Savoring Beijing: Uncovering the Stories Behind the Flavors

Every city has its own flavor, mellowed by time, leaving a unique aromatic charm that lingers not just on the palate, but in the heart. Beijing, the capital of China and a storied ancient capital of six dynasties, carries the weight of profound history and inherits the most traditional Chinese culture. It is also a multi-faceted, deeply inclusive international metropolis, absorbing the most dazzling essences from around the world. Beyond imperial court cuisine and the down-to-earth Beijing-style street snacks, there is a dazzling diversity of culinary delights from every corner of the globe.

As the world's eighth gourmet city, Beijing is definitely not a 'food desert.' Here, gastronomy flourishes in all its forms, a paradise for epicures and food lovers alike. Even though a thousand diners have a thousand different palates and a thousand different interpretations of food, Beijing's all-embracing culinary scene—from time-honored authentic Beijing flavors to purebred deliciousness from around the world—can satisfy every food lover's cravings, stir the soul, and create taste memories that blossom on the tongue.

Travel boils down to 'food, accommodation, transport, and play,' with the culinary experience topping the list. Keiko, as a Wuyouxing travel curator, has meticulously crafted a gourmet journey brimming with imperial capital character, where soul meets cuisine. Immerse yourself in the imperial capital for three days and two nights, take your taste buds on a surprise-filled ride, and savor ancient and modern, Chinese and Western cultures through deliciousness. Come savor Beijing with me, follow my footsteps to uncover the stories behind the food, and embark on a free-spirited foodie journey.

Hutongs, as the most regionally distinctive architectural clusters in Beijing, embody the unique lifestyle, joys, and neighborly bonds of Beijingers. The hidden-in-plain-sight Beijing hutongs and siheyuan courtyards have a long history, reflecting the old capital's appearance and folk customs, witnessing historical shifts and the times. They are steeped in a rich, authentic old Beijing atmosphere, each one like a museum of folk traditions, stamped with the marks of everyday life.

Grey walls and grey tiles, rows of courtyards. Strolling through them, savoring the details, is like browsing an encyclopedia of old Beijing. Many bricks and tiles in these hutongs bear centuries of history. Walking through Beijing's hutongs and courtyards feels like traveling through time, gazing back at the past. One courtyard, one history, a world in itself.

Nestled in the winding lanes of Shatan North Street, the architectural complex of Zhizhu Temple, Fayuan Temple, and Songzhu Temple was beautifully restored by Belgian Juan van Wassenhove, preserving its historical integrity perfectly. The Temple, a fusion of old and new, is also located here. The entire restoration process was filmed as a documentary, playing on loop at the entrance.

Amidst time, glean history and savor life. A vermillion door gently opens onto a spacious courtyard. Here lies TRB Hutong (Temple Restaurant Beijing), acclaimed as 'the best French restaurant in the capital,' settled within the 600-year-old Songzhu Temple. History, distilled by years, exudes a quiet beauty. Beijing's early winter sunlight is crystal clear and crisp, accentuating the temple's serene stillness—ancient trees and branches, red gates and grey tiles. The exposed wooden beams of the historic structure bring inner calm, while modern touches add a distinctive flair. When nightfall lights up, the atmosphere becomes alluringly romantic and mysterious.

Slowness reveals true life. Sit by the glass window, watch diners and passersby, admire the dancing shadows of trees—tranquility and stillness, all of it a view. Step into TRB Hutong, where history and modernity intertwine seamlessly, and immerse yourself in a fine dining ritual steeped in historic elegance. Laughter and the enchanting aroma of food infuse the historic ambience. The internationally acclaimed Australian-born head chef Luke Armstrong injects creativity and ingenuity into the new menu, exploring local produce. Precise heat, signature seasonings, and stunning ingredients complement each other, echoing the Zen spirit of Zhizhu Temple.

Kaluga Caviar with Sweet Corn Purée

Caviar suspended in the center of corn purée. The caviar is from Hangzhou, using 8–10-year-old sturgeon roe. Beneath the corn mousse hides a lobster and cognac jelly. First comes the sweetness of the corn, then the umami of the caviar bursts in the mouth. The lobster jelly melts instantly on the tongue, releasing the sweet aroma of cognac.

Tuna Tartare with Seaweed Foam

Chef Luke's surprise egg—he previously worked at the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo, so his cooking carries a unique 'Japan-French' style. The glutamate in the seaweed foam perfectly enhances the tuna's umami.

