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Original Shanghai Flavour

Sitting on a big, soft sofa in the dining room at the Beijing Meiweizhai Restaurant, you can view a silent world outside, where people stroll, cars swiftly sail past, some workers plant flowers in a garden. It’s hard to believe this impressionistic scene is one of Central Beijing. The hustle and bustle of life in the city seems to slow a bit from this vantage point.

Although Meiweizhai is an old Beijing restaurant, a Zhonghua Laozihao (China Time Honoured Brand), it is unlike any other traditional old Beijing restaurant with its cacophony of loudly welcoming waiters and the frantic chatter of noisy diners. It is also unlike any other modern cafe or bar because of its purposely quiet, relaxing environment. Yet, it’s nothing more than a pure and simple restaurant, where people enjoy the simple delights of delicious food in a natural environment. The old Shanghai-style decorated restaurant greets people with a different and memorable feeling.

The Meiweizhai restaurant was established in Shanghai in 1923, and the Beijing Meiweizhai Restaurant inherited its original Shanghai flavour after it moved to Beijing in 1956. Called on by the new Chinese Government to support Beijing, a large group of famous chefs from Shanghai came to the capital.

In its debut, the Meiweizhai brought a new flavour to Beijing diners. While sticking to its traditions and flavours, the Meiweizhai also introduced dishes from other parts of China to entertain its North China customers, such as Suzhou and Huaiyang dishes. The shengchao shanhu (fried eel paste), wuxiang dapai (spiced pork chop), hongshao dudang (braised fish maw with soy sauce) and songshu dahuangyu (fried yellow croaker in squirrel shape) were welcomed by the customers.

However, in 1993, this old restaurant temporarily disappeared from the people’s lives. Liangguang Lu, where it was located, was to be broadened, so Meiweizhai was forced to close. More than 10 years later, in 2005, the Meiweizhai reopened on Baiguang Lu, and it was warmly welcomed again by Beijing’s Shanghai food lovers, especially people from Shanghai who live and work in Beijing and elderly Shanghainese, who like to visit the Meiweizhai with their children and grandchildren.

When mentioning Meiweizhai’s Shanghai-flavoured cuisine, some typical courses stand out. The huangyuxiang shaorou (braised pork with dried yellow croaker) is a Meiweizhai specialty. In Beiijing, there are two kinds of restaurants that make braised pork the best: those featuring Shanghai and Hunan dishes. As a more than 50-year-old restaurant, Meiweizhai is good at this dish, from which the tastes of fresh fish and fragrant pork float into the consciousness. In South China, niangao (rice cake) is a typical food: yet, Meiweizhai has improved it. Its sautéed hard-shell crab with rice cake, braised ribs with rice cake and sautéed beef filets with pine nuts and rice cake are all specialties. Take sautéed beef filets with pine nuts and rice cake as an example: the rice cake and beef filets should be cut into diamond shapes, then the sweet taste of the rice cakes, the fragile flavour of beef and the fragrance of pine nuts can be savoured in the maximum degree.

Retaining authentic and native flavours is the secret of Meiweizhai’s success; however, service is also very important.

In the southern districts of Beijing, such as in Xuanwu and Chongwen, the economy is not as developed as in other parts of the city; so people’s food choices are not as refined as those with more money. How a restaurant can attract customers requires skill and strategic thinking. Meiweizhai concentrates on quality and service. As a general rule in Zhonghua Laozihao companies, quality and honesty are cherished as core concepts. They don’t dare to ignore or harm the quality of their products. This is also no wonder why Chinese people always trust the Zhonghua Laozihao. For more than 50 years, Meiweizhai has retained its Shanghai flavour, but it has always offered reasonable prices. On the other hand, it also insists on providing good services. When you have dinner at Meiweizhai, you can see their very thoughtful and warm-hearted services. “Prestige brings us our customers, and sincerity improves our brand,” said Qin Zhihui, the manager of Meiweizhai. In fact, Qin works in the lobby to serve her guests personally, so she knows how to manage a restaurant and serve the customers much better.

Address: No. 35 Baiguang Lu, Xuanwu District, Beijing 100053

北京市宣武区白广路35号（白广路南段路西）号

Tel: +86 10 6356 7321/0521