Nine Gates Snacks---Traditional Snack Restaurant in Beijing

Address: No.1, Xiaoyou Hutong, west of the Former Residence of Soong Qingling, Xicheng District, Beijing
Tel: 010-6402 5858 / 6402 6868
Opening Hour: 10.30am-1.30pm, 5pm-8pm daily
Price per Person: 30-40 RMB / US$4-5

Opened at the end of June 2006, Nine Gates Snacks (Jiumen Xiaochi) offers traditional Beijing snacks. Located in a hutong at Shichahai in Xicheng District, he courtyard covers an area of 3,000 square meters. This famous snack center got its name from the nine gates that surrounded the Forbidden City, including Zhengyang Gate, Chaoyang Gate, Dongzhi Gate, Xizhi Gate, Desheng Gate, Anding Gate, Fucheng Gate, Chongwen Gate, Xuanwu Gate. 16 private rooms in the courtyard are also named after the city’s gates. There is one room that is especially reserved for Muslims.

Inside the traditional courtyard are 12 time-honored brands, which include Xiaochang Chen, Baodu Feng, Naolao Wei, Chatang Li, Yue Sheng Zhai, Xianbin Zhou, De Shun Zhai, Niangao Qian, Yangtou Ma, Doufunao Bai, En Yuan Ju and Dalian Huoshao. Most of the brands have a history of more than a century. They are the inheritors of Beijing snack.

Xiaochang Chen

Xiaochang Chen is known for its Luzhu Huoshao, a snack evolved from an imperial dish called Su Zao Rou. Ingredients such as baked wheaten bread, tofu, pork chop and chitterlings are cut into pieces and then boiled in the preserved meat broth. The snack was very popular in Qing Dynasty because meat was too expensive while the offal was more affordable.


 

Chatang Li

Chatang Li is known for its miancha, a flour paste with sweet or salty toppings. Created by an imperial chef, Miancha was loved by the imperial family and became a permanent breakfast item in the imperial menu. The Chatang selection includes Chatang, Miancha, Youcha and Almond drink (Xin Ren Cha). The sorghum or millet flours are cooked before serving. When a customer orders the dish, host will add boiling water and mix it into a thick paste. Finally, sprinkle some brown sugar and sweet Osmanthus sauce on top.
 

Niangao Qian
 

Niangao Qian specializes in Chinese pasta. The Rolling Donkey (Lv Da Gun) here is very famous. It’s actually a steamed glutinous rice roll filled with red bean paste or brown sugar. The place also offers seasonal snacks such as Pea Cake (Wan Dou Huang), Kidney Bean Rolls (Yun Dou Juan), Chestnut cake with bean paste (Li Zi Gao), Yam Rolls (Shan Yao Juan) and others.

Yangtou Ma

Yangtou Ma is famous for its thin sliced meat from boiled lamb's head. The slicing technique of the chef here is very exclusive. This shop was once located on Niu Jie, an old Muslim quarter in the city.





Doufunao Bai

Doufunao Bai offers soft beancurd with fine and delicate texture. Different from other shops that serve Doufunao, Doufunao Bai adds braised lamb and mushrooms on top besides Day lily, Auricularia auricular and egg.

Dalian Huoshao
 
Dalian Huoshao makes pan-fried rolls filled with different fillings. The roll got its name by the shape, which is similar to the old-fashioned satchels that Chinese used to wear over shoulders. These rolls were the creation of the Yao family from Shunyi, who set up a small restaurant called Rui Ming Lou in old Dong'an Market in 1876.






En Yuan Ju

En Yuan Ju is known for its Chao Ge Da, a Muslim snack invented almost 100 years ago. It is a dish of stir-fried morsels-sized noodle fried with seasonal vegetables and meat. The fresh and tasty snack is favored by many people.

 

For more information, check out http://blog.happymassage.com/beijing/