Kowloon Ice House Brings Cantonese Street Eats to Sanlitun Taikooli
Squeezing itself into that beacon of Beijing's capitalistic urges, Sanlitun's Taikoo Li, it's worth mentioning off the bat that Kowloon Ice House is not a literal ice house. What it is, however, is a cha chaan teng (tea restaurant) chain trying to recreate the spirit of the Kowloon night markets' homely food stalls.
Located on the third floor of Taikooli, Kowloon Ice House has opened where Union Grill used to ply its trade and gets its name from the movie Goodbye Mr. Cool (九龙冰室 jiǔlóng bīng shì ) starring Ekin Cheng, also borrowing its 1990s aesthetic.
Unlike many of the other fancy and spacious Cantonese restaurants in the neighborhood, Kowloon Ice House brings Hong Kong's street food-style stalls to Beijing, which may just about remind you of your last visit to the Pearl of the Orient. The outdoor sitting area is filled with small café-style tables for two, and the inside is built to resemble the streets of Hong Kong – narrow alleys, small stalls, and even a fake second floor replete with laundry hanging out to dry. It’s like visiting the set of one of Wong Kar-wai’s movies if he had opted to use hospital lighting.
Those of you that have been to Hong Kong might feel similarities in the menu to that of the traditional Hong Kong restaurant chain Australia Dairy Company, specializing in steamed milk pudding, fast noodle soup (RMB 35-42), scrambled eggs, macaroni (RMB 30-42), toast (RMB20-35), fried or roasted rice (RMB 38-58), and custard-heavy dishes (RMB 20-30), but without the ruthlessly efficient (maybe short-tempered) service.
The fried turnip cake with xo sauce (RMB 22) was doused in a spicy hot sauce and featured a satisfying crunchy layer around an otherwise soft inside. The braised chicken with black bean sauce (RMB 28) was not as tender as it should have been, likely due to a shortened steaming process. However, we were big fans of the steamed rice rolls with shrimp, which also come in pork, vegetable, and plain varieties (RMB 22, pictured at top). We wouldn't choose the latter given that the quickness of rolls meant that even a smothering of three different sauces – Thai chili sauce, sesame paste, and soy sauce – couldn’t save them from their lack of flavorful fillings.
The Indonesian fried rice (RMB 58) was slightly dry but nothing a glass of authentic, strong, and hot Hong Kong-style milk tea (RMB 18) couldn't salvage. Finish the whole meal off with some equally and delectable and sweet egg tarts (RMB 10 each).
These last two elements would make for a perfect afternoon tea, following the Hong Kongese saying advice of 三点三 (sān diǎn sān), meaning that 3.45pm is the perfect time for a quick break at the cha chaan teng for a sugar rush to help fuel you through to the end of a long working day.
Kowloon Ice House is therefore a decent option if you want to settle down and pretend to eat from a typical Hong Kong street diner. Luckily, unlike at some Hong Kong street diners (*cough* Australia Dairy Company *cough*), don't expect service to rudely rush you out of the door, so you can take the time to savor your meal and the surrounding sights of Kowloon, right here in Sanlitun. That being said, don't expect much of the grimy charm and hustle that comes with the real experience either.
Kowloon Ice House
Daily 10am-10pm. 3/F, Taikooli South, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (8435 3691)
九龙冰室：工人体育场北路太古里南区三层
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang, dianping
