Donkey Bites

When strolling around Beijing, it is easy to miss some interesting little treasures, well hidden behind some concrete buildings, around a courtyard, or deep into a hutong (alleys). And Beijing is notorious for the rate of its change, where business turn around here is faster than seasonal weather patterns. Since our arrival here, about a year ago, we have witness several store openings and closures in and around our compound. A few months and what looked like a successful business is boarded up, without notice, final sales or information. Then a few weeks or months later a new business opens in the same space, with more or less the same concept or menu, but different owners and/or new decor. Strolling around our neighborhood again and again is then not so boring after all, as there is always the possibility to find something new. That said, once in a while it is great to get out of our city corner and explore a bit.

So last weekend we took our double stroller and zigzagged across the city to find a museum. Our visit was interesting but brief - Noam oblige. After our tour, we headed out to the street, in search of a meal for the little insatiable belly.

After pushing our stroller on the narrow sidewalks of this area of the city we made our choice to this specific restaurant.

We based our choice on the following criteria: Lots of customers as a sign of a possible tasty find. Sufficient space for a double stroller. Not a hot pot (it does not work well with toddlers). And well, salubrity, but that is sometimes difficult to see from outside or without visiting the kitchens. We had given up trying to find restaurants with high chairs before starting our search.

But here in Beijing, when outside our territory (read the areas where loads of expatriates are living), the problem is not only about the lack of high chairs. The thing is we are completely illiterate (yes, despite the countless hours of Chinese lessons) and it brings its share of surprises. So IF I knew how to read in Chinese well, I would have known. But with my limited knowledge I could only understand: Royal Fatty Something Meat. Or maybe The Fat King Something Meat. I guess I could have assumed that the meat in question would be something close to a horse, as the symbol 马 is contained in the symbol 驴. But who knows, right?!

So we got in, parked the stroller, settled as much as possible everyone on the tiny stools and started pointing at the food on the neighbours tables (our best way to make sure of getting something we know - at least in looks). Then we noticed the pretty pictures lined up on the walls, and started wondering. Can it be? Are we really going to eat donkey?

In fact, I have to admit, in good carnivorous as I am, I had no shame. I have enjoyed horse meat countless amount of times while living in Switzerland, and in my opinion this type of meat is probably less prone to being fed hormones and other nasty things... So why not donkey? And the truth is, in this little joint, the food was extremely tasty, each dish just perfectly prepared (and I am not a fan of Chinese food, so it is to say how good it was). Among the several dishes we ordered, we tried some kind of mini sandwich, made out of a deep fried bread, stuffed with some green leafy vegetables and some tender meat. Noam devoured his little sandwich so fast (usually he plays with food). Pauli ordered a few more of them (and he is vegetarian at times)...

I hope we cuold find more places like these around our neck of the woods!!!

For the curious and the adventurous, you can find this restaurant near the Xu Beihong Memorial, located 53 Xinjiekou, in the Xicheng District. From the museum, you walk a little south on Xinjiekou and turn left on a winding street filled with restaurants. The Royal Fatty Donkey Meat Restaurant is on the south side of the street, a few doors from the intersection.

This is the addres in Chinese of the memorial: 徐悲鸿纪念馆, 地点：新街口, 西北二环内, 100035西城区新街口北大街53号.

Enjoy!