What's New Restaurants: Su Song Fu

One of my first food-related memories in China is of queuing up outside a locally renowned shengjianbao store in Nanjing, stamping my feet to ward off the cold along with a crowd of impatient locals. Up to that point, I had been largely unimpressed with the cuisine of eastern China – to my mind too sweet and lacking depth – but with my first precarious bite of porky, soup-filled shengjianbao, I was hooked.

For those, like me, who have been seeking these southern treasures in Beijing, look no further than burgeoning chain Su Song Fu, which has a branch conveniently located in the basement of Gongti’s Shimao Department Store. The small storefront, trendily attired with cartoons depicting the brand’s story, sells servings of four shengjianbao for RMB 10, more than enough for a lunch portion. 

Elsewhere on the menu are a series of competent cold dishes and noodles both soupy and dry, but the bao are the star of the show. Each globular morsel has the perfect balance of crisped base to hot soup, although the soup may be a little sweet for those accustomed to more savory northern flavors. However, this does not seem to be a hindrance to success – go outside of normal lunch hours to avoid the inevitable queues.

Su Song Fu
Daily 10am-8pm. B1, Shimao Department Store, 13 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (No phone)
苏松府生煎：朝阳区三里屯工体北路13号世贸工三B1

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Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: Ken