DaoXiangCun, a familiar brand to every Beijinger, is famous for Chinese pastries, candies, cooked meat, and fast-frozen food.

Yesterday afternoon, I found a DaoXiangCun store on XiSi North Street. There were a lot of locals buying various products, a common scene at any DaoXiangCun store.

At the pastry section, a wide variety of dim sums are on sale. Many old and middle-aged residents were waiting at the counters. The famous Green Bean Cake and Chocolate Wafer are sold at 13 yuan per 500 g. For customers suffering from diabetes, the shop offers sugarless pastries. For instance, a bag of sugar-free cookies weighing 250 grams costs 7.5 yuan.

People also flocked to the cooked meat section. The inviting smell was really hard to resist. What I liked best were braised chicken (18 yuan per 500 g) and spiced beef (41 yuan per 500 g). Dried bean curd, which cost only 7 yuan per 500g, will also satisfy your taste buds.

For those who hate cooking or have no time to cook, there are fast-frozen dumplings and wontons to choose from.

What I appreciated

Popular Beijing pastries, time honored brand

What customers appreciate

Well-accepted Chinese pastries, reasonable prices

A ‘Shaomai’ is a steamed dumpling with the dough gathered at the top. It is characterized by its thin ring and is full of stuffing.

Duyichu is a historic restaurant opened by Mr. Wang Ruifu from the Shanxi province in 1738 A.D., under the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty. The title Duyichu was given to the restaurant by Emperor Qianlong himself. Originally, the restaurant was located at No. 36, Qianmen Street.

Today, you can find the Duyichu Shaomai Restaurant at Fangzhuang, Beijing. There, one share of Shaomai costs RMB 18. Roast duck is on the menu as well for RMB 68. The dining environment is very agreeable.

What I appreciated

Old Chinese brand, traditional and delicious delicacy, agreeable dining environment.