How to choose when you’re in the midst of Chinatown? This is a subject upon which your author has mused previously. Fortunately, other more esteemed reviewers had favourably endorsed the Real Beijing Food House. Despite its incongruous name, our trio of diners were impressed by a recent visit.
The Food House has been plying its trade for in its current format for 15 years having been first established in the 1960s. Unsurprisingly, the culinary angle is on food from the northern part of China surrounding Beijing, although there are nods to other regions too, especially Sichuan.
Step inside and nothing ought to surprise a seasoned visitor to Chinatown. The staff are curt, to the point of being dismissive. Some might call it rude, but think of it as part of the experience. The décor is shabby and the venue looks in need of a refurb. Menus – laminated, obviously – are plonked on the table and guests are left to decipher their way through a baffling series of options.
Food House certainly isn’t for the faint hearted, or the culinarily unadventurous. The likes of spicy pig ear, trotters and marinated whelk feature. Our group delighted in both lamb’s kidneys and beef tripe (the latter pictured). Your reviewer can wholeheartedly endorse both. Of course, there are safer options too such as chicken served with cashews, paired perhaps with a side of pak choi. Throughout, spicing is judicious rather than mind-blowingly hot. Guests’ palates will happily tingle with the sensation of not just chilli and Sichuan pepper, but also cumin, salt, sugar, soy and oil. For future occasions or bigger groups, the likes of hot pots or whole fish are also available.
We happily lingered at the Food House once our (generous) portions of food were exhausted, ordering another round of drinks. At no stage did we feel pressured to leave, even as other nearby tables began to fill up. With an all-in bill of £50/head, this was money well spent. Food House should be considered a place to revisit when in Chinatown.