Five Things We Loved Eating This Month

PS We Ate You is a regular magazine column in the Beijinger magazine where, every month, we shine a spotlight on some of the most delicious dishes we’ve stumbled upon recently. Dig in!

Peanut Smoothie 
Bellagio, RMB 32 
They say fight fire with fire, but how about fighting ice with peanut butter ice? Not the most appropriate dish to order in the middle of a Beijing winter, this sweet and savory flavored ice dessert has the power to cure your seasonal woes. Just make sure to eat it in a space that is climate-controlled. 

Salmon Caramel Roll 
Koyama, RMB 45 
Fish for dessert? This sushi roll surprises with caramelized sugar on top of a salmon slice. They use a blow torch to melt the sugar, creating a thin candy shell that crackles and slides around your mouth. 

BBQ Pork Chop Sandwich
Hercules, RMB 36
Getting your lunchtime sandwich fix is not always as easy as it should be in Beijing. But the bbq pork chop sandwich in a crusty baguette with fries at the recently re-emerged Hercules does the trick. Presenting ketchup and mustard in the same pot, yin-yang style, is a nice touch too.

Yunnan Hot Pot
Hani Gejiu, RMB 288
If you’re nice, they’ll show you some mercy and spare you from a full-on spicy hit. Wash it all down with a robust plum wine for a triumphant feed.

Wucai Qiezi 五彩茄子 
Baoyuan Jiaozi Wu, RMB 36
You might come for the dumplings – worthy on merit of taste alone, but also in the departure from run-of-the-mill appearance with their purple, orange and green wrappers. To only eat dumplings at Baoyuan would be a shame, though; don’t overlook the “five-color eggplant.” With thick stripes of green onion, red bell pepper, strips of pork, garlic and cilantro atop a bed of eggplant, this dish is as brightly colored as the signature dumplings and affirms what we learned upon moving to this country. China wins in the eggplant department.

This magazine column first appeared in our March 2014 issue.

Photo: Dianping