Springtime is Here!: Where to Eat Chunbing in Beijing
With daytime temperatures in the mid-teens and blue sky days seemingly more frequent, it's safe to say that spring is on its way in Beijing. There is no better time, then, to eat one of northern China's most traditional spring dishes: chunbing (春饼), or "spring pancakes." This simple, rustic dish refers to plain wheat flour wrappers (sometimes colored with spinach or carrot) that are served alongside a variety of small stir-fried dishes, which diners then wrap in the pancakes and eat (a bit like Peking duck).
Chunbing are typically associated with two traditional festivals: Lichun (立春), the first solar term of the Chinese agricultural calendar, which marks the beginning of Spring, and Longtaitou (龙抬头), the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. However, we'll take any excuse to devour these delicious morsels so we've put together a list of our favorite places to eat them.
Laolao Jia Chunbing Dian
Dianping just named the Shilipu branch of this local chain as one of Beijing's "2017 Must-Eat Restaurants" so you know it must be good. The pork hock, which is braised and then chilled and sliced, is particularly good here. There are also branches in Sanyuanqiao, Wangjing, and Huixin Dongjie.
Er Yue Er Chunbing
Named after the date on the agricultural calendar when it is traditional to eat chunbing, the simple decor at Er Yue Er belies the quality of its cooking. The pancakes are thin yet elastic and the accompanying dishes – pork strips stir-fried with sweet bean paste, stir-fried eggs and bean sprouts – are fresh and simple. Apart from chunbing, the restaurant also serves classic Beijing dishes like zha guanchang (deep-fried sweet potato starch).
Chunbing Jingweicai
A favorite of the denizens of Beixinqiao and Yonghegong (and also of tipsy Café de la Poste patrons, which it sits opposite), Chunbing Jingweicai serves a solid rendition of chunbing and its associated dishes at very cheap prices – you could easily eat dinner for less than RMB 30 per head here. We particularly like Chunbing Jingweicai's version of "vegetables wearing a hat" (合菜戴帽 hé cài dài mào), a stir-fry of bean sprouts, tofu, chives, and vermicelli, topped off with a thin omelet.
Douyacai Chunbing
This small restaurant near the eastern end of Guanghua Lu is best known for its seaweed flavored pancakes, which apparently took many rounds of trial and error to balance and perfect. The pancakes have just the faintest flavor of the ocean. The menu offers the usual selection of side dishes and, helpfully, they offer a set menu for one (RMB 32), which includes a couple of pancakes and three smaller servings of their most popular side dishes, taking the stress out of ordering if you're eating alone.
Photos courtesy of Lost Plate, Patrick Li, Dianping
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