Moon Concubine Izakaya: Dipping Source

A school friend of mine had a peculiar food foible. He would insist that his baked beans be served apart from his sausage and chips. Far apart, as in a separate bowl. This inconsequential tic lay dormant in my subconscious for years … until I had the dipping ramen (RMB 29-35) at Moon Concubine Izakaya. Noodles, pork, egg and nori in one bowl, soup in another. The menu warns that on no account should you add the soup to the noodles. Presumably doing so would usher in a reign of Akira-esque chaos. Or maybe it’s just something about dulling the texture of the noodles. Cleverly, the soup is thick and salty enough to ensure each dunking imbues a satisfactorily saucy coating. Lots of fun, but they also have regular ramen for you stick-in-the-muds.

The sushi (RMB 14-18, two pieces), proved the only other dip of the night (pun intended). The rice was a stodgy chore, like sitting through a full episode of Crossover on CCTV News. But everything else was tiptop, like the little baskets of irresistible fried squid (RMB 18) and masterfully grilled mackerel (RMB 20). Omelet rice (RMB 35) hid soft chunks of chicken amid ketchup-soaked grains, all nestling under a warm egg blanket – the comfort food equivalent of lowering yourself into a steaming onsen.

With silky-frothed Asahi on tap (RMB 15), loads of sake and late-night hours, this restaurant clearly has izakaya intentions, but in this location it’s the lunchtime crowd they’ll probably fall back on. A shame – in a trendier part of town this place would be a riot.

Standout dishes: Dipping ramen, fried squid
Also try: Invincible Ramen, Fish Mama

Moon Concubine Izakaya (Yuezhiji) 月の姬居酒屋
Daily 11am-2am. 12-14B Chaoyangmenwai Dajie (behind Kuntai Royal Hotel), Chaoyang District (5879 0027)朝阳区朝阳门外大街乙12-14号

Click here to see the November issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photos: Judy Zhou, Susan Sheng