A Cut Above: Ordering the Perfect Steak in Beijing

原创 Tom A. theBeijinger

In the lead-up to our 2018 Beijing Burger Festival on Jun 16-17 at Galaxy Soho, we've scoured the city for the best, tastiest, and most original patties on offer to whet your appetite prior to the veritable meat fest ahead. Dig in!

US beef returned to China’s shelves last June after a 13-year embargo following concerns over mad cow disease. But now, with recent tariffs as high as 25 percent looming on American beef, the future of US steak in China is again uncertain. Despite US-China tensions, China’s middle class and their growing appetite for beef is driving steak consumption across the board, having increased more than 10 percent over the past five years. Beef imports amounted to over USD 1.07 million in March of this year, the highest expenditure yet, and consumption rates are forecast to hit 8 million tonnes by 2020. With such figures in mind, it’s clear that we’re likely to see a growing refinement in Chinese tastes and a further proliferation of steak joints in Beijing. In order to help you navigate the plethora of options, we’ve compiled this handy steak buying guide.

Steak doneness guide

Rare 一分熟 yī fēn shú
Medium-rare 三分熟 sān fēn shú
Medium 五分熟 wǔ fēn shú
Medium-well 七分熟 qī fēn shú
Well-done 全熟 quán shú

Where to buy steak and its many succulent variants in Beijing

Mid-range: O’Steak, Mai Fresh, Little Boat, Bistro 108, The Butchers Club, Meat Mate, Steak House
High-end: The Cut Steak and Seafood Grill, Morton’s of Chicago, Char Dining Room and Lounge, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse