Susu's Second Location Brings Delicious Vietnamese Dishes to the CBD Crowd

We've been stalwart fans of Vietnamese restaurant Susu since it first opened in 2011 (so much so that we included it in our recent list of essential restaurants for visitors to Beijing) so we were delighted when we hear that they were opening a second location in the recently opened new area of the China World Mall. While Susu's original location on Qianliang Hutong is charming, to say the least, as a denizen of Chaoyang I'm happy to have them here on the east side of town. 

We arrived on a weekday lunchtime to find a short queue but the friendly staff were quick to turn tables and the wait was short (we suggest going outside of peak lunch hours if you want to avoid the crowds from the surrounding offices). Located on the fifth floor of the mall, the new restaurant is called "Little Susu" in Chinese but there is still seating for around 50 people. On top of that, Little Susu has great views of the CCTV headquarters and the Third Ring Road (so you can laugh at all the people stuck in traffic while you're enjoying your meal).

Much like the original Susu, the menu is fairly short but includes all the Vietnamese dishes you would expect, including fresh and fried spring rolls ((RMB 42-58), pho (RMB 58), zesty salads (RMB 48-58), the turmeric-scented fish dish cha ca la vong (RMB 138), and bo kho (beef stew, RMB 88).

We decided to try the beef pho, the best test of any Vietnamese restaurant's mettle. Pho fans will be pleased to hear that Susu's version lived up to expectations, particularly in terms of the broth, which was flavorful and stridently spiced, with clear notes of cinnamon and star anise. Alongside the pho we sampled the papaya beef salad (RMB 58), which had a pleasantly sweet and citrusy base of papaya and peppers (note this is not spicy like Thai-style papaya salad) topped with tender beef. The shrimp and pork fresh roll were as good as we've come to expect from Susu and we especially enjoyed the sweet homemade peanut dipping sauce. 

If you visit at lunchtime, as we did, that pho is available as a lunch set for RMB 78, which includes your choice of daily side salad or fresh spring roll and a Vietnamese lime soda or soft drink. Those lunch sets also include a few dishes that aren't available on the regular a la carte menu, such as banh mi (RMB 75, choose from lemongrass meatballs, grilled pork, chicken, or fried tofu), bun cha (grilled pork patties with vermicelli noodles and salad, RMB 88), barbecue chicken over rice (RMB 98), and southern Vietnamese-style beef vermicelli salad (RMB 88). We tried the bun cha and found that it made for a very satisfying lunch alongside the aforementioned spring roll – we especially liked the lightly pickled vegetables that came in the bun cha

Susu makes a fine addition to what is rapidly becoming one of our favorite dining destinations and we're glad to see them upholding the standards that have made them a Beijing institution. 

More stories by this author here.

Instagram: @gongbaobeijing
Twitter: @gongbaobeijing
Weibo: @宫保北京

Photos: Robynne Tindall

Comments

New comments are displayed first.

Me wrote:

Does it have an address and a telephone number? If so, could you please provide this information? Thanks in advance

It does, you'll find the directory listing hyperlinked in the first pargraph. 

the Beijinger