Nice Beijing food

The restaurant Fumanyuan, run by a father-son duo, is a five-minute walk east of Xinyuanli Residential Compound.

　　It's hard to find a place with home-style Beijing dishes as mouthwatering as at Fumanyuan.

　　The restaurant may look average, but it draws diners from all across town. Braised ribbonfish in brown sauce (40 yuan) and stewed spareribs and kidney beans (29 yuan) are its signature dishes.

　　The fish is braised to just the right texture, and combines sweet, salty and spicy. The stewed pork ribs are tender, and the soy flavor is addictive.

　　"All our dishes are cooked with fresh, rich soy sauce instead of excessive oil and spices, whch is why our dishes taste different and are not greasy," said restaurant owner Ding Yitian.Besides the meat dishes, patrons also like Fumanyuan's hot and sour shredded pork and fried bok choy cabbage, both at 12 yan.

　　Most dishes, in fact, cost between 10 and 50 yuan. The servings are big, making it a great place to eat with two or three friends. There is always a line out the front door during meal hours.

　　Apparently, people who eat leave soon after. "Our guests are mainly return customers who leave immediately after a meal, instead of sitting around and chatting," Ding said. "It's an implicit agreement we have with theThe restaurant is only 15 square meters big, and can fit about 40 customers. People like its friendly, community atmosphere: regulars often share a table with strangers.

　　The Ding family does not plan to open another outlet because it's hard to maintain the same quality. The good news is that its space will expand, as it will be taking over the space from the store next door.Fumanyuan restaurant

　　Where: 10 Xinyuan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District

　　Open: 11 am – 10 pm Tel: 6461 8656

　　Cost: Starting from 20 yuan per person