Flower Flavors Serves Affordable, Mom and Pop Style Japanese in Overpriced Gongti

Finding a cheap and tasty bite for lunch is no easy feat in the increasingly posh Sanlitun area. Fortunately, bland chains aren’t the neighborhood's only affordable options. A handful of reasonably priced, mom-and-pop-style spots are still going strong in Sanlitun's nooks and crannies. Prime example: Flower Flavors.

The Japanese restaurant, which opened quietly last year just south of Gung Ho! and Annie’s on Gongti, serves the kind of gyudon (beef over rice) and sashimi that you might only expect to find in the Japanese embassy-adjacent Liangmaqiao area.

Their gyudon (pictured at top) is indeed a winner, with a juicy and tender layer of beef slices that all but melt on your tongue, made all the more succulent by the bright orange egg yolk perched on top and a generous dash of coarse pepper. Its RMB 69 price tag is higher than what you’d pay at a chain, but the freshness of the meat and the larger portioning make it more than worthwhile (its generic side salad, tofu, and other items rounding out the set don't add much to the value, however).

Other menu highlights include the fresh and flavorful sashimi set big enough for 2-3 patrons for RMB 168 (on discount from its former RMB 213 price) and crispy fried chicken cutlets for RMB 59.

Added bonus: the rows of picture windows by the entryway that nearly reach the ceiling, letting in plenty of natural light to the tables on the second floor. The airiness makes Flower Flavors a refreshing alternative to the frankly dingy mid-range Japanese restaurants you often find in Beijing.

READ: Gan Tu An's Delicate Matcha Desserts Will Transport You to the Alleyways of Kyoto

Flower Flavors
Daily 10.30am-10.30pm. 103, Bldg 4, Gongti Dong Lu, Chaoyang District (8622 0823)
工人体育场东路丁2号中国红街4号楼103

Photos: Kyle Mullin