Peking Duck

Everyone seems to be eating all the time in Beijing, and even compared to Bangkok there seem more restaurants and cafes. Here is what we have experienced so far...

Chinese Restaurants: portions are large and we have been caught out by ordering three dishes for the four of us, which could feed a family of eight! Lots of the food has been accompanied by quite glutinous sauce, which (it must be said) is an acquired taste.

Roast Duck: We went to the Quan Ju De Restaurant which seems to be a bit of a Beijing institution. A guy comes to your table and carves the duck with a terrifyingly sharp cleaver. You are then brought spring onions, plum sauce and pancakes in a steamer in which to wrap the duck. It was all very much a ritual, and I rated it higher for an experience than the actual taste, as the duck was pretty fatty (they were clearly well fed...)

Food Street: There are a few of these in Beijing where you can get pretty much any type of food not normally seen outside an episode of Bear Grylls. Giant Centipede? Yep, with extra chilli. Seahorse? Of course! Ram Penis? Why yes, we have it medium rare.The only thing I couldn’t source were Panda noses, but I’m sure if you looked hard enough...

Street Food: The real street food has been the best bet. Any street will have little outlets selling Jian Bing (kind of like a Chinese crepe), Rou Bing (dumplings containing minced meat), and all different kinds of stuffed breads and buns, none of which, so far, has been anything less than delicious!

Tea Houses: One of those you-have-to-do-it-cos-you’re-there things. We went into a lovely tea house opposite the temple of Confucius and were initiated into tea ceremonies for oolong tea, white tea and herbal tea. The last one was an infusion of about a dozen different leaves, flowers and fruits, which (like some Willy Wonka confectionary) changed colour and taste the longer it was brewed!