Beijing on a plate

Eighty-five years ago, Cuihualou opened its doors in Beijing and quickly became a dining destination reserved for the elite. Gathering some of the city's finest chefs, the restaurant was so renowned that "a single meal could cost an average person nearly a month's salary".

Over the decades, Cuihualou eventually faded from the scene — until 2018, when the historic brand was revived. Classic dishes such as braised sliced egg white and chicken with pea sprouts, stir-fried diced chicken and walnuts with bean paste sauce, and deep-fried pork balls returned to the menu, their traditional flavors preserved, but their techniques refined.

Much of this revival is credited to chef Wang Peixin, honored last year as a national model worker. With temperatures cooling, Wang has prepared a new seasonal menu that blends tradition with creativity.

Before its official launch, the restaurant welcomed a special group of visitors — the Chinese and international participants of the Gourmet Strolling in Beijing for 240 Hours campaign — who came to taste the new dishes and learn about Cuihualou's legacy.

Wang introduced each course with the restaurant's history. Among the highlights was braised sliced egg white and chicken with pea sprouts which he described as one of Cuihualou's most iconic dishes.

"In the past, we mixed egg whites with minced chicken and shaped them into traditional coin-like slices," he says. "Now, after our team's development, we've turned it into a 2-meter-long sheet, paper-thin and jade-white."

The dish has since become a must-order for diners of all ages. "As we innovate while preserving tradition, diners gain a deeper understanding of the cuisine," he adds. "They're not only tasting a classic, but also learning the culture behind it."

The visit to Cuihualou was one stop in a growing citywide culinary campaign launched in spring by the Beijing Municipal Government Information Office, together with Sina Weibo and other partners.

By spotlighting Beijing's food culture, organizers hope to ignite enthusiasm among both domestic and international travelers and boost cultural tourism consumption. The initiative has since sparked more than 100,000 discussions on Weibo, where detailed food routes from city agencies blend with restaurant reviews from leading bloggers.

As co-initiator of the hashtag for the project, Wu Jia, director of Sina Weibo's food channel, organizes monthly offline events for influential Beijing-based food creators. By next year, organizers expect hundreds of food content creators to recommend Beijing's signature restaurants and travel routes to the growing number of overseas visitors.

Recent outings have taken participants to some of Beijing's most storied dining institutions, including Kaorouji, recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage; Makai, a restaurant along Beijing's Central Axis; and Fangshan, founded in 1925 and renowned for imperial cuisine.

At Cuihualou, Samuel Meston, 23, from the United Kingdom, tasted the autumn-winter dishes and quickly found his favorite. "The Beijing roast duck was really fantastic," he said. "I love the sauce, the duck, and putting it all in the little pancake. It was some of the best food that I've had in Beijing."

He was equally intrigued by Wang's inventive roast duck sushi, which layers duck skin, cheese, mango, house-made dressing and rice to create a bite that blends multiple textures at once.

"I was really impressed, and we got the chance to talk to the chefs," Meston said. "They're really knowledgeable about where all the ingredients come from, the traditions behind each dish and how they're prepared. So that was really interesting to hear."

Wang says that the creativity behind each dish remains rooted in deep culinary techniques. For example, the restaurant's sweet-and-sour mandarin fish begins with blanching the fish to remove scales and the surface film, ensuring a springier texture. The sauce is a house secret, enhanced by ginger vinegar. "This dish has the texture and flavor of eating crab."

The deep-fried pork meatballs — crispy on the outside and tender inside — are another point of pride. Even after an hour, their crust remains crisp, and inside the exterior shell is a smaller, whole meatball.

"We are a time-honored brand, not conservative but never forgetting our roots. Our philosophy is new feeling, old flavor," Wang says. "Guests can taste the flavors they remember from childhood, but the presentation still feels refreshing. Our prices are also affordable now — not like the high-end venue it once was."

For the organizers, the campaign is closely tied to China's expanding visa-free transit policy. Cheng Sheng, the campaign's chief culinary recommendation officer, says the idea emerged from a desire to give foreign visitors reliable food recommendations.

At the end of 2024, China extended its visa-free transit period for eligible travelers from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. Since then, Beijing, one of the country's top destination cities, has witnessed a surge in overseas arrivals. According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the city welcomed almost 3.9 million inbound tourists from January to September 2025, a year-on-year increase of 42.9 percent, with tourist spending rising 47.1 percent to $5.02 billion.

Foreign participants in the campaign now come from countries including the United States, the UK, Russia, Spain and Singapore. Cheng says the offline events differ from typical dining experiences: founders or executive chefs dine alongside guests, sharing brand histories, cooking techniques and stories behind specialty ingredients.

Participants were also encouraged to make intangible cultural heritage dishes — some even sampled a not-yet-released Fangshan banquet inspired by the complete feast of Manchu and Han courses, according to Cheng. He says he initially worried about cultural differences, but soon learned that good food crosses borders. "At Makai, a guest from Spain couldn't stop praising our braised pork. She was fascinated that we use fermented bean curd to prepare it," he says.

Such culinary exchanges, he adds, have become a highlight of the program, sometimes even leading to new friendships. One US diner and one Russian diner, he recalls, met during the event and made plans to visit each other's hometowns. "This event isn't just a food journey — it's a journey into Beijing's traditional culture."

Looking ahead, Cheng says they plan to expand the program beyond Beijing-style cuisine to include outstanding restaurants representing diverse Chinese culinary traditions.

"There's the Michelin three-starred Xinrongji, the 160-year-old Quanjude and the mysterious Tan Family Cuisine," Cheng says. "With more than 3,000 years of city history and 800 years as a capital, Beijing is not only a historic cultural city — it's also China's culinary capital."

He adds that Beijing's food scene reflects its role as an international metropolis. "Beijing gathers flavors from across China and around the world. Our next stops will bring all of these into the experience."

The program will also expand the "strolling" component by recommending more sightseeing routes for both domestic and international travelers. "Beijing's food is a way of understanding the city," Cheng says.

For many guests, the journey is just beginning.

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn