Jing Salad Freshens Up Beijing's Salad Bar Scene

Just how many salad bars are there in Beijing for Guomao’s Jing Salad to duke it out with, anyway? The number of such relatively cheap lunch options seems to be boundless in the capital, as health conscientiousness rises among locals and more and more street eat purveyors get slain by ever stricter regulations. Daunting as entering