Returning to European flair, a sunny French bouillabaisse serves as the base sauce. The alfonsino is pan-fried until the skin is crispy, preserving the bouillabaisse flavor while highlighting the fish's tender flesh.

Back to Chef Luke's homeland, Australian grass-fed M9 Wagyu is used. Grass-fed beef has a richer flavor than grain-fed, and the M9 grade is even rarer. Sautéed to release a rich beefy aroma, paired with seared vegetables and a classic Bordelaise sauce, it adds another layer of flavor. The abundant marbling brings a satisfying richness.

Hainan mango as the visual centerpiece—thinly sliced and shaped into a flower, set atop silky sabayon, accompanied by a sharp passion fruit jelly. Sweet and sour, refreshing, yet rich and smooth.

Price: 2088 yuan/person (7 courses), 788 yuan/person (7 glasses of wine pairing)

Location: 23 Shatan North Street

After dining, take a stroll around the Temple Complex. This 600-year-old temple, tucked deep in the hutongs and blending East and West, was personally approved by Emperor Qianlong as a Tibetan Buddhist temple. Built during the Ming Dynasty near the Forbidden City, it is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

The Temple and TRB Hutong share the same courtyard. With its vermillion buildings, white archways, and wooden beams, the complex is a quintessential Beijing red-wall courtyard, serene and elegant, tranquil and ancient. The original bricks and tiles are preserved as much as possible, revealing a rustic Zen essence imbued with unique historical depth and beauty. Stepping into The Temple, the atmosphere contrasts with the bustling worldly life outside. Everything here is profoundly quiet, a blend of old and new, with art exhibitions, galleries, restaurants, tea rooms, and even super popular temple yoga. It's said that the yoga classes need to be booked half a month in advance; sports enthusiasts should definitely give it a try—practicing yoga in an ancient temple adds a profound dimension.

Amid the collision of ancient charm and modern art, The Temple has become a niche art space. Wander through the ancient temple, sip tea, and watch the sunset for a leisurely afternoon. Gathered Sky is the only sky space art installation in China by American visual artist James Turrell. Frame by frame, enjoy the interplay of sunset and light in the courtyard. HUI Tea Room offers a subtle Zen experience through tea. Most precious is the sunset moment at The Temple—sit on the temple steps, empty your mind, feel inner peace, stroll the courtyard and listen to birdsong and insects, feel the traces of time. Walking here is like a dialogue with time, inducing a heartfelt sigh that all is beautiful in the world.

Admission: Temple entrance free, exhibition tickets required

Address: Inside Zhizhu Temple, Art Museum, Dongcheng District, 23 Songzhu Courtyard, Shatan North Street

What pairs best with winter? Without a doubt, it's hotpot. Hotpot is an infectiously inclusive food, with a spirit of 'embracing all rivers,' yet always full of passion. With just one person, one stove, one pot, and a pair of chopsticks, it can 'tame' anything. A steaming hot pot with rising clouds of heat, bubbling with healing flavors—ingredients tossed in soak up the essence of the broth, rich and fragrant, fresh and satisfying. Whenever the mouth feels lonely, hotpot calls. With the pandemic flaring up recently, a safe, hygienic, and delicious individual hotpot is even more ideal.

In the morning, head to JW Kitchen at JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central for a winter hotpot experience, making all good things come to a boil. It replenishes energy and soothes the taste buds. A choice of spicy, tomato, and nourishing deer bone broth bases. Fresh ingredients like seafood, beef, lamb, vegetables, and meatballs all bubble in the pot.

At JW Kitchen, besides the special winter hotpot, you'll also find mouthwatering Chinese, Japanese, and European dishes. Fresh seafood, Japanese teppanyaki selections, sizzling grills, nourishing soups, delicious Chinese cuisine, selected desserts, and seasonal fresh fruits—unlimited self-service, indulging the taste buds. Hotpot and chatter warm up this winter. The cheesecake is absolutely unmissable, rich and aromatic, filling your heart with bliss.

In the afternoon, delve deep into Beijing's hutongs to uncover authentic Japanese flavors. In the prosperous central area of the capital, imperial gardens of past dynasties gather here. Hutongs, the capillaries of Beijing, have stories flowing through them like water. Beyond the mists of history, the hidden culinary gems in today's hutongs have become another reason to explore. Wanye Japanese BBQ is one of the finest, hailed by many Beijing food lovers as 'the best authentic Japanese BBQ hidden in the hutongs.'

