What's Good in the Hutong? Vote on Your Dining Favorites

Brooklyn : New York :: ____ : Beijing

a) Sanlitun
b) Qianmen
c) Gulou

That might give you unpleasant memories of standardized tests, but the answer should jump quickly to mind. Gulou, of course. It's a comparison that makes sense in many ways – the neighborhood vibe, hip bars amidst small local shops, gentrification – and I've heard it bandied about in town often. But the New York Times is "discovering" it, finally, and had their wits about them to scoop up a profile on Gulou for their Travel section's "Heads Up" column.

Old-timers have been joined by a new breed of Chinese and expatriate residents clad in skinny jeans riding fixed-gear bikes, a loyal customer base for restaurants that offer locavore menu options and bars that serve drinks like Pabst Blue Ribbon. In this corner of Beijing, the traditional hutong has been overrun not by a large-scale development but by a very Brooklyn sensibility.

Sound on point? In another parallel, Brooklyn has become a culinary destination in its own right and Gulou seems to be in a similar ascent. Author Mitch Moxley tips off New York to some of Beijing's beloved eateries in the area. Fittingly, three of the four are nominees in the Beijinger's Tenth Annual Reader Restaurant Awards: Mercante (Best Italian, Fine Dining; Best New Restaurant, Non-Chinese; Best for a Romantic Meal; Best Restaurant Entrepreneur), Taco Bar (Best Mexican; Best Restaurant Entrepreneur), Jamaica Me Crazy (Best Restaurant Entrepreneur). Beiluo Bread Bar was the fourth mentioned but didn't make the cut with our nominators. Disagree? Then write it in for Best Cafe.

But we don't need the "heads up" that Gotham does on what's best in Beijing. You already know. So take a minute to share it with us and show your favorite venues around the city – hutongs or not – how you feel.

Click here to vote in the Beijinger's Tenth Annual Reader Restaurant Awards. The ballot closes at the end of the day on Monday, March 4.

Comments

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I was not aware that Gulou, by itself, would be the 4th biggest city in China, nor that it had its own beloved sports teams, nor an identity distinct from the rest of BJ, nor a readily identifiable accent. No to all of those? Then comparing Gulou to Brooklyn is ridiculous.