N.B. Box Brings Healthy Eats to Unlikely Wangjing Locale

Good Western eats are hard to come by in Wangjing. Sure, a few decent restaurants have popped up around the rapidly developing area's resident Soho complex, such as the British themed L.Bridge cafe, Tim's Texas Bar-B-Q's new branch, and a few pizza places like Yummy Box. However, healthy options are especially scarce in the suburb cum economic hub, which makes N.B. Box especially stand out.

Having recently opened in a very nondescript mall by Dong Hu Qu station on Line 14, the no frills eatery serves half a dozen salad varieties (ranging from RMB 32-42) along with wraps and low calorie tacos (ranging from RMB 25-32). Cook and owner Jack Wang, a Beijing native whose prior stints include working at the China World Hotel and the International School of Beijing, has coordinated with 25 nearby gyms, so that trainers can help their clients select healthy meals that complement their workouts.

We tried the heaping No. 3 salad (RMB 42, pictured at the top), served on a 30cm diameter plate that makes it big enough to be a meal in itself, rather than an appetizer. It's a protein heavy option that features egg whites, red beans and, most deliciously of all, slices of juicy beef. While the red meat portion is pretty skimpy (only a meager six slices), it was very tasty and is likely just enough for a nutrition conscious, gym-obsessed patron, but it left us hankering for more beef, though our hunger was at least sated by the more generous amounts of vegetables.

We also tried the tacos, which were hard shelled and loaded with a tasty (albeit unique, if not a bit offbeat, and perhaps a little too sloppy joe's) filling similar to the bolognese sauce used in spaghetti. Wang says he likes to provide low-fat Mexican-style options and Korean kimchi stuffed wraps after traveling extensively to both locales, and not only enjoying the flavor of their local cuisines but also their numerous alternatives to fatty and deep fried fare.

While these options from N.B. Box's small menu are by no means exceptional (especially compared to more ambitious health-conscious eateries in Beijing's core neighborhoods), they are quite tasty and very cheap, making the restaurant a solid option for Wangjing dwellers craving healthy meals.

N.B. Box
Daily 9am-8.30pm. Wang Xin Business Center, F/1, 116 (near Donguqu Station), Chaoyang District 
朝阳区望馨商业中心1层116室(东湖渠地铁站)

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Photos: Kyle Mullin