Known as an international hub, Beijing is home to various culinary styles from different regions of the country and all over the world. But among them, cuisines from certain areas are still rare, making them sought-after dishes among local and international foodies as well as the perfect vehicle for chefs and entrepreneurs to share their food culture and get a foothold in China's growing epicurean scene. 

Metropolitan explored several such niche restaurants and spoke to their owners about how they aim to bring the authentic tastes of their home to China.

Tastes of Africa

Beijing has played host to several African restaurants over the last decade, including Turay's Africa House, which specialized in sub-Saharan food; Pili Pili, known for its African-style barbecues with crocodile and ostrich meat;  and Ras Ethiopian, which provided tribal dance performances as entertainment while people dined. However, many of them have closed. Nowadays, Africans wishing to satisfy their craving for home cooking and locals looking for a taste of food from the continent satisfy their need at a new Nigerian venue, Andy's Restaurant & Bar in Sanlitun, Chaoyang district.

Founded by Nigerian Andy Ogoh (DJ Andy) and his Chinese wife Amy Ma, the restaurant boasts a simple menu with a dozen authentic Nigerian meals. Among them, the most popular ones include jollof rice with meat, a popular rice-based dish prepared with tomato, pepper and onion.

"I thought it would be a good business. There are a lot of Nigerians in Beijing and Africans from other countries as well. I'd say in the number of more than 10,000," said Ogoh.

Having lived in Beijing for more than 15 years, Ogoh and his wife decided to open their restaurant six months ago. So far, his restaurant is doing well both among the expat and African community in Beijing.

"Many Westerners are already familiar with African restaurants from where they come from," said Ogoh.

His goal is to capture the taste buds of local Chinese. "I think it's a big challenge. People don't know it yet," he said, adding that he is confident that as more Chinese try his food, it will start to make a name for itself in the local community.

Diners at the restaurant do not only get to sample Nigerian cuisine rich with exotic spices and ingredients, such as the head of a goat, but also a slice of the culture the food comes from. The interior is covered with wall paintings of tribal dancers. Videos of African rappers help create the ambiance, and diners are encouraged to eat with their bare hands according to custom.

Ren Hanjie had the first African meal in his life at Andy's. The owner of an Italian restaurant, Ren is now a regular.

"Everything was new to me, the style of eating (with one's hands), the taste and the ingredients," said Ren. His favorite dish is egusi soup, a popular dish in West Africa that is made using melon seeds.

Greek gourmand

Vangelis Giannakaros is one of the handfuls of Greek restaurant owners in Beijing. His restaurant Argo is located inside the Wudaoying Hutong in Dongcheng district.

Giannakaros opened Argo in 2009. Like many other expat-owned restaurants, it too started off with expats being its majority customer base. However as the name and the food became more known, the number of Chinese customers surpassed that of the foreigners.

"The Chinese learn fast and accept our food very fast. Many of them have also been to Mediterranean countries, and others know that Mediterranean cuisine is healthy," Giannakaros said.

According to him, about 100 Greeks are living in Beijing, and though the community patronizes his restaurant, his target customer is Chinese.

Running a niche restaurant is quite different from having one that features dishes that the local customers are already familiar with, explained Giannakaros. He said one of the challenges is "educating" customers about the cuisine.

"Everybody knows pizza or sushi, but they have little knowledge about other dishes like moussaka (a potato or eggplant-based Greek dish with layers of meat and vegetables)," he said. "But I am not afraid of this because the Chinese are leaning toward more healthy and safe food nowadays."

With the shifting views on food and health in China, Giannakaros has also noticed a change in the Chinese customers his restaurant usually attracts.

"There used to be more customers in their 30s or older," he said. "But now there are younger customers, the kind that likes to play with their phone and get information about what's more trendy from their smartphones. They like to experience diverse cuisines and check out the trendiest places."

The penetration of social media and food-related apps in China also makes it easier for foodies to discover and try new delicacies more regularly, especially for those looking for a dining experience that includes authentic culture, atmosphere and, of course, food.

"The young people are gradually paying more attention to the cultural side of cuisines," he said.

Middle Eastern medleys

In 2004, Avi Shabtai and his wife Shuly founded Biteapitta, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Sanlitun. Starting off as a small-scale pitta bread bakery, it has since evolved into a full-fledged restaurant that offers authentic Middle Eastern food to its substantial followers in the Beijing local and expat community.

"We were looking to bring a taste of the Middle Eastern region to Beijing's growing restaurant scene," said Shabtai.

Biteapitta has a colorful interior with Hamsa adorned walls and brass coffee finjans, and customers can have a full Middle Eastern experience as they dine on a hummus or falafel accompanied by freshly baked pitta bread, cardamom-infused coffee and other dishes on their extensive menu.

"Chinese are now 'regulars.' Currently, we estimate that the Chinese to expat client ratio is about 40 to 60," said Shabtai. With its target clientele being the expat community in the beginning, the volume of Chinese customers has been growing slowly but steadily at Biteapitta too.

But Middle Eastern cuisine is still fairly new to the Chinese market, according to Shabtai.

"Pizza, pasta, ramen and other dishes are well-known to the Chinese. However, Middle Eastern/Israeli food is still trying to build its presence and get recognition," said Shabtai, adding that getting recognition means keeping the quality of the food consistent.

He explained that consistency is helpful in gaining new and repeat customers because "when a customer comes and enjoys the food, [the next time] he'll bring his friends with him, and they will experience the same food and tastes."

According to Shabtai, the fact that more Chinese are traveling to foreign lands has also played a role in keeping his tables filled with Chinese repeat customers.

"As the volume of Chinese tourists to Israel increases, we are seeing more people bringing their friends to experience the same food they enjoyed during their trip," he said.

Healthy, hearty food

A veteran expat who has been living in China since 1979, when he came to study in Beijing, Giannakaros said dining trends are constantly changing.

"Fast food used to be very popular, but it is now taking a setback," he said. "It might be a good opportunity for cuisines that are known to be healthy like Greek cooking, which makes wide use of vegetables, fish, beans, lime and olive oil."

According to him, Greek dishes, which often involve much boiling and baking, are usually prepared fresh instead of with semi-finished products, which makes it pricier and more time-consuming to prepare but more healthy to eat. So, Giannakaros is confident that Mediterranean cuisine will continue to catch on among Chinese foodies.

Shabtai agrees with Giannakaros' observation.

"The trend of providing fresh and healthy food will continue, with more vegetarian options and less oil and frying," Shabtai said.

According to him, the many changes in the availability of ingredients enable foreign kitchens to provide more authentic food in Beijing. He said the key to growing customers lies in ensuring that customers get an authentic dining experience.

"We are doing our utmost to keep serving the authentic flavors from home to ensure that our customers are getting the 'real thing,'" he said.