Wholesome Qinghai Soups Served at Xindong Lu Newbie Gewa

Though it might be hard to believe, you don’t need to journey far for a bowlful of wholesome, homestyle Qinghai soup. In fact a humble new little Xindong Lu eatery is readying piping hot servings of that exotic western Chinese province’s fare, and each steaming sip will serve as your own little personal escape from the Beijing’s oppressive noise, smog, and traffic.

Named Gewa, the restaurant is run by Jiaming Xing, the same fellow behind the Gongti hip-hop club Room 79, and though he was raised in Beijing, he is a Tibetan that was born in Qinghai. He says the restaurant’s moniker comes from his grandma’s nickname for him, which he often heard as she called him for dinner, preparing the same dishes that he now nostalgically serves at his restaurant.

Jiaming imports the restaurant’s ingredients directly from his homeland, but he makes little effort to play up the dish’s attributes with a flashy presentation. In fact the restaurant’s appearance is quite unimpressive, looking similar to any standard mom-and-pop run joint on any Beijing street, and being housed in an alley of Xindong Lu that gives it a blink-and-you’ll-miss it quality.

But, to be fair, the restaurant is in a state of (very) soft opening. And, more importantly, the food doesn’t need the sort of ostentatious marketing that unfortunately become so common these days. Instead it’s delicious and deftly – albeit straightforwardly – prepared in such a fashion that’s already drawing a crowd on these cold winter days.

We started with a bowl of 穰皮 ráng pí (more commonly known as 酿皮 niàng pí; priced at a more than reasonable RMB 22), consisting of thick square flour noodles dosed with chili sauce that has a smouldering and spicy after taste. Fans may have ordered a similar rendition at somewhere like Xibei, though their version has thinner and less chewy noodles (and therefore less satisfying) than Gewa's.

Next up, we tried a bowl of 双腕 shuāng wàn soup (also a great bargain at RMB 28), which featured a spectrum of colorful vegetables and chunks of tender lamb. The flavorful broth was a testament to how long the mutton had been stewed, rendering it so delicious that we could only gripe about wanting heftier slices in the soup (we can't deny that the lamb portions were a bit scant). However, that very quality makes the shuāng wàn just hearty enough without leaving you bloated, making it a just-right light lunch option.

Indeed, Sanlitun and Dongzhimen throngs looking for a distinctive, warming, low key and affordable midday option will be hard pressed to find a better noodle and soup purveyor than this promising newcomer.

Gewa
Daily, 11am-9pm. Bldg 1, Xingfuercun (on Xindong Lu, behind the Xingfusa bus stop) (6409 4020)
尕娃: 幸福二村1号楼（新东路。 公共汽车站背后）

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Photos: Kyle Mullin