Kangshifu(康师傅) is a very famous brand owned by Ting Hsin International Group. In 2006 it opened the first beef noodle restaurant in Beijing. Now the brand has many franchisees all around the Chinese capital. One of them is located in SOHO Modern City, a newly built area near the Dawanglu metro station.

The restaurant’s specialty is their high quality beef noodles, and they also serve various kinds of small dishes and ice creams. The noodle soup is made with a secret recipe, so it is tasty and nutritious. They guarantee the soups and beef are fresh every day.

Noodles are served together with a small dish. Prices range from RMB 16 to RMB 98. They only serve 10 bowls of the most expensive noodles per day.

Waiters and waitresses are all hospitable. Seats are comfortable. Menus display pictures.

What I appreciated:

Tasty noodles

What Customers appreciate:

Tasty noodles, “luxurious” noodles   

Xiaodou is a fast noodle restaurant. It is very famous in Beijing, and has many franchises in every district of the capital.

Their popular noodle dishes are eggplant and beans noodles, mixed vegetables noodles, and mushrooms-and-chicken noodles. Prices range from RMB 8 to RMB 15. According to customers they taste good.

The restaurant also serves breakfast from 7AM. The menu features soya-bean, porgies, stuffed burns, and dumplings. A nutritious breakfast will cost you less than RMB 10.

As a fast food restaurant, it is as clean as McDonald’s. Tables are white and tidy, and seats are comfortable. It is a small venue, but dishes and bowls are clean. Waitresses and waiters are hospitable with clean work uniforms.

What I appreciated:

Cleanliness

Customers appreciate:

Tasty noodles

If WangFuJing is a must-stop for travelers in Beijing, I would say “Qiao Xiang Yuan Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles” is also a must-stop for strollers in WangFuJing street.

“Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles”: a Beautiful Legend

“Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles” is a kind of Yunnan snack. It has a beautiful legend.

In ancient China, there was a couple. They loved each other very much.The husband wanted to give his wife a wealthy life, so he studied very hard in a book room which was far away from their residence.The wife brought cooked rice to her husband every day at noon. Since the place was too far away, the meal would get cold when the wife arrived.

She felt distressed over the issue, and thought it over to find smart methods to keep the meal warm, while keeping it fresh. Eventually, she found out a way. She took a big bowl of hot soup, and set aside some uncooked materials like rice noodle, small pieces of chicken and lamb, and some fresh vegetables.

When she arrived at her destination, she put the uncooked material into the soup. Since there was a layer of fat on the surface of the soup, it was still very hot underneath. Those fresh ingredients thus got deliciously cooked. In this way, her husband could have a good meal very day.

He was so appreciative of his wife, he seeked to surpass himself, and won the first place in the national contest he had entered.

To commemorate their great love and the long bridge the wife had to cross to bring his meal to her husband, they named this cooking method the “Cross-Bridge”.

“Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles” Today

Today, “Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles” have become very popular. The dish has become a symbol of Yunnan cuisine.

The “Qiao Xiang Yuan Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles” restaurant is located in the West of WangFuJing pedestrian street. Though it is a basement restaurant, it never loses its appeal to loyal patrons. I’ve been there many times, and whenever I go, there are crowds of people. Most of them are repeat customers.

The interior decor is totally minority Yunnan-style. Blueish rock floor, wooden chairs and tables, red lanterns on the walls, melodious music performed by ethnic musical instruments. Waiters and waitress care very much about your comfort. A perfect atmosphere, I’d say. Every guest cannot but feel comfortable eating in this restaurant.

How Much?

The noodles are sold at various prices, according to their main ingredient. Prices range from RMB 12 to RMB 60. I usually take the RMB 16 fare. Fresh ingredients include slices of fish, lamb, pork, beef, some vegetables, and a small partridge egg.

Remember to put the meat first, then the egg, then the vegetables, and lastly the noodles. After this, the ingredients are immersed in the hot tailor-made soup for two minutes. This is the perfect timing to eat them. The ingredients are just ripe, and also very tender.

Another little reminder: you will be offered a small bag of tissues. Use them to wipe your sweat. To ensure fresh ingredients are well cooked in the soup, the huge bowl of soup is full of hot liquid. You will feel very warm, and will sweat a lot after the meal!