Wanye's Houhai branch is tucked away in a quiet hutong. Its simple, Japanese-style storefront blends into the peaceful surroundings, making you feel as if you're in Kyoto. Inside is a traditional Japanese space, elegant and serene. Occasionally, the calls of hutong vendors drift in—a playful collision between old Beijing elements and Japanese expression, creating a lingering hutong dining experience. The leisurely ease of a hermit hidden in the city is particularly precious in this bustling era.

Top-grade fresh Wagyu beef, grilled over traditional binchotan charcoal, delivers an ultimate BBQ experience that leaves lips and teeth fragrant. Authentic Japanese BBQ is always cooked over traditional charcoal. Only exceptional ingredients deserve such a rare, private dining moment. The Wagyu used at Wanye is selected from American SRF extreme Wagyu and Australian Beefcorp's crossbred Wagyu, raised on natural pastures, grain-fed for 550 days, and wet-aged for 78 hours to break down enzymes. The delicate, beautiful marbling makes it an irresistible delicacy, succulent and aromatic.

Only binchotan charcoal can impart soul to the meat. Wanye uses binchotan, hailed as the 'treasure of charcoal,' specifically designed for Japanese BBQ. Made from hard ubame oak, aogiri, and bamboo through traditional Japanese charcoal techniques, it is hard, porous, burns stably, and has high calorific value. When the burning temperature exceeds 800°C, it instantly seals in the ingredients' natural flavors, yielding juicy, original-tasting meat with a uniquely captivating charcoal-grilled aroma.

Thick-Cut Sirloin Steak

Connoisseurs know the sirloin cut is the essence of beef, with a chewy texture that releases a mouthful of robust flavor. The restaurant manager personally slices and grills the meat. After cutting and weighing, it cannot be grilled immediately; it must rest and 'breathe' for 15 minutes, awakening and stretching fully to be in optimal condition for charcoal grilling.

Thinly sliced Wagyu grilled over charcoal, inspired by sukiyaki. The secret sauce infuses it with an even richer, juicier character, fragrant and layered.

A star item in Japanese BBQ. Wanye uses the premium cut of ox tongue—the core. Thick-cut, it combines firmness and tenderness, resilient yet crisp. From a 50cm tongue, only the 12–18cm section with the richest fat and best meat is selected, making just one portion.

Snowflake Wagyu Ribeye

One side grilled to a slight char, the other to golden. Upon biting, intense charred fragrance spreads, followed by succulent juices. Aroma, richness, and umami intertwine on lips and teeth.

The fine, beautiful marbling is mesmerizing; the pale red texture captivates. Juicy and instantly startling the taste buds.

After dining, you can walk to Houhai and Prince Gong's Mansion to experience Beijing's unique charm—about a 10-minute walk.

Address: 17 Xifushouli, Xicheng District

After soaking in the Beijing flavor of Houhai and Prince Gong's Mansion, a distinctive afternoon tea is perfect. 'Cozy Winter Afternoon Tea' at Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall is a great choice. Delicious bites and warm sunshine blend classic luxury with modern chic, allowing you to enjoy the imperial capital's cozy afternoon tea moment without distraction.

Earl Grey Caramel Cheesecake

Frozen cheesecake mixed with Earl Grey tea and caramel biscuits—smooth cheese, refreshing tea aroma.

Italian Tiramisu

Mascarpone cheese paired with freshly ground espresso and coffee liqueur-soaked ladyfingers. The clash of sweet and bitter, like angels and demons, creates pure bliss.

Rich chocolate shaped like a tire wheel with an exquisite hubcap decoration gives chocolate a whole new soul, an extension of dreams and passion.

Ferrero Rocher Macaron

A whole Ferrero Rocher becomes the filling of a raspberry macaron. The tart raspberry meets the crunchy chocolate hazelnut—a bizarre texture that brings an instant burst of happiness.

Fresh Passion Fruit Mousse

A steering wheel-shaped passion fruit mousse with an Oreo cookie base is a match made in heaven. Slightly sour, refreshing, and layered, it awakens the senses.

Fresh yogurt-soaked oatmeal, healthy and irresistible.

Also not to be missed: classic English scones, rye bread with feta cheese and Parma ham, mini tuna sandwiches, and many more. Enjoy the moment and start a cozy afternoon tea time.

Time: 2021.11.28 – 2022.3.31

Price: 588 yuan/set (limited-time offer includes a collaborative teddy bear)

Location: Beijing Marriott Hotel City Wall

As an international metropolis, Beijing embraces cuisines from all over the world. Here, you can eat anything you can imagine, and even things you can't. Even in Beijing's hutongs, you can taste authentic Yunnan flavors from over 2,000 kilometers away. Yunnan, 'South of the Colorful Clouds,' is the province with the most ethnic minorities, known for its magnificent natural scenery, diverse traditional costumes, and unique festive customs, exuding a mysteriously romantic regional charm and a distinctive multicultural atmosphere. Yunnan cuisine, as a representative cultural symbol, naturally has a huge following.

Yunnan cuisine, also called Dian cuisine, is broad and inclusive, encompassing all five flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—all meticulously balanced. Crispy and tender, refreshing with a sweet aftertaste, tangy and slightly numbing, it emphasizes the original taste of ingredients, mellow and soft without being mushy, tender yet not raw. In the hutong of the imperial capital, there's an authentic Yunnan eatery: Duoweiju, which started in 1995 and blends into the traditional Beijing hutong with a unique flavor. On its private terrace, you can overlook the myriad facets of hutong life, converse with ancient trees, and watch time unfold.

In autumn and winter, the terrace view is the Beiping described by writer Lao She; in spring and summer, it transforms into the splendid floral scenery of Yunnan. The main reason Duoweiju has thrived for 26 years and still draws crowds is naturally its acclaimed Yunnan flavors. The owner is a native of Yunnan, so the dishes perfectly present the most authentic Dian-style flair.

Duowei Sour Soup Hotpot Series

The signature must-order: Duowei Sour Soup Beef, Duowei Sour Soup Pork, and Duowei Sour Soup Basa Fish are all recommended. The main ingredients are excellent, the sour-spicy flavor addictive. Particularly noteworthy is the specialty pickled vegetables in the soup, which will definitely surprise everyone—don't miss them.

A classic Dai dish: crispy skin, tender meat, flavorful and delicious. Lemongrass has anti-inflammatory, tendon-relaxing, and pain-relieving properties. 'Lemongrass Roasted Chicken' made with tender lemongrass shoots as a spice is golden-red, fresh, crispy, juicy, and refreshing.

No Yunnan feast is complete without mixian (rice noodles). The special broth small-pot rice noodles, with added sour pickled vegetables, fresh minced meat, and fresh chives in a superior stock, are savory and aromatic, rich and layered, lingering on the lips. The minced meat is tender, the rice noodles smooth—every chopstick touchs the soul.

Address: 1 Zhongjianzi Alley, Fuxue Hutong

After enjoying the delicious, authentic Yunnan food, continue exploring traditional Beijing flavors in the afternoon. An imperial court style is the top choice. Sipping palace-style milk tea from a lidded bowl—just hearing it sounds exciting. It's like a time slip, letting you experience Beijing's old-world charm through food. Fuhuazhai Pastry Shop, run by court chefs from generations of family heritage, is the most authentic Manchu imperial pastry shop.

The founder, Mr. Wang Xifu, his maternal grandfather Chen Guangshou was a Qing court chef, and his brothers and father were renowned chefs in famous restaurants during the Republic period. Mr. Wang learned traditional imperial cooking from his father and brothers since childhood, possessing profound connoisseur memories and sensory insights into traditional Chinese cuisine. Every pastry at Fuhuazhai is repeatedly perfected by Mr. Wang to restore classic court flavors and craft essence. Ingredients are carefully selected—'harvested from the right land, at the right time.' Fillings are handmade with intricate techniques, the warmth passed from artisan hands comforting the taste buds of ancestral heritage.

At Fuhuazhai Pastry Shop on Huguosi Snack Street, you can sample long-lost Manchu pastries. Stepping over the threshold, you turn into an imperial prince or princess in a second. Push open the red-lacquered double doors, carved lattice windows cast elegant light and shadow, and the gold-plated plaque under the eave exudes imperial grandeur. Lying back on a dragon couch to enjoy pastries and sipping palace milk tea from a lidded bowl transports you instantly through time. The Manchu call flour-based foods 'bobo.' Every day, the pastries are hand-made in limited quantities. The imperial court pastries at Fuhuazhai are based on secret ancestral recipes, with meticulous attention to ingredients and technique, resulting in exquisite shapes and delicate textures.

The shop's interior design, furnishings, and utensils are incredibly refined. Gold curtains, classical elegance, a dragon bed, an Eight Immortals table, and a Taishi chair all brim with ancient charm. The antique clock and vase in the center hall symbolize 'life-long peace.' Porcelain with the 'wealthy and white-headed' theme was dowry porcelain for daughters, featuring delicately lifelike white-headed bulbuls and vigorous peonies symbolizing enduring wealth—conveying blessings of 'wealth, honor, and living together to old age.' The theme relates to the story of Guo Ziyi, a famous Tang Dynasty general, rare in history for excelling in both civil and martial affairs, surviving his emperor's suspicion, and living happily ever after. He was enfeoffed as Prince of Fenyang, and his descendants enjoyed wealth and rank for generations—a story of perfect happiness later known as 'Fenyang Fortune.'

Sunni Efen White Cake

An exclusive secret recipe, my personal favorite. 'Sunni Efen' means milk in Manchu; it is a lost milky Manchu pastry, frequently mentioned in Qing court imperial kitchen records. Fuhuazhai's Sunni Efen White Cake has a moist, white surface, perfectly balanced sweet and sour. Chewing slowly, the milk and flour aromas fully release in the mouth—soft, delicious, with an elegant milky fragrance.

'Drinking the dew that drips from magnolia blossoms at dawn, eating the fallen petals of autumn chrysanthemums at dusk,' so Qu Yuan described the beauty of eating flowers and drinking dew in 'Li Sao.' Fuhuazhai's imperial rose cake has a history of over 300 years. It uses selected imperial nine-petalled edible roses to make a rose paste filling, wrapped in flaky pastry and baked. The rose filling is fragrant and abundant, the cake delicate and soft, filled with the scent of flowers—a taste of floral delicacy with beauty-enhancing benefits.

An exclusive secret recipe, mentioned in Chapter 76 of 'Dream of the Red Chamber': during the Mid-Autumn Festival moon appreciation and flute playing, Grandmother Jia gifted 'inner palace-made melon kernel oil pine nut mooncakes' to the flute player. From grand secretaries to princes, all received such mooncakes as a symbol of imperial favor. The melon kernel oil pine nut cake uses pine nuts, melon seeds, walnuts, and other main ingredients, with green plum as a supplement, made into a filling. It strictly follows the exquisitely imperial handmade method, producing a soft, delicate texture with a rich nutty aroma that refreshes the heart, evoking dreams of the Red Mansion.

Named for its shape like an ox tongue, this is a common savory crispy pastry in Beijing. Fuhuazhai's imperial ox tongue pastry adheres to the court recipe with a meticulous 'seven-treasure filling' and a unique flavor-extraction method. 'Manifestation of fulfillment, a dance on the tongue between salty, fragrant, sweet, numbing, and the flaky pastry—an enduring aftertaste, lips and teeth fragrant.

An exclusive secret recipe, a type of 'molasses-mixed' mooncake. Fuhuazhai's dried vegetable mooncake blends northern and southern dried vegetable mooncakes, using pickled cabbage as the filling, full-flavored, highlighting a salty, mellow taste that is hearty. Dried plum has the benefits of aiding digestion and cleansing the organs.

An exclusive secret recipe; the Rose Chestnut Pastry is a classic in the rose flaky pastry series. The inner filling wraps delicate, sweet chestnut paste around homemade Miaofeng Mountain rose sauce. The outer layer is paper-thin white flaky pastry. It combines the sweet, floury richness of chestnut with the floral fragrance of rose. The texture is delicate and soft, sweet with a returning sweetness—chestnut is good for the kidneys.

Palace-style Milk Tea

Brewed with ancient imperial methods using real ingredients. Rich in milk flavor and tea aroma, slightly salty amid sweetness, warming the heart and stomach in winter.

Artisan Cheese Roll

Made with seasonal hawthorn, hand-pitted, blending the creamy smoothness of cheese with the sweet-sour tang of hawthorn. Appetite-stimulating, spleen-boosting, lung-moistening.

Apricot Kernel Tofu

Select whole sweet almonds ground into a paste, meticulously crafted with milk. Crystal-clear white, gentle as jade, exuding a strong almond aroma. The taste is sweet and smooth, melting upon the tongue.

85 Huguosi Street, 1F Huguo Xintiandi

There are over 120 or 130 varieties of pastries, large and small, at the pastry shop. When Beijingers traveled afar, the 'Eight Pastries' box was always an essential local specialty gift. As our delightful three-day, two-night 'Savoring Beijing' culinary journey draws to a close, thoughtful Keiko has already prepared souvenir ideas. Choose a box of delicious court pastries for your family, friends, and loved ones—it is definitely the most decent and most Beijing-flavored gift! Looking forward to the next wonderful journey with all you food and travel enthusiasts.