Meishiya's Cheap Bento Boxes are a Quick and Easy Lunch Fix in Dongzhimen

“What do we eat for lunch?” your colleague asks casually, but anxiously. Your blood plumps and your breath gets faster, because you really don’t have a clue. C'mon, let’s face it: midday meals lead to so much mafan. Especially since you don’t want to go for a RMB 300 per person buffet (in my ragged T-shirt? Hell no!), and your wallet is getting flatter as payday still remains a few days off. Thankfully, Beijing has alternatives like Meishiya Bento, which don't require spending a lot of time or money.

Featuring 14 bentos, or Japanese style lunch sets (RMB 35-48), and three kinds of salads (RMB 20-25), Meishiya Bento is a popular lunch haunt in the basement of Raffles City, Dongzhimen. The bento-box options range from pork, salmon, beef, chicken, to curry. All are balanced out with vegetables, rice, soup, and pickles.

The beef burdock and tofu bento (RMB 38) lived up to its name with juicy slices of meat and bean curd. An added bonus: its rice was cooked with purple sweet potatoes. The only flaw was the lukewarm onside stirred lotus root and meat dish, though the side of miso soup was at least piping hot.

The café-style venue was a bit chaotic, in that you have to order and pay, grab a seat, and then return to pick up your food from the cashier when your number is called, meaning you might lose your seat. In our case, we ended up sitting at the counter facing a pile of fried chicken, which was not bad. Considering the price and quick convenience on offer, you could certainly do worse in a pinch than heading to Meishiya for lunch.

Meishiya Bento
Daily 10am-10pm. B1, Raffles City, 1 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Dongcheng District (8401 0989)
美希亚：东城区东直门南大街1号北京来福士B1层

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Photos: Tracy Wang