From Texas to Thailand: River BBQ Fest Vendors Pt.1
Our first-ever River BBQ Fest is just over two weeks away, all set to take over Langyuan Station's Riverside Cultural Plaza from Sep 19 to 21. We've got 40+ vendors serving up smoky barbecue flavors from every corner of the world, and in this post, we're going to be looking at the first half of them.
From slow-smoked American brisket and sizzling Indian tandoori to succulent Turkish kebabs and fiery Thai street food, we've gathered the city's best restaurants to showcase the world's most beloved grilled and smoked dishes. So, prepare your taste buds for an unforgettable culinary adventure featuring festival-exclusive creations, perfect drink pairings and flavors from across the globe.
Home Plate BBQ
本垒美式烤肉
The OGs of American BBQ in Beijing, Home Plate will have a range of their Texas-style BBQ offerings plus a special fest exclusive.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Texas Barketta – an Italian classic reimagined, Texas-style. A whole pork belly is marinated with freshly toasted spices – mustard seed, fennel, garlic and a few house secrets – for 24 hours. It's then coated in their signature Brisket Beef Rub and smoked low and slow until the belly transforms into a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth porchetta with a bold Texas twist. It has a deep, smoky bark just like a perfect brisket but with that juicy pork flavor and a perfect ring of spices with each slice.
Rak Thai•Thai Home Cuisine
爱泰风•泰式家常菜
Rak Thai focuses on creating authentic Thai home-cooked dishes by using secret family recipes and high-quality ingredients imported from Thailand. At the fest, they'll be showcasing a few of Thailand's most loved barbecue dishes along with a few smaller dishes to pair with them.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Thai Grilled Pork Neck (Kor Moo Yang) – a classic Thai grilled dish where the pork is charred on the outside but tender on the inside. It's paired with Rak Thai's house-made nam jim jaew sauce crafted from a tangy tamarind base, blended with toasted rice, chili, and fresh herbs.
- Sai Ua (Northern Thai sausage) – pork blended with fresh ingredients including lemongrass, galangal, garlic and makrut lime leaf.
- Thai Papaya Salad (Som Tum) – a fresh and crisp appetizer featuring green papaya, chili and peanuts.
- Mango Sticky Rice – mango layered on top of glutinous rice and coconut milk.
Drinks:
- Thai Milk Tea
- Thai Milk Tea Slushy
- Thai Pandan and Longan Drink
- Thai Pandan Longan Slushy
- Thai Butterfly Pea and Fresh Lime Drink
- Singha Beer
XiangJi
飨记
XiangJi will be representing a range of Chinese barbecue at the fest with a selection of premium lamb and beef skewers. At Xiangji they believe in keeping things simple and letting the meat speak for itself, only using basic seasonings like salt and three-color peppercorns.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Salt & Fire Original Lamb Skewer – featuring premium fresh lamb from Erlianhot, Inner Mongolia, it's expertly grilled to lock in all the juices and seasoned with just a pinch of salt
- Pepper Trio Beef Skewer – fresh beef seasoned with freshly ground three-color peppercorns – green, black and red – for a triple-layer pepper explosion in one skewer!
Drinks:
- Lizao Craftbrew's Spring Wind Marzen – a full-bodied lager with low sweetness, it's the perfect pairing for grilled meats
Dastaan Indian Cuisine
达斯坦印度餐厅
Known for their super authentic Indian cuisine, Dastaan will be showcasing tandoori at the fest. A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven heated with charcoal or wood and used widely in Indian cooking, where marinated skewered meats are cooked inside.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Sikandari Raan – tandoori slow-roasted whole leg of lamb served with carrot and ghee-flavored Indian basmati rice
- Bombay Chicken Tikka Pav – grilled chicken thigh sandwiched inside a buttered bun with green chutney
Drinks:
- India Libre – a twist on the classic Cuba Libre cocktail, it switches out the Cuban white rum for a dark Indian rum
- Mohabbat Ka Sharbat – a common street beverage during summer, it combines fresh watermelon with milk
BurningWood BBQ
灼木熏房
American BBQ experts BurningWood will be showcasing some of their signature Texas-style BBQ offerings at the fest as well as a few exclusive snacks made just for the festival.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Smoked Brisket – beef brisket smoked for 12-14 hours and then rested for ten hours, it's served with a side and small carb dish
- A range of smoked meat-based snacks (fest exclusive)
Warisan Roemah Indonesia
瓦里山印舍
China's first Indonesian cultural experience center, Warisan will be bringing the flavors of Indonesian barbecue at the fest.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Sate Ayam Saus Kacang – chicken satay with peanut sauce made from a blend of roasted peanuts, garlic, chili, sweet soy sauces and spices, grilled over charcoal. It's a timeless Indonesian classic served from street stalls to royal feasts
Drinks:
- Sumatra Mandailing Reserve Coffee – renowned as the “world's richest coffee,” it's made from Arabica beans grown in the Danau Toba (Toba Lake) area of North Sumatra, Indonesia. It has rich flavors of caramel, dark chocolate, nuts, pine and licorice
