the dumplings of the Northeast. The history of Guijie began with Xiaolin Hot Pot. In those days, a plate of shredded fish and pork for 3 RMB, fried rice, chicken heads in sauce for 10 cents, and the hottest selling cold dishes for 1 yuan a plate; cyclists would ask for a plate of mixed bean curd and a bottle of wine when they got off work ...... Over time, there were second and third restaurants that open 24 hours and gradually a small night market was formed. This is how the name "Ghost’s Market" spread.
Guijie has undergone several transformations, with the first choice for a late-night snack changing over and over again in line with consumer preferences. Today, spicy crayfish is the main attraction on Guijie. Of course, skewers and spicy hot pots are also popular. In addition, there are many famous snacks in Beijing, such as marinated hotpot, fried tripe, fried liver and scorpion, all of which have an unassailable place in Guijie.
Huda, Zaizai, Four Seasons Restaurant and other stalls have sprung up everywhere, with one, two, three and four branches opening next to each other. The steady stream of diners has to sit outside on small ponies and queue up for their meals.
Almost every table has a large pot of bright red and oily crawfish. When close and intimate friends get together, the evening is complete with red hands full of crawfish and a cold beer. Some restaurants are also showing the Euros live, and the exciting football matches are a source of excitement for the diners, who suddenly clap or sigh helplessly, making the atmosphere fun and lively.
2.Hopson One: an endless shopping street of special snacks
The late-night eatery at the Hopson One Shopping Mall next to Jiulongshan Metro Station, which has extended its opening hours to 24:00, is a great place for young people to go for food. The per capita spending here is not too expensive, and you can get a good meal for a few dozen RMB. Restaurants such as Xibei, Yunhaiyao and Kiln Ah Kiln abound. Besides, the hot and sour noodles, pot helmets and grilled cold noodles are a real treat. Also, the old Changsha stinky tofu and European frozen yoghurt are great neighbours. With more than 200 specialty restaurants to choose from, you won't have to worry about what to eat here.
The interior is decorated in a stylish way to complement the food. The B1 floor features a themed block - District 21 BLOCK - which features special food, innovative handicrafts and clothing, as well as bright neon elements, unique retro street culture and young trendy themed decorations to create a themed block that meets young people's tastes. Not only for good food, but also for good fun and good shopping!
3.Sanlitun: the endless alcohol
Sanlitun at the beginning of the night is a place where alcohol makes it glamorous and foreign. Located on the east side of Sanlitun North Road in Chaoyang District, Bar Street is a 300 to 400-metre stretch road with dozens of bars one after another. There are two types of bars in Sanlitun: the Taikoo Li bars, which are mostly quiet. The other is the variety of bars and clubs on Bar Street, where prices are more affordable, and the atmosphere is much livelier. Although the rise of the Houhai and Nanluoguxiang bars has somewhat dimmed Sanlitun's glow, it still has the advantage of being close to the embassy district.
The bar is accompanied by a variety of restaurants, French, German, Italian, Spanish dishes… Everything you can think of or not appears here. These tonal restaurants are often unobtrusive and hidden around the corner. Pan-fried baby lamb chops, German sausages and American burgers are enough to tantalise the taste buds and take you on a wander through exotic flavours.
4.Zhongguancun Shibao Street: Garden Food Street
When you think of Zhongguancun, many people think of electronics and know it as the centre of high-tech industry known as "China's Silicon Valley". But there is one street in Zhongguancun that has been so popular since its opening that it continues to boom and attracts a large number of diners. Located on the pedestrian street of Zhongguancun West, Zhongguancun Shibao Street is a "large-scale, all-category, all-day" garden-style food street in western Beijing.
The elegant environment and romantic atmosphere are what attracts a large number of diners to come. When you enter Shibao Street, you will be greeted by greenery, which is vibrant and lush, creating a garden-like dining environment for customers.
The warm yellow light, the bustling shops, the crowds, the smoky atmosphere - that's probably the most attractive part of the food street.
Here, there is always a worldly hustle and bustle and a most vivid and pleasant taste of life that make you forget everything for a while and feel life!
A place to eat, play and shop. As soon as it opened, Shibao Street became the synonymous of the food gathering place of Beijing. Wudaokou Cake King, Le Sanlitun Noodle House, Xidan Waist King, Nanjing Stall… There are many popular food shops in this area, so you don't have to walk through the streets to find the best food, just bring your 256G stomach and eat it all at once!
5.Wangjing: the "Little Seoul" of Beijing
Korean restaurants abound in Wangjing, and some of the highest-ranked ones are often hidden in the corners of buildings, making them a bit challenging to find. However, the food is really good and the portions are large. Many of the owners are authentic Koreans. Some of the restaurants have a young and trendy décor, more suitable for young people, with Korean pop songs playing and a particularly atmospheric atmosphere. Some of the shops have a very earthy, local Korean street-side feel. Classic dishes such as rice cake hotpot and army hotpot are affordable and tasty, and the soft egg rolls are cut open and filled with rich cheese that can be pulled out in long strands. The fried chicken and rice cakes that are often seen in Korean dramas are everywhere here, with crispy fried chicken and soft rice cakes served with a slightly sour sauce, that's a real treat!
It can be said that everyone has a favourite late-night food street in Beijing. A moment at one of these late-night eateries is the most comforting thing for people running around the city. Beijing at night is a different kind of light, and each food street is a calling card of Beijing.
Translated by WANG Jiangyan Edited by YAO Yuhou
