Beijing Pie

Located along an avenue known more for groups of tourists wandering between the National Art Museum and the Forbidden City than its dining options, Beijing Pie is serving up plates of comfort food superstars like gongbao chicken (36RMB) and beef stir-fry platters (62RMB).

The sign above the door doesn’t say ‘Beijing stir-fry’, however, so as we find a seat in the clean, brightly lit dining room, all eyes are on the pies, or, more precisely – pancakes. The Chinese language doesn’t make much of a distinction between the two; the restaurant’s English translation is ‘pie’, but what Beijing Pie actually serves up, bing (饼), looks more like a pancake.

At Beijing Pie, the ‘pies’ come stuffed with beef, pork or duck. We opt for the more traditional beef and pork (both 28RMB) and a selection of the home-style side dishes. The sides arrive first, which is reassuring in a town where the speed at which some kitchens pump out ‘freshly made’ dishes is dubious at best. 

Our sides, fresh tofu with scallion (16RMB), century egg with ginger (18RMB) and ‘loofah tips with dried chilli’ (a salad of squash greens with mild spice, 22RMB), are all plated with a care and an attention to detail we wouldn’t normally expect of an establishment this casual and this cheap. The vinyl tabletops belie the presence in the kitchen of someone who takes real pride in their work. 

The flavours are also on point: fresh, clean with a good balance of salt, sugar and heat. The loofah greens are particularly good (despite the silly name) while the tofu manages to make an impression in spite of its impossibly simple preparation. The handful of freshly chopped scallion is aromatic and provides all the sharpness a dish of humble bean curd really needs.

When the meat pies (well, ‘rou bing’) arrive, piping hot from the iron, the lack of oil is obvious. The hot greasy mess that we’re used to encountering at hole-in-the-wall stalls has been dressed up; it’s defiantly light and complex. The golden flaky crust, and glistening minced meat and scallion filling, take a long draw from a shallow bowl of black vinegar and go down smooth. The savoury filling is well seasoned and in good ratio with the breading – no skimping here.

Beijing Pie serves up classic northern dishes that both wandering tourists and Beijingers will enjoy. It’s a boon to an area lacking in culinary pedigree, and a style of place we hope becomes more common in the area.