First Glance: MoxiMoxi, Fangjia Hutong

The days of the Corner Melt on Fangjia Hutong came and went, but fear not Fangjia Hutong fiends – there is a new restaurant in town looking to fill your aching bellies with homemade sarnies, of a sort.

MoxiMoxi, an Israeli restaurant, with its name derived from the proprietor and head chef's Chinese moniker, has settled in the stooped spot next to Cellar Door. Headed by Israeli's with a strong connections to Beijing's Israeli community (and direct access to Israeli ingredients flown straight into town), the restaurant is already a hive of activity even having only been open for less than a week, and the food may explain why.

We tried the only dish they are currently serving in their soft-open state: sabich (RMB 25), a popular Israeli street food consisting of a pita bread (which they are getting from Biteapitta, yum) stuffed with hard boiled eggs, fried eggplant, chunks of fresh tomato, and topped off with deep fried cauliflower and tahini. It’s basically everything you would want to eat in summer.

Currently, they also offer a fragrant Jaffa coffee, which offers the perfect digestif and a much needed kick after the stomach-filling sabich.

Next week, they are expanding their menu and hoping to serve fried snitzel in pita (price TBC), and they are planning on serving shakshuka on the weekend (a breakfast dish consisting of eggs poached in tomato, chili peppers, and onions).

The indoor space is rather tight but is remedied by the outdoor seating and the symbiotic relationship MoxiMoxi has with Cellar Door, meaning you can order their grub at Cellar Door while sipping the latter's brews or vice versa. We can't wait for the expanded menu and expect to be frequenting this little joint throughout the summer months ahead.

MoxiMoxi
Daily 5pm-12am/1am. 55 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District (158 0168 0406)
东城区方家胡同55号

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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs, MoxiMoxi