A taste of Taiwan in Beijing

There is no two ways about it - Taiwan is a tasty place. In light of this, plenty of people are cooking the fare in Beijing, which is fortunate for all those Taiwanese food fans and homesick islanders who cannot get across the Straits any time soon. Here is our list of where to go to savor Taiwanese flavors.　

Sweet teeth and tea　

Tea is big business in Taiwan and no more so than bubble tea, the tapioca-caffeine combo which comes in a plethora of flavors and forms. Opinion is divided about the beverage though. Some people guzzle the stuff like it's water, while others find the concept of a drink that you can also eat a bit too much. For those on Team Bubble Tea, Beijing might not be saturated with quite as many stands as Taipei, but there are still a few to quench your thirst.

Cutting straight to the point, iTea has a huge variety of chewy drinks served both hot and cold. Stick to the standard milk bubble tea for the perfect introduction in the Gulou Dongdajie joint. Shaved ice desserts are also available here. Desserts aren't Taiwan's strong point, but this saccharine dish is worth a try.

Then, just around the corner on Nanluoguxiang, nestled between various knickknack stores is Shengluehao Hong Kong Dessert. This is a bit more expensive than most tea shops, the result of the owner being a tea fanatic, who will only use the finest quality tea. Whether that is true or not is hard to prove, but the idea is nice.

Another place where you can try bubble tea is at Happy Lemon, which is actually a Shanghainese chain. The array of flavors is impressive, featuring ones such as lychee milk tea with seaweed jelly. Happy Lemon can be found in the basement of Raffles City, as well as at several other locations across Beijing.

Street your heart out

Taipei is known for its street food, as is Beijing, and there is some overlap in the two cities' snacks. For example, you never need to go far to find stinky tofu.

Alternatively, the newly renovated Qianmen has an entire wing devoted to Taiwan, with a basement food court full of oyster omelets, beef noodle soup and more.

Then, another Nanluoguxiang resident, Zui Hong Lou (Drunk Rainbow) prides itself on only stocking and selling Taiwanese imports. Alongside island beers and baijiu, they have traditional Taiwanese sausages and spicy dried fish. They also have classic Taiwanese TV. Granted you can't eat it, but you can watch it.

A formal affair

Taiwan is not just about cheap eats, but also does refined cuisine well. Hence one restaurant has been bestowed a coveted New York Times world's best restaurants award - Din Tai Fung. That was 20 years ago, but nevertheless the dumpling chain is still arguably the most established Taiwanese restaurant in Beijing, and indeed one of the best. Some complain it is over-priced, but mostly the reviews are always glowing about both the food and service. Particularly notable are the xiaolongbao, the soup-based dumplings, but if you want something a bit more fresh and different, try the chopped spinach and beancurd salad. There are several locations across town, all being great lunch-time destinations.　

For the evening, Gongti's Shin Yeh is a strong choice. Also receiving accolades from the foreign press, Shin Yeh does refined cuisine and is big on seafood, highlights being the deep-fried oysters and deep-fried cuttle fish. Popular non-seafood dishes include the classic Taiwanese dish three-cup bullfrog and chicken. Then vegetarians can nosh on scrambled eggs with salted turnip and babao youfan, steamed glutinous rice served in a small wooden bucket.

For a more homely affair, restaurant Taipei Kitchen near Silk Market is hidden away but worth the hunt. Featured on their menu is chicken with three cup sauce and a Hakka stir-fry of celery, spicy peppers and bean curd. The Taiwanese sausage is also worth a try, especially for those partial towards both meat and garlic.