Longcheng Tang and Ba Guo Bu Yi, Beijing

Longcheng Tang. We loved this tiny Guangxi grub restaurant with a courtyard setting. We enjoyed a stir fry dish of smoked ham, bamboo shoots and vegetables with a side order of steamed long grain rice.


Our favorite though, was the deep-fried eggplant circles. The eggplants were covered in a thin coat of batter and served on a banana leaf. A dip of mixed dry salt, cumin and chili added a flair.


Ba Guo Bu Yi serves Sichan fare in a second floor venue complete with a dinner performance (avoid sitting in the center of the room as the Chinese like their entertainment loud and cheesy). When the dishes were served they seemed so tame, little did we know they would burn so.

The dried tofu with celery dressed in chili oil was delicious. The strong taste of the chili complemented the crisp celery and the thinly sliced tofu had a smoky flavour.


We were naive when we ordered the Sichuan staple chicken covered in dried chili. The dish came to the table, a mound of shiny red and we anticipated the first bite. A second look revealed the ratio between the chili/peppercorns and the pea-sized chicken bits (about 10:1). We had a few mouthfuls while shedding tears and losing sensation in our mouths and throats. We were brave enough to put it aside and order something milder, an omelet (can't go wrong there).


Longcheng Tang. 28, Huangchenggen Beijie, Dongcheng District.
Ba Guo Bu Yi. 2F Nanhang Hotel, 10 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Guomao, Chaoyang District. and other locations around Beijing.