5 Restaurants Near The Beijing Language and Culture University You Might Not Know About

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I thought it would be an interesting idea to do a post about some of the less-known but great restaurants around the Beijing Language and Culture University. So here are five of my favourites that you probably don't know about, especially if you're a new student studying Chinese at BLCU.

Some of them may be a bit awkward to find if you're unfamiliar with the area, but I'd say they're all worth the making the extra effort for and will probably be places you find yourself going back to again and again throughout your time at BLCU and Beijing. Enjoy.

1. Teppanyaki (Wudaokou)

A lot of poeple don't realise there's a Teppanyaki (and a damn decent one too) in Wudaokou. Most think you need to go through to Sanlitun and I thought the same until halfway through my year-long stay at BLCU. It's not true at all though - there's one right beside the big Microsoft and Cernet buildings that are easy to spot, even from campus.

If you're coming from BLCU, take a right out of the south-west gate and continue past the U-Centre on your left and straight under the subway bridge. Continue straight past the first crossroads and then at the second crossroads near the north-west end of the Huaqing Jiayuan apartment complex you will see the towering Microsoft and Cernet buildings. You might also be able to make out a Starbucks at ground level from here too that not everyone knows about and offers a pleasant outside seating area.

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In the same square where they are located, walk up the stairs that have a water feature running parallel to them. Once at the top, to your right-hand side and on the second floor you should be able to see the Teppanyaki restaurant. You will have to take a lift up to get there which should be easy enough to find through some glass doors in front of you.

Admittedly not cheap for anyone on a Beijing budget, this teppanyaki costs 160 RMB per person and includes unlimited ordering of anything from the menu (even sushi) as well as unlimited beer, wine, juice and soft drinks. If you're looking for somewhere a bit special, perhaps for a birthday or other occassion, but don't want to make the trip out to a central Beijing district such as Sanlitun, this is a great local choice that doesn't feel like Wudaokou at all.

2. The "Other" Muslim Restaurant (Liudaokou)

We all talk about the Muslim restaurant on the BLCU campus but most people don't know there's one that's just as good in Liudaokou. Admittedly, it's a bit tricky to find if you're unfamiliar with the area north of BLCU, but once you know where you're going it's easy enough. If you take a left out of the east gate and continue straight on past the crossroads where Starbucks and Golden Towers are and then take a left at the crossroads after this, walk along this road heading west and you'll see it before long on your left-hand side. There's a couple other restaurants around it too. Should you continue straight on for a few meters here you would see the HUGE apartment complex, the name of which I've never actually known, that's quite close to Hanting Jiayuan where I stayed for my second semester at BLCU and a good place to check out if you're looking to move off campus.

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I knew it was good from the start because my two friends from Xingjiang who are trainers at the campus gym (Mike and Mohammad) told me so, and they know what they're talking about when it comes to Muslim cuisine. When I tried it for myself I was so impressed that I began going there instead of making the longer trip back to the one on campus (which I have no complaints about at all).

For one thing, I found the nan breads they serve here much better than the ones at BLCU. They cover them in amazing seasoning (salt, cumin, chilli, oil, and other spices) and they're just divine when eaten fresh off the hot coals. I would also have to say that the portion sizes are more generous than the ones at BLCU and I like the fact that you can look directly into the kitchen which has glass windows on all sides. To me this says that they don't have anything to hide like I imagine some Chinese restaurants do in the back of their kitchens. It's a clean and well-run restaurant that is easy to like from the start. It's also comparatively cheap.

If you enjoy the Muslim on campus but want to try a different one and see how it measures up, be sure to make this your next stop.

3. Ganghes Indian Restaurant (Wudaokou)

It took me a long time living at BLCU and in the surrounding area before I realised there was a fantastic Indian restaurant within walking distance. I used to make the LONG trip through to a designer shopping centre called The Place in the business district (where they have a Zara store for anyone interested) to visit its main branch which offers weekday lunch buffets for around 60 RMB.

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The food here is really authentic Indian and has won many awards from Beijing food critics. To find it you need to go into Wudaokou and continue right past the crossroads at the Microsoft building which is easy to spot from far away. Not long after this you will be able to see it on your left-hand side, though you have to be a bit discerning as it's relatively inauspicious. It's only a small restaurant with a few tables inside and a couple waiters, but I found the service to be very good.

One of the best things about this restaurant is that they deliver for free (and in a pretty wide area), so if you want a curry delivered to your room or apartment, you can't go wrong with Ganghes. At one point I was ordering deliveries from them several times a week and it did get a little bit of an expensive habit considering how cheaply you can eat in Beijing!

Anyway, it's damn good food and a nice place to treat yourself to once in a while. Here's the telephone number if you want it: (0086) 6587 2999

4. Grandma's Kitchen (Wudaokou)

Located on the fifth floor of Wudaokou's famous "U-Centre", this American style restaurant offers a laid back atmosphere and plays on the theme of home-cooked Western food. It's a little bit more expensive than you might be used to paying for food in Beijing once you've settled in, but if you're not on too tight a budget it's a nice place to come and enjoy a meal with friends.

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One of the dishes definitely worth mentioning is the roast chicken. If you miss a good old roast from back home like your dear mum used to do on a Sunday, this is the place for you. They also do some good (but slightly pricey) burgers that come with French fries, though if you're after a good and cheap burger I would recommend somewhere like Helen's Cafe and I aso heard Lush do good ones. The fried chicken burger at Grandma's is BIG though and worth trying (I think it's around 40 RMB).

There are some delicious looking cakes here too if you have a bit of a sweet tooth and the cookies are also great (and good value at four for 10 RMB, if I remember correctly).

Grandma's Kitchen has a large floor area, part of which offers a view west towards Hauqing Jiayuan and the subway station. It's bright and well lit with a good choice of regular dining tables and hard wood chairs or more comfortable padded seating in certain areas. There is also an excellent free wifi service here too, though it is passworded to ensure only customers have access. The wifi passwords used to be kept on card tabs in a jar beside the till, so check there or ask one of the staff if you're unsure.

5. Corner Dumpling House (Outside BLCU East Gate)

I've called it the "Corner Dumpling House" because I don't actually have a clue what it's name is. If you take a right out of the east gate, it's located just on the corner near the Chaoshifa supermarket, at the huge crossroads that is always busy with traffic heading into and coming back from Central Beijing. There are usually a lot of bicycles parked outside and all around this area. Once you walk by, you should recognise it immediately.

It tends to get busy during lunch and dinner hours so try to get there earlier than usual or otherwise be patient and wait for a seat. There really are a very limited number of tables and stools inside and it's no more than a strip of floor area several meters long and only a couple wide. Although it can be quite cramped inside, this tiny dumpling house remains popular all year round.

The dumplings here may be dirt cheap but they certainly don't taste like dirt. You'll find a lot of the locals and Chinese students eating in there due to the quick service and low prices. The dumplings are made fresh all day long and only come in one variety which I think is probably pork and Chinese cabbage or some similar classic combination. Whatever it is inside, they taste great.

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The one thing I would question about eating here is the hygiene, but that often comes part and parcel of living in China and you're immune system will probably strengthen up several factors during your time there. Don't get me wrong, it's not a particularly dirty place or anything, but a pile of raw meat-based filling mixture is always left out in the open for long parts of the day and during the summer months I'm not sure that this couldn't be dangerous in terms of bacteria.

So if you're going to eat here perhaps enjoy it during the cooler months and find somewhere else when it gets really hot out. Saying that, I don't believe I ever got directly sick from eating here so really it's entirely up to you. Just an observation on my part and throwing it out there for you to take or leave. As a general rule though, I would definitely advise you to avoid as much street food as you can during summer, especially meat products that sit out in the heat all day.

Anyway, this was my personal favourite place to eat dumplings during my time at BLCU and you should be sure to add it to your list of places to try. If you're looking for somewhere on campus to get decent dumplings, I can recommend the ones at the Conference Centre restaurant.

So, these have been five of my favourite places to eat near BLCU that you might not know about. What are you're favourite less-known places to eat in the BLCU area? Have you tried any of the ones I've talked about here? What did you think of them?

One last thing...

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