A Few Simple Meals in Beijing

Except for a fabulous Beijing Duck Dinner (a later blog), I eat simply, but with great variety and fabulous tastes on this trip to Beijing.   Here's two simple dinner plates, wok-fried duck, steamed buns, and noodles in the first and braised pork belly with water chestnuts, sauteed mushrooms, and steamed rice in the second.

Wok-fried duck

Braised pork belly

And, one breakfast at the hotel is representative of the great way I start each day:  steamed buns, steamed vegetables, and congee (rice porridge) to which I add from a selection of peppers, mushrooms, and other great accompaniments.

Breakfast

Walking the streets, I saw lots of great shops and markets with food for sale.

 Lots of great fresh food

And, off the main streets are food streets with stalls selling food to go or eat right there.  One of the most famous of these, Wangfujing Snack Street, is near Tiananmen Square and the narrow alley still maintains the ancient style, serving traditional snack foods.

 Entrance to Wangfujing Snack Street

 Food stalls on Wangfujing

I pass on some of the more exotic offerings, such as fried scorpions, and choose fried squid on a stick for my lunch.

Squid on a stick

The squid is delicious and just the right amount for lunch.  I munch on it as I walk back to the metro to catch the train to my hotel.