First Glance: Qi Ye, Xinzhong Jie

With its clean lines, polished wooden beams, exposed brickwork, and faux-retro Hong Kong film posters, Qi Ye is a cut above your average noodle shop when it comes to style.

Specializing in braised beef brisket in clear soup, Qi Ye's one page menu focuses on simple, Hong Kong-style noodle and rice dishes (RMB 24-40). A bowl of the signature 7-Yeah Noodle with Stewed Beef Brisket (七爺清汤牛腩面) will set you back RMB 32. You can choose between thick and thin styles of both wonton noodles and rice noodles – our advice is stick to the deliciously elastic thin wonton noodles (rendered as 幼面 on the menu), as there are better versions of rice noodles available elsewhere.

We also tried the homemade beef meat ball noodles (RMB 30), which were a little bouncy for our tastes but had good flavor, and a plate of steamed gailan with oyster sauce (RMB 15), a well-rounded lunch for under RMB 50 per head.

For a quick, good value bite in the Chunxiu Lu/Xinzhong Jie area, Qi Ye is a welcome addition, and we can see it being popular with both the local and expat crowds.

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Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Robynne Tindall, Dianping