On the Radar: Greek Freak, New Pizza, Cool Coffee
New restaurants, dining deals, drinks discounts, guest shifts, pop-ups, and more happenings on our radar this week.
Greek food and cold beer arrives on Xindong Lu, Pizza Mama comes onto the Neapolitan pizza scene, and, also on Xindong Lu, cool coffee at FúDou.
Gyros and Beer at Greek Freak
This place has taken up shop in what was formerly a fried chicken joint along Xindong Lu, and we’d have to say if there’s a choice between gyros or fried chicken, we’re picking gyros. Run by Hungarian expat Rinyu Bela and his partner, these are gyros worth trying be it lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack. Made with chicken thighs marinated overnight with a mix of 18 different herbs and spices, Bela tells us one big spit will be nearly finished by the afternoon!
The menu is simple for now – just chicken gyro, fries, and a platter option along with a nice menu of imported craft beers – but they’ll be extending it in the future to include lamb souvlaki and even Hungarian goulash.
Greek Freak 希腊怪人
14 Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳 区新东路14号
Hours: noon-11pm
Contact: 13370116102
A New Neapolitan Option Near Gongti
Also recently opened east of Workers’ Stadium is a new Neapolitan pizza and Italian restaurant. Called Pizza Mama, the menu is chock-full of what you’d normally expect from pizza places around town – different Neapolitan pies made in a wood-fired oven, pasta, and even steak.
Everything looks great but over years of covering pizza in Beijing, we’ve learned that it’s always a matter of personal taste. Now whether or not Pizza Mama is the next big thing or just a copycat of other Beijing greats, that’s up for all you pizza lovers out there to decide.
Pizza Mama
0108, Unit 1, Bldg 6, Zhongguo Hong Jie, East Side of Gongti Donglu
朝阳区工人体育场东路东侧中国红街6号楼1单元0108室
Hours: Daily, 11am-11pm
Contact: 010 8595 0317
Coffee Options at FúDou Coffee
FúDou is a brand that’s very inspired by China split between two concepts: a coffee lab (FúDou Coffee) and a coffee bean lab (BōRêDIRPS). Owner Yao says the name 福豆 fúdòu translates to “lucky beans”, adding “we love to say good food is a lucky thing.” As for BoRe Drips, the name 般若 bōrě is the Buddhist concept of highest wisdom or prajna.
Along with eye-catching designs and interiors, they’ve got a nice selection of different styles of coffee – you can decide if you want a normal Americano or Super BLACK (both RMB 25), with soda, flavorings, or get it to go canned. Or, should you so choose, you can ask about their drip bags and coffee beans.
FúDou Coffee 福豆咖啡
1/F-019, Below CITIC Bank, Shoukai Bojun North
首开铂郡北区负一层-019（中信银行地下）
Hours: Daily, 7am-6pm
Contact: 156 5227 8585, 139 1020 3162
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Images: Uni You, Vincent R. Vinci, courtesy of Pizza Mama
