Yearning For a Taste of Home: Actress Deng Jiajia Opens Her Own Hot Pot Restaurant

You can take the girl out of Sichuan, but you can’t take Sichuan out of the girl. Actress Deng Jiajia (邓家佳) came all the way up from the spicy southwestern province to major in acting at Communication University of China. But the 33-year-old missed the taste of genuine Sichuanese hot pot so much, she decided to open her own restaurant here in the capital.

As an actress, Deng got her first big break in 2008 with her role as Yan Nangong in the film Almost Perfect  (十全九美). But Deng is best known for playing Tang Youyou in the hugely popular romantic comedy television series iPartment (爱情公寓). Deng won best supporting actress at the Hundred Flowers Awards and Golden Rooster Awards for her role in Silent Witness (全民目击) in 2014 and 2015.

The Beijinger: How did you start your acting career?
Deng Jiajia (DJ): My major at university was acting, so naturally I started working in entertainment straight after graduating in some film and TV dramas.

What do you consider your best work to date? 
I’m happy with every single thing I’ve been in.

What’s your favorite Beijing restaurant?
Of course it’s HI辣火锅!

Why did you decide to open your own hot pot restaurant?
Ever since I was a little kid, it’s always been a dream of mine to open an authentic Sichuan hot pot restaurant. It’s actually pretty hard to find a family-friendly and authentic-tasting Sichuan hot pot in Beijing – so that’s how I got the idea.

So, what are you focusing on at the moment? Acting or business? 
Acting is the most important thing in my life – I definitely put it as my number one priority – there’s no doubt about that.

How do you relax on the weekend in Beijing?
I’ll either watch a movie or read a book. If I’ve got time, I’ll do some Bikram yoga. It’s good for keeping in shape and helps me relax too.

What are three of your favorite movies?
Room, Memento, and Life of Pi.

Are you going to take part in season 5 of iPartment
If they start work on it, I’d love to join them if I get the chance.

HI辣火锅
112 Xiang’er Hutong, Dongcheng (5717 1110)
东城区 香饵胡同112号(近交道口)

Photos courtesy of Deng Jiajia