Berlin Bites
柏林百特
Berlin Bites will be serving some of their signature Berlin street eats – a combination of German and Turkish barbecue – at the fest, as well as debuting some unreleased new menu items.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Döner – their most famous product. You can choose between chicken or beef, served with fresh veggies and your choice of sauce, all inside their signature bread
- Dürüm – Turkish yufka flatbread stuffed with either chicken or beef, served with fresh veggies and your choice of sauce
- Currywurst – deep-fried pork sausage topped with their secret currywurst sauce and a dusting of curry powder
- “Hush-Hush” unreleased menu items that they'll reveal at the fest (exclusive)
Drinks:
- Berlin Mule – a twist on a Moscow mule, it combines Jägermeister with ginger beer
The Dark Pig Yebameison
蒙吉黑野巴梅松
The Dark Pig Yebameison are experts in Inner Mongolian cuisine, specifically purebred Chinese-blooded three-generation hybrid black pork, which they will be serving in an array of different ways at the fest.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Black Pork Belly Cutlet – thick slices of black pork belly (五花大肉) cooked on a teppanyaki-style grill
- Grilled Pork Skewers – either pork leg or heart skewers paired with red onions and peppers, seasoned with a homemade marinade made from myrtle oil, three types of Yunnan-style chili flakes, cumin seeds and rosemary
Drinks:
- Fannan Treasure Winery Wines:
- Merlot Coffee – soft and full-bodied with berry notes and a roasted coffee aroma
- Nareh Chardonnay – a fruity wine with citrus and floral notes
- Chilean Sweet Love Pink Sparkling Champagne
- Dumai Red
Great Leap Brewing
大跃啤酒
Craft brewery Great Leap will be bringing American BBQ to the fest with some of their classic dishes plus an exclusive fest offering. All of the BBQ dishes listed below can be paired with your choice of Great Leap's house-made sauces: BBQ, Buffalo, or Hanyuan Pepper Sauce.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Slow-Roasted Beef Brisket – premium, marbled brisket is slow-roasted American style until fork-tender, juicy and full of smoky barbecue flavor
- Roasted Chicken – a whole chicken slow-roasted with subtle spices, then finished over high heat for super crispy skin that locks in all the moisture
- Grilled Chicken Thigh – lightly marinated grilled chicken thigh that's perfect on the go (fest exclusive)
Drinks:
- Banana Wheat – a classic hefeweizen, brewed with domestic wheat and barley malt, it's balanced and slightly sweet
- Virtuous General Double IPA – brewed with premium Citra hops imported from the U.S., the addition of oats tempers the hop spice, yielding a luxuriously smooth beer that is super drinkable
Hi-Town Bistro
海塘Bistro
Fusion food specialists Hi-Town Bistro will be showcasing Azerbaijani barbecue at the fest. Prominently featuring lamb, Azerbaijani barbecue doesn't rely on complex sauces, normally just using ingredients like onions, salt, black pepper and a few other spices to highlight the natural flavor of the meat.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Azerbaijani Kebabs – skewered high-quality lamb leg and shoulder, mixed in with fat which seeps into the meat while grilling. The seasoning is minimal to emphasize the meat's pure flavor.
Smoked Lamb Kidneys – lamb kidneys smoked in a box with rosemary and other seasonings. (These were featured in a Beijing Daily interview and an article about them subsequently published on the Beijing Municipal Government's official website.)
Double-Layer Crispy Taco – a fan favorite that earned them the "Taco Trendsetter" award at the Beijinger's 2024 Taco Fest.
Drinks:
- Cocktail Slushies
- Lindemans Bulldogs
- Craft Beer
Turkish Feast
西庭•秀色
As you'd expect, Turkish Feast will be showing off their expertise in Turkish barbecue at the fest, with a focus on Turkish kebabs, which are an important part of Turkish culture and social life.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Turkish Kebabs – charcoal grilled chicken, beef, or lamb skewers which have been marinated in a secret blend of spices for hours until they absorb all the flavors and become super tender
Drinks:
- Efes Beer – a popular Turkish lager, known for its crisp, refreshing taste and smooth finish
Latina•Brazilian Steakhouse
拉蒂娜•巴西牛排馆
Latina will transport your taste buds to Brazil with their selection of authentic churrasco (Brazilian barbecue) offerings. Churrasco is all about letting the meat do the talking, with huge skewers of meat being grilled slowly over wood or charcoal, which are then often only seasoned with salt.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Picanha Skewers – picanha (rump cap) is a triangular cut of beef taken from the top of the rump, which has a layer of fat on the outside. While being barbecued, the fat seeps into the rest of the meat to make it juicy and tender
- Steak Skewers
Drinks:
- Caipirinha – cachaça, a Brazilian spirit made from sugarcane juice, blended with lime and sugar
Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB)
CAB will be showing off Texas BBQ at the fest, combining the art of low-and-slow smoking with their range of high-quality American corn-fed beef and pork.
Menu Highlight(s):
- American Pork Ribs – whole US pork ribs slow-roasted for nearly ten hours over fruitwood at low temperature, served with house-made pickles and a unique sauce to make the meat tender and juicy
TRIBE GARDEN AFRICAN RESTAURANT
部落花园⾮洲餐吧
Tribe Garden will be serving up West African-style barbecue at the fest, using local African spices like suya, which is a blend of ground peanuts, salt, pepper, paprika and chili pepper.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Goat Meat Kebab (Chichinga) – chunks of goat meat skewered with red onions and bell peppers, marinated in local spices including suya and cayenne pepper and then grilled over an open flame
Drinks:
- Afro Mojito
- Guinness
MORROW Cantina
墨佬墨西哥餐厅
MORROW will be sharing the flavors of Mexican barbecue at the fest with their dishes, including one exclusively made for the festival.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Shepherd's Roasted Lamb Leg (Mexican Style) – a lamb leg is infused with Mexican chili and other herbs and then grilled over charcoal until crispy on the outside but tender and juicy inside
Kang Kang
康康
A halal restaurant, Kang Kang will be serving a range of Chinese barbecue dishes at the fest.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Spicy Barbecue – high-quality beef and lamb skewers covered with a spice blend made from Gangu chili peppers and other secret ingredients
Drinks:
- Apricot Peel Tea – made from dried apricots and apricot peel from Dunhuang, Gansu, this sweet and sour tea pairs perfectly with barbecue
SUSU
苏苏越南菜
SUSU will be showing off some different Vietnamese barbecue dishes at the fest.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Hoi An Rotisserie Roast Half-Chicken – chicken infused with Vietnamese spices and served with a couple of zesty dips
- Grilled Pork & Vermicelli – marinated pork patty and grilled pork belly skewers mixed with vermicelli noodles, herbs, pickled papaya and radish
Drinks:
- Saigon Beer
Nashville
乡谣餐吧
Nashville normally specializes in a range of American dishes and steak, but at the fest, they'll be highlighting the flavors of Italy.
Menu Highlight(s):
- Porchetta – an Italian pork roulade, it sees skin-on pork belly seasoned with ground black pepper, dried oregano, Italian herb vinegar and parmesan cheese and roasted until crispy
- Rosemary Smoked Fresh Lamb Kidneys – grilled lamb kidneys smoked in a box with fresh rosemary and thyme
Drinks:
- Mahou Lager
- Mahou IPA
- Coke
Tough Tongue
硬舌
Chinese barbecue experts Tough Tongue will be putting the tongue in their name with their barbecue offerings at the fest, plus they'll be unveiling a brand new beer!
Menu Highlight(s):
- Signature Garlic-Grilled Beef Tongue
- Cold Tossed Beef Tongue
- Hot & Cold Tongue Fusion – a combination of their Signature Garlic-Grilled Beef Tongue with Cold Tossed Beef Tongue
Drinks:
- A brand new brew, which is a hoppy stout perfect for autumn and which will be unveiled at the fest.
Remember, this is just the first half of the 40+ vendors who will be at the fest, so keep your eyes peeled for our part two post coming soon!
River BBQ Fest will be taking place at Langyuan Station on Sep 19 from 4pm until 9pm and Sep 20-21 from 11am until 9pm. Early bird tickets are RMB 19.9 and can be purchased by scanning the QR code in the poster above. Tickets at the door are RMB 29.9.
Langyuan Station Riverside Cultural Plaza
The River BBQ Fest will be taking place at Langyuan Station Riverside Cultural Plaza. Last year, the space underwent an upgrade and now features a scenic platform overlooking the Ba River. With blue skies, grassy lawns, river views, pedestrian streets and a sunken plaza, it’s the perfect setting for an autumn event.
Langyuan Station itself is a cultural and creative landmark featuring both industrial and international styles. Its location by the Ba River and adjacent to the greenery of Jiangfu Park makes it a place where you can enjoy nature and pop-up cultural activities at the same time. It's home to an array of businesses and industries such as art museums, cafés, home design, trendy fashion, upscale dining, sports and film, and it has become a popular hotspot for shopping and socializing in Beijing.
Langyuan Station Riverside Cultural Plaza 郎园Station滨河广场
53 Banjieta Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区半截塔路53号
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READ: Early Bird Tickets for River BBQ Fest On Sale Now!
Images: the Beijingers, courtesy of the vendors
