Tired of Chinese Food? The Future Looks Bright

You still might not be able to find a proper British pie in Beijing and some of us might miss the mom and pop donut shops from home, but China Daily reports that the future is bright for the homesick Western palate.

In the past four years, the number of foreign restaurants in China's capital has more than doubled, from 2,000 to more than 5,000.

That trend has been evident across the country, Xu Meng, secretary-general of the Beijing Western Food Association, says. "For the past three years, Beijing alone has seen more than 400 new foreign restaurants opened each year," she says.

While the nostalgic laowai might have initiated demand, it is now increasingly the rising Chinese middle-class booking many of the tables, and not just in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai. With the growing support from domestic customers and also investors, Western dining options will only expand, it’s looking like we have greater offerings on the horizon. Who knows, maybe one day your ayi will be giving you the hot tips on the newest hutong BBQ speakeasy?

Until that day, readers, what tastes are you hoping for more of? Let us know in the comments section below. Please don’t say KFC.

Photo: Wikipedia