Alleyway Gourmet: Xiaodiao Litang

The boundaries of Beijing cuisine are not easy to define, possessed as it as of influences encompassing everything from earthy Shandong dishes to Mongolian grilled meats to extravagant imperial banqueting. Local restaurant chain Xiaodiao Litang is nevertheless trying to capture a little of the eclectic spirit that makes our fair city’s cuisine great.

Despite having more than 10 outlets across Beijing, the Tuanjiehu branch of Xiaodiao Litang still feels authentically “alleyway gourmet,” tucked away down a residential passage just off of the Third Ring Road. The slightly shabby interior is straight out of a Zhang Yimou Qing Dynasty period drama, all gray brick, red lanterns, and heavy wooden tables. The taller among us might find the tables and chairs a bit cramped.

When it comes to the signature offering here, the clue is in the name. Litang, or sweetened pear soup, is traditionally served during the Beijing winters, a warm,throat-soothing concoction of pears, snow fungus, and rock sugar. The version here is thick and unctuous – consume in moderation. This preference for pears filters down through the rest of the menu, for example in a dish of flash fried prawns with pear and peanuts (RMB 38), the prawns’ crisp skins glistening with fructose.

Pear-based or not, the dishes tend towards sweetness, so for a savory interval try the braised rice with beef brisket (RMB 58, zhaopai niunan huifan), or the “want to eat” roast potatoes (RMB 22, xiang chi tudou), for a much needed hit of spice. For that essential WeChat moment, order the “cheese fish” (RMB 12, ganlao yu), a creamy set dessert inexplicably molded to look like a fish.

Beijing is packed with restaurants serving incredible food from all over China, but few celebrate what makes the local food culture great. For an accessible, reasonably priced taste of old Beijing, few do it better than Xiaodiao Litang. 

Photos: Robynne Tindall