Wangjing on the Upswing? Our Favorite Haunts in This Rising Northeast Neighborhood
From our haughty perches in Sanlitun, the embassy district, the CBD, or the hutongs, we central-dwelling foreigners can sometimes be guilty of dismissing of haunts further afield. That’s our loss, because many a once sleepy Beijing locale is on the up and up, with Wangjing being a prime example.
Within the past year, a handful of pretty big Beijing food and beverage names – La Pizza, Metal Hands, and Legend Beer – have all opened branches in the northeast neighborhood. Then there’s a bonafide Beijing music legend who recently opened a club in this otherwise devoid-of-gigs corner of town. Below we round up our favorite spots that leave us feeling Wangjing is on the upswing.
Wangjing's Newest Entries
Cloud 9
A huge new avant-garde venue opened by veteran club owner and radio host Youdai. Though kitschy in places, the decor belies the quality of the talent onstage. Among those performers: none other than iconic Japanese composer (and David Bowie collaborator) Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's certainly a stark departure from Youdai's original deep house-centric Sanlitun club of the same name more than a decade back, but given Beijing's recent penchant for jazz, Cloud 9 2.0 certainly has plenty of potential.
Read: At 25, Jazz Is Growing up Fast in Beijing
Legend Beer
One of the most popular among Beijing’s Chinese operated craft brewers, having performed well at Gongti and Dongzhimen Legend opened a third location in Wangjing’s Kirin place last year (on the ground floor above Cloud 9). Highlights include their highly hoppy RMB 53 Legend IPA, the fittingly titled RMB 48 Black Silk Temptation stout, appetizers like the RMB 39 Korean fried chicken and their RMB 78 double burger. All that along with the woodgrain-rife fittings make this craft beer joint a welcome addition to Wangjing.
Metal Hands
Arguably Beijing’s best artisan coffee brand, and certainly one of the best purveyors of high-end sweets around, Metal Hands’ arrival a year and a half ago must’ve left Wangjingers swooning. It is indeed miles ahead of the schlubby cat cafés and bland chains that were once Wangjing’s only option. We recommend the RMB 65 slice of China Hong cheesecake (dusted with hawthorn-flavored sugar), which though pricey, proved to be a tantalizing East-meets-West hit.
La Pizza
Though it may not garner as many headlines as its flashier younger competitors, La Pizza is undeniably a pillar of Beijing's Italian dining scene. From its silver medal finish at last year's Pizza Cup, to its thriving locations in Beijing's Solana, CBD, and a handful of second-tier cities, there's no doubt that this seasoned vet has staying power. Their newest location at Wangjing's Mall4 looks to tap into a market otherwise lacking such authentic Italian fare. Furthermore, this new branch brings them in line with many successful local F&B brands partaking in the ongoing upscale food court boom.
Read: Groupe Flo Caters to the Masses With New Upscale Food Court in Sanyuanqiao
iB
Since its opening in February 2018, brewpub iB has been one of the bigger craft brew establishments in the area, stocking plenty of intoxicating artisan suds on tap such as their Mayueyue Belgian Wheat, Door-God German Wheat, Elephant King Pilsner, and Door-God Ale (a flight of six small glasses costs RMB 108, six pints cost RMB 188, while 10 pints are priced at RMB 300). There's also lots of hefty grub on hand to complement the booze, including the RMB 168 pork knuckle with sauerkraut.
Mode-L Gym & Café
Chef Brandon Trowbridge (of Tribe, Root Pop, and Great Leap fame) is also the brains behind the menu at this Wangjing café and gym. His flair for making healthy meals without sacrificing flavor is evident in the "Shine for You's" bowl (RMB 68) which features grilled mushrooms, cauliflower, black beans, pumpkin, chipotle-roasted sweet potato, and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Among the guilt-free sweets on offer are slices of carrot cake (RMB 20) that don't include any refined sugar, instead making use of monk fruit as a natural sweetener. Then of course there's the top-of-the-range workout gear, should you want to do something other than eat.
Some Older Wangjing Favorites
Fly Pizza
This pizzeria caters to Wangjing's abundant Korean population with the kind of slices that are ubiquitous in Seoul. It's a style that's worlds apart from more familiar Neapolitan or Chicago deep dish. Available with a thick or thin base, Fly Pizza's pies are notable for cutting back on the tomato sauce, opting instead for slightly sweeter sauces such as ranch dressing. Couple that with sweet potato and bulgogi beef, and you've got the recipe for an Italian heart attack.
Yummy Box
Speaking of heart attacks, Yummy Box's Chicago deep dish pizzas are a one-way ticket to fulldom. Their hearty and over-the-top cheesy pies are enough to keep you fueled for days. The restaurant's ambiance, meanwhile, will remind you of a humble old fashioned American sports bar, thanks to the mounted TVs and sports flags draped on the walls.
Doko
Doko's mission is to provide tasty, fresh, and healthy food for people conscious of their diet or simply wanting to eat a little better. As well as regular brick and mortar restaurants, Doko has a number of deliverable meal plans tailored specifically to diners' needs.
READ: Dig Into Beijing's Best Bar and Restaurant Openings, Jan-Feb
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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
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Photos: ek21.com, courtesy of the restaurants, Tracy Wang
