Beijing: A Day and a Half.
-
Alright, my visit to Beijing was quite a mixed bag of emotions. I'd like to share some honest thoughts that might serve as useful tips for foreign friends planning to visit.
Thoughts on Food, Drinking, and Service:
To be frank, Beijing's cuisine did not particularly impress me. Some places felt akin to a "desert" in terms of food quality, and service attitude was somewhat inconsistent as well.
For instance, at the well-known chain, Ziguang Garden, the dairy skin pieces, which are a local specialty made from the essence of milk and have a texture somewhat similar to thick cream, were quite good in my opinion (see Image 1). However, other pastries there were too sweet and greasy for my taste, with mediocre texture.
From Image 4 to Image 9, we had a meal at a fusion restaurant, where both the environment and service were commendable. With an average price per person around 300 RMB (approximately $40 USD), having better service is expected.
But! The dining experience at restaurants (and even roadside stalls) other times wasn’t great. Service attitudes could vary greatly and sometimes be quite unexpected—sometimes shockingly so.
At Beijing Shengshi, famous for its roast duck (see Image 11), when it came to ordering a side dish of minced garlic (a common addition to Chinese cold dishes or roast duck for added flavor), after asking three staff members, each time finding the previous ones disappeared without response, our dish never showed up despite staying until closing.
We also ordered an interesting local snack, the sesame paste sweet cake, essentially a sweet bun filled with sesame paste (see Image 11). Our wait proved futile as it never appeared, even though it wasn't recorded correctly on the bill initially (I swear, it should've been there!). While the table next to us raved about how authentic their roast duck was, my palate didn't find much difference aside from the meat being possibly a tad bit more flavorsome than usual.
Weather and Transport Discrepancies:
The weather during these two days was pleasant, coinciding with the Qingming Festival (an important Chinese traditional day for honoring deceased relatives usually occurring early April), during which Beijing was neither stormy nor humid.
However, Beijing’s traffic can appear bewildering. This especially applies to the design strategy of traffic lights. Countless pedestrians disregard red lights, and this scale of jaywalking was unprecedented even amongst other big cities of China like Shanghai or Guangzhou.
️ Crucial Tips For Travelers!First, on varying dining experiences: Some restaurants may not provide satisfactory service, particularly when crowded or non-luxurious. Always double-check your orders before leaving the table and repeatedly remind servers of any special requirements. If your dishes take unusually long to arrive, actively ask about them, considering they might have been forgotten.
Regarding personal safety while navigating the streets: Extremely cautious pedestrians! Be vigilant even during green lights when crossing Beijing's roads. Many pedestrians do not adhere strictly to traffic rules and can suddenly rush on the street. Make sure you’re fully aware of your surroundings before proceeding across the road.
These reflections are solely my personal sentiment after the trip, Beijing pals please don’t take it too seriously! It’s all about helping everyone enjoy a smooth and pleasant visit.
-
As a Beijing local, I won't bash you for saying that; these situations aren't caused by Beijingers.
-
I think so too. So, does that mean the people criticizing me are also non-locals?
-
True, the service isn't great. When I went to buy Daoxiangcun pastries and asked the staff for recommendations, they were really impatient and just said, 'There's so much here, just pick something yourself.' It made me feel really awkward.
-
Exactly. But if you say that, some tourists who've been there, or even some Beijingers, will counter with, 'Real Beijingers don't even go to places like that.'
-
The instant-boiled mutton (Shuanrou) was so delicious! We had it three times in three days.
-
A friend living in Beijing also treated us to Yangfang Shuanrou, which a local recommended. I couldn't really tell a huge difference from other hot pots, though. If you ate it for three days, it must have really suited your taste!
-
I think the Lüdagun (glutinous rice rolls) from the old Hui Muslim shops in Beijing are incredibly delicious, much better than Baiji's. Next time I go to Beijing, I definitely need to buy some to bring back.
-
I saw those and wanted to buy some, but I felt like one portion would be too much to finish, so I didn't.
-
The fried cakes (Zhagao) from Ziguangyuan are delicious! Their Tanghuoshao (sweet baked buns) are pretty good too. Actually, I find most of the snacks sold at their outdoor stalls quite tasty.
-
I didn't buy that. I had Zenggao (steamed glutinous rice cake with dates). It was okay, I guess, just not as amazing as some say.
-
It's true that the service in Beijing can be poor, but it's definitely not a culinary wasteland.
-
I actually think the service in Guangdong is pretty bad. I haven't felt much of a difference in service quality in other cities.
-
The Beijingers I've encountered have actually been quite nice. I even played Jianzi (Chinese shuttlecock) with some people in the Temple of Heaven park. They're also very respectful to the elderly, often saying things like, 'You first, sir.' My only question is, why do all the non-motorized vehicles run red lights? We rented bikes, and seeing everyone else ignore the red lights made us question whether we should even wait.
-
I have a strong feeling it's mostly certain working-class Beijing locals with strong accents who are like that. Just now, at the National Museum, I couldn't stop myself from telling a bathroom cleaning lady to her face that her attitude was terrible. I suspect that since most visitors to the museum are non-locals, her 'local pride' was on full display, ha!
-
I don't find the food bad at all. The Jiangxi cuisine I had yesterday was delicious, and the instant-boiled mutton (Shuanrou) was great too.
-
I absolutely love the food in Picture 1!