Savoring old Beijing at Nine Gates Snack Restaurant(2)

Three of the traditional Beijing dishes available during the "snack exploration tour of Shishahai" at the restaurant which has been adapted from a courtyard house. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

"Beijing snacks have a history dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), when in its early days chefs often learned other food styles before forming the final recipes, which makes the food popular among people from all walks of life."

Nearly 15 vendors operate in the Nine Gates Snack Restaurant as co-partners, selling freshly made foods from small stalls. Customers can eat at tables in a public area or in separate dining rooms.

It is easy to find an elderly person at a stall making the food or instructing others how to do it. They are the inheritors of Beijing brands - about 12 vendors have a brand name that dates back to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Li Yue, about 50 years old, is the inheritor of the Chatang Li brand founded in 1858.

Chatang, or fried flour tea, is essentially fried flour. Made with hot water and different seasoning, such as sweet-scented osmanthus, and sugar, chatang makes a delicious bowl of soup. The fried flour can be substituted with water chestnut powder or lotus root powder.

Li said he pays great attention to quality, noting all the ingredients Changyang Li uses are sourced from special providers.

Apart from a stall in Nine Gates, Li also owns a restaurant selling chatang and other Beijing food in the Hepingli area not far from Yonghe Lama Temple.

Li learned to make chatang from his father in the early 1980s. He still follows the family's secret recipe, but has made innovations to present the traditional flavor in a modern way.

The teapots used to boil water must be of brass to make the traditional flavor, but the tables and chairs don't necessarily need to be all made of wood, Li said.

The decoration and service need to meet with modern customer's requirements, not the other way around, Li noted.

He also hires waitresses who are able to communicate with foreign customers in English, Li said.

Just like chatang, many other traditional snacks served at Nine Gates have interesting names.

Ludagun, or donkey rollover, is a glutinous yellow rice cake roll with fried bean flour sprayed onto the surface.

Wandouhuang, or pea yellow, is a mashed pea cake made from boiled and mashed peas and small Chinese jujubes.

Many local Beijingers come to the restaurant when they want to enjoy time with their families, especially senior members, said Li.