Hualijiahe Hotel (Beijing Yuetan South Street Branch)

Just to clarify, this is a restaurant, not a hotel. Tongheju is a chain serving local Beijing cuisine. We tried traditional dishes including radish with abalone sauce, mock crab, san bu zhan, and Peking Duck. The duck was decent, though a little oily and not as good as Siji Minfu. Locals said the mock crab wasn’t quite right, but I enjoyed it as a fried egg dish. I loved the braised radish and fish slices in vinegar sauce, which had a strong vinegar flavor. I just love vinegar. san bu zhan takes real skill to make, and it isn’t always available. It uses simple ingredients, egg, flour, sugar, and oil, but the chef has to keep stirring until it doesn’t stick to the pan, chopsticks, or teeth. It can easily end up soggy or burnt and hard, so you’re paying for the skill involved. To me, it tastes like a thicker, sweeter pudding. I’m glad I tried it and got to appreciate the technique, but it’s not something I’ll crave or miss.