For a more elegant, contemporary setting and an outstanding selection of homemade noodles, visit the Noodle Loft for lunch. This spot features the cuisine of Shanxi, a province to the southwest of Beijing, and the draw are the oodles of noodles, many of which are made by hand. Grab a seat at the bar, where you can watch the chefs preparing noodles from scratch. Make sure to try the yi ba zhua (fried wheat cakes with garlic chives) and the qiao mian mao erduo (cat's ear–shaped noodles with ground meat sauce).
It bears mentioning that a superb lunch—albeit a Western one—can be had at Maison Boulud, a 2008 addition to the mushrooming global empire of Daniel Boulud. Every one of my invaluable ad hoc consultants to this article—my scouting retinue of friends and colleagues—insisted I visit this stately and tastefully decorated restaurant to sample the $25 fixed-price lunch, an incredible steal. The lavish three-course meal, served in the equally posh surroundings of the former United States Embassy, did not disappoint. I couldn't resist ordering one of Boulud's DB burgers—sumptuous enough to share, with its foie gras and boneless short rib center. My companion happily devoured half along with his impeccably prepared roast suckling pig and smoky white-bean minestrone soup, plus a generous portion of my endive and pear salad, all made with locally grown greens and fruit. And then there was dessert.…
A great stop at any time of day or evening is Wangfujing Snack Street, where natives and foreigners alike enjoy some of Beijing's best street food. Cooks deftly toss ingredients on their portable stoves, and the sound of hawkers calling out their offerings is deafening. At dusk, purveyors set up little tables covered by red-and-white-striped canopies that line the street as far as the eye can see. Try the red-cooked meat, grilled lamb or beef skewers, or all manner of exotica, from scorpions to pickled, salted, fermented vegetables; numerous pan-fried and steamed dumplings; and teas. Stalls stay open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., so come for an afternoon snack, a meal, or just to explore and take photos.
What would dinnertime in Beijing be without a taste of one of the city's most famous specialties, Peking duck? On the advice of Lillian Chou, a former food editor at Gourmet and now Time Out Beijing food editor, I visited a leading contender for the capital's best: Duck de Chine, in its brand-new and very swanky second location at 1949 The Hidden City, a chic complex of restored industrial brick buildings near the Forbidden City. I was slightly put off by the glitzy decor and French sommelier, but the duck—crisp skin, tender meat, and paper-thin Mandarin pancakes—was sublime, as was the beautifully flavored and crystal-clear duck soup. Another unusual feature was a ritual our server performed, mixing mustard and chopped ginger into our individual dishes of bean-paste sauce and swirling the surface into elegant works of art. Prices are hefty compared with other formal restaurants in Beijing, so be prepared.
If your tastes run to spicy and authentic Sichuanese fare, plan dinner at Xiao Jie Wang. This unpretentious yet stylish spot serves excellent western regional classics such as dan dan mian (spicy noodles with minced pork), shui jiao (dumplings in chile oil), ma jiang feng wei (fresh lettuce with spicy sesame sauce), and cuizhaji (crisp fried chicken seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns garnished with dried red chiles). Prices are extremely reasonable.
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