speaking staff and visitor information, but
hostels outside of the centre are generally
of a lower standard, and further away
from many of the tourist attractions.
FOOD
The Peking duck may peak your interest
(sorry, had to be done) as it is Beijing’s sig-
nature dish. Although the sauce may be
subtler than what you’re used to due to
the western conversion of Chinese cui-
sine, the meat is cooked to perfection with
a crispy outside layer and a juicy inside. I
couldn’t wait to go back again the next
day and try some more! If you find your-
self in Dongcheng for an evening, go to
the Dongcheng night market from 5.30-
10.30pm. Once there, if you’re feeling
brave you can try the much loved ‘bou-
quet’ of skewered grasshoppers. Me,
being the kind of girl I am, had to close my
eyes and try one. Of course I had to pull
off both ends first (I didn’t want to be eat-
ing the start or the finish of that) and
crunched away until the insect had gone.
If this doesn’t entice you (and I can’t imag-
ine why not) there are also scorpions on
the menu. However, if you’d prefer a
more familiar dish, the food stalls also sell
noodles and fruit kebabs. If you’re a vege-
tarian, I bet you would moan in dismay at
not being able to try the grasshoppers!
(Yeah, right.) Well don’t worry, Xu Xiang
Zhai Vegetarian restaurant is
also in Dongcheng and does
fishless sushi and meatless
Chinese dishes for you hun-
gry herbivores. Try the buffet
for a selection of three dozen
vegetarian Chinese dishes.
If you want a drink to
wash down those creepy
crawlies, there are many
lovely bars also
in
Dongcheng. Bed Bar is a
funky-furnished bar with
floor seating and a great
atmosphere. Drum and Bell
is a great little rooftop terrace
bar with loads of comfy
couches and armchairs to
relax in, and also has Wi-Fi. If
you’re looking for something
a little more upbeat, Mao
Livehouse is a popular
nightspot in Beijing. The
music is extremely varied,
ranging from local jazz and death metal,
to Britpop style bands. The club has some-
thing for everyone and if you can put up
with music that isn’t your scene, you’re
bound to have a great night.
BITE
TRAVEL