Hidden Pizzeria and More Cheap Eats in Guomao 

Dear reader, there's no way around it: Sometimes, funds are tight. It happens to the best among us all, and I am sure you know what I'm saying. You were not going to skimp on your one yearly holiday, groceries are not getting any cheaper, rent is looming and what about that surprise visit to the dentist? 

No, life's not wine and roses – or at least it won't be before your next paycheck. The recipe is simple: Steady yourself, and embrace frugality for the foreseeable future. Often, a good start is cooking every meal at home, though it's true that here we're blessed by some very affordable waimai. Still, things do get costly when you sum everything up and find out that not all takeout is the same. There's only so much stir-fry and dumplings a person can take, and fancier fare adds up. As for Western food – say, pizza – it can really do some damage to your wallet. 

Yes, let's talk about pizza in Beijing. This is not a delusional mission to convince you that there are inconspicuous rivals to noble establishments the likes of Bottega, Alimentari et al. Likewise, I am not about to suggest that you content yourself at whatever chain with some abomination of a pie, either. Instead, all I want is to let you in on a little secret. A hidden gem, if you will. After all, we did recently address the topic of cheap eats in Beijing, so why not add another place to the list? 

As for yours truly, I have a well-documented history of getting spectacularly lost in Guomao on any given pursuit for yummy treats, so maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that I found myself back there again. On 1 Jianguomenwai Street, you'll find the 5L Hotel Beijing, and if you enter the lobby, turn left and walk straight down, soon you'll come to a corridor named Yangming Jie (扬名街, oddly translated as “Brand Talks”). Inside, you'll find a bakery and café, a juice bar, a stall serving dumplings and noodles and the star of today's blog post: Bairong Pizza & Sandwich (白茸披萨三明治). Is this a place for a date? You tell me. My partner and I have feasted there more times than I care to admit. 

Yes, you read that right. A cheese pizza (a Cheese Bomber Pizza, mind you; 之士轰炸机披萨, Zhīshì hōngzhàjī pīsà) will set you back some ridiculous RMB 29.9. I know what you're thinking: You get what you pay for, right? But what if you were truly getting a good bargain this one time? Because Bairong is dishing up a surprisingly acceptable 'za, straight from an actual Neapolitan oven. This is no sad joint slinging greasy pies nuked in a microwave after months in a freezer. The staff at Bairong operate mostly from scratch in their small, open kitchen until midnight. Talk about a late-night fix. You could order from the comfort of your home, but rolling in grants you a chance to hit their fridge, which is well-stocked with properly cold drinks, still easy on the wallet.

Depending on your appetite, you have a choice between a 9- or a 12-inch. Prices are straightforward. Dinner for one? Just go for my favorite, which is the Margherita, for only RMB 19.9. Feeling meaty? RMB 29.9 will get you the smaller size of either their Italian Bacon Pizza (意大利培根披萨, Yìdàlì péigēn pīsà) or even an Iberian Ham option (西班牙火腿披萨, Xībānyá huǒtuǐ pīsà). Those two hit RMB 39.9 if you want them large, but otherwise, all of the 12-inch options stay priced at RMB 29.9. Are you hitting any of the nearby bars afterwards? Devour it all on the spot. Otherwise, portions are generous enough that you could take away some for tomorrow's lunch. You know, since we're being frugal here.

Glamour isn't included in the price. The famous Cheese Bomber could admittedly use some extra oomph. And yeah, of course, the menu is limited. I mean, we're on a budget at a tiny hotel parlor that is likely to see more locals than foreigners. But so what? Ingredients are fresh, the dough is proper and you scratch the Italian itch for a fraction of the usual price. 

Look, you can even fool yourself that you ate your veggies with their Italian Cheese Mushroom (意式奶酪口蘑, Yìshì nǎilào kǒumó). Brevity forced me to neglect the sandwich section of the shop, but I'll probably drop by to try their salmon sub sooner rather than later. And if you're feeling like Chinese today? That's alright because there's a second food court at the other wing of the hotel lobby, featuring a different range of dining options for a steal. 

Food doesn't have to be a stellar production on a daily basis. More often than not, there are subtler components coming into the equation of what makes a decent bite. Here, let me make a case for good old Chinese food courts. It seems to me that they're less ubiquitous nowadays, or just unlikely to appear on our itinerary, picky urbanites that we are. Modern shopping malls don't quite offer you that experience. At their designated F&B floor, you will find things spruced up for our current times, but ultimately, it's just a conglomerate of actual restaurants. 

I will not pretend that I am going out of my way on a tour of extant OG food courts in Beijing. But maybe I should? They do awaken a certain feeling of nostalgia for me. I, too, have changed from the days of yore, when I was a student relying on an ever-stretched budget to wander around Beijing. Lunchtime happened wherever it found me, and for some reason, I have distinct memories of that branch of Food Republic (大食代, Dàshídài) in Wangfujing, fumbling my way with friends to sample a little bit of everything from the stalls and sharing the bill. 

Even my university had its own underground alley, where I ate many a no-fuss meal. That version of me hit Lakers and Helen's (raise your hand if you remember Helen's!) for Western food that wasn't so easy to find back then, as a little weekend treat. And that's where Bairong Pizza & Sandwich fits, perhaps. Affordable, fast and easy, unexpectedly tucked in the most unexpected nook of Guomao, making me look back and say: My, my – how things have changed. 

Bairong Pizza & Sandwich 白茸披萨三明治
1/F, East Side,5L Hotel, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号共享际国贸5L饭店(原国贸饭店)一层东侧
Hours: 10.30am-midnight
Phone: 139 1007 6209

READ: Tiki Beijing: A Tropical Journey to Three Beijing Bars

Images: courtesy of Ana Padilla Fornieles