P.K.14 axeman and epicure Xu Bo

P.K.14: Still Thoughts Vegetarian Restaurant
“Our favorite place as a band is this vegetarian joint behind the Meishuguan. It's quiet (!) and nothing cleans the gut like a good veggie meal. Plus it's run by our ex-bassist Ren Jie's cousin, so it's got a nice family vibe to it. We often take our friends and musicians passing through town.”

Still Thoughts Vegetarian Restaurant 18A Dafosi Dongjie, Yuqun Hutong (turn right onto Yuqun from Dafosi, which continues from Meishuguan Dongjie), Dongcheng District (6400 8941) 静思素食坊, 东城区大佛寺东街甲18号育群胡同(美术馆东街往北)

Arrows Made of Desire: Xinjiang Fengwei Canguan
“Small and unfussy about cleanliness, this place is not all that different from other Xinjiang restaurants, but we often come here because it’s within walking distance of our rehearsal space. The food is standard, which is good enough for us; it’s cheap, which is also pretty important for us musicians; and chuan’r are the best accompaniment to serious discussions on band matters.”

Xinjiang Fengwei Canguan 11-1 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District (no tel) 新疆风味餐馆, 东城区鼓楼东大街11-1

Beijing Live Hip Hop Experience: Xinwen Shouganmian
“As far as our band is concerned, the most important qualities in an eatery are that it be: 1) cheap; 2) tasty; 3) open late; 4) easy to get to. We come for noodles: cold ones in the summertime, and hot ones in the winter.”

(One band member pipes up: “But if it were only up to me, we’d hit the GL Cafe in Guomao. It’s a step up on the price scale, but the French toast, a deep-fried version of the American classic, is the bomb!”)

Xinwen Shouganmian 231-1 Dongzhimennei Dajie, Dongcheng District (6407 6831) 新文手擀面, 东城区东直门内大街231-1号

Black Cat Bone: Purple Haze Bistro
“It just so happens that our bassist, Tobi, runs the joint with his future wife, but it also just so happens that their food kicks ass. They mix a mean cocktail. And the live jazz twice a week doesn’t hurt either. But at gig time, we tend to squeeze in meals between soundcheck and showtime by either scarfing down nang and chuan’r from the Xinjiang joint near Yugong Yishan or else chilling in the grassy area at the North African BBQ joint beside 2 Kolegas.”

Purple Haze Bistro Rm 201, Bldg 3, China View (corner of Gongti Dong and Beilu), Chaoyang District  (6501 9345) 紫苏庭, 朝阳区工体东路丙2号中国红街3号楼201室

The Gar: Mandehai Mongolian Restaurant
“Most of the dishes served here are starchy and filling, with lots of beef, mutton and potatoes but few leafy greens. Try the great Mongolian pies and baozi, sausage, lentil stew with noodles, braised spareribs with sour cabbage, mashed potatoes and stir-fried er’dao (vermicelli, haricot beans and meat). Portions are big, too. Alcohol is pricey, though, so it’s not a place to get drunk on the cheap.”

Mandehai Mongolian Restaurant 10 Minyuan Beilu, Weigongcun, Haidian District (8842 0854) 满德海蒙古食府, 海淀区魏公村民院北路10号