A late night, post-revelry chuan’r feast is one of Beijing’s most enduring institutions. But, with the gentrification of the streets, the options for street-side beer snacking are dwindling. Fortunately, the aptly named Chuan Palace (串府) is set to fill the void.

Housed in a renovated courtyard, the setting is a little more upmarket than the usual chuan’r dive. But the slightly sanitised environment is made up for by the almost overwhelming choice of chuan’r. From skewers of lamb to bone marrow, to chicken heads (ranging from 3 RMB to 10 RMB per skewer), the grill also serves up whole legs of lamb (25 RMB), whole fish (22 RMB) and, for those who dare to try them, oysters (36 RMB) and scallops (28 RMB) by the half dozen.

The classics are well-executed, with tender cumin-spiced lamb skewers (3 RMB each), complete with a central spear of light, fluffy fat that keeps the meat moist. Juicy chicken wings (6 RMB) come in pairs, with a choice of marinades. The spicy black pepper version is finger-licking good.

For the less carnivorous, plump green beans (8 RMB a skewer) and grilled Chinese chives draped in a sweet soybean sauce (8 RMB) feature alongside the fearful sounding grilled ‘aborigine’, a poor translation for aubergine. Another 20 or so assorted skewers of mushrooms, iceberg lettuce, various innards and spongy cubes of tofu arrive submerged in a suitably spicy and mouth-numbing pot of malatang (36 RMB). Tucked behind the National Art Museum, Chuan Fu seems to have pre-empted the wave of development in this up-and-coming area. With the courtyard bars surely set to follow, Chuan Fu could become a hotspot for your chuan’r fix.

Address: No. 28 Meishuguan Dong Jie, Dongcheng District 东城区美术馆东街28号

Source: timeoutbeijing.com