Eat Beat

Beijing

Fun with food

1 Most diners go to restaurants so they don't have to cook, but sometimes there's a happy medium. At the Malaysian restaurant Raya, a do-it-yourself popiah-making session was such a hit that owner Jin is repeating the event occasionally on weekends. Popiah, a shrimp-and tofu-filled spring roll, is a popular street snack in Ipoh, a city in Malaysia, but the Fujian/Chaozhou-style fresh roll is a favorite in Singapore and Thailand, too. The how-to session is 60 yuan per person; afterward, most customers linger and order whatever dishes they like from the regular dinner menu. Call for next scheduled event.