Fill Up on Noodles and Xiaolongbao for RMB 30 at This Humble CBD Chain

It’s approaching lunch time, which means the eternal puzzle of just where to eat has presented itself. I bet you've have the same experience, the one whereby you’ve spent all your money on beer (like me), or your trying to save up for your next trip out of Beijing, but you're tired of the day-to-day slog of subpar 7-Eleven food, or the jianbing on the corner. You start to dream and wonder where oh where you can fill up on comfort food without breaking the bank. In steps Shao Restaurant.

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Originating from Wuxi in 1988, Shao Restaurant already has six locations in Beijing, including restaurants in Wangjing, CBD, and Baiziwan. Considering five out of its six locations are in Chaoyang District, it’s quite obvious that their target customers are ravenous office workers, looking for a quick and cheap meal.

On a mission to find delicious food on a budget, we made our way to the World Financial Centre in CBD. Shao sits in the basement and has approximately 10 tables. Ordering goes the way of your usual Chinese-style fast food joint: order at the counter, pay, grab a number, find a seat, and wait for staff to bring your food over. Simple, easy, and efficient.

We ordered the signature noodles with crab sauce RMB 29, which comes with a bowl of dry noodles, a small plate of crab sauce, and a bowl of soup. The sauce was amazingly freshand bursting with umami flavors, which balanced well with the sweetness of the crab. If you're really starved, you can opt for more toppings such as additional crab sauce (RMB 25), braised meat (RMB 25), and meatballs (RMB 15) to add to your portion of noodles, the size of which was good enough to satisfy our belly in this cold weather.

We also got four xiǎolóngbāo (小笼包) for RMB 22 (go all out with 12 pieces for 55). These sizable buns are stuffed with either sweet crab sauce and meaty pork or plain pork (RMB 25 for 12 pieces) and are more than enough to fill you up.

To add to its value, you can also add steamed vegetables for RMB 2. Yes, you see it right, a mere RMB 2 for all the green nutrition you need. If you're craving rice, grab a bowl of crab sauce and shrimp (RMB 39), braised meat (RMB 31), or the more luxurious option of crab roe and paste (RMB 128) over rice.

What makes the whole experience even better is that the service is fast and friendly. The great value for money and delicious food means that this small place is always crowded, which can mean that you may need to leave quicker than hoped thanks to the glares of people trying to sit down before their orders arrived. If you mind sharing a table or eating while being stared at, try to avoid the lunch peak, as you'll never win against the dressed up and hungry CBD crowd.

Shao Restaurant
Daily 9.30am-9pm. B/1 World Financial Centre,1 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District (no telephone)
邵合记：朝阳区东三环中路1号环球金融中心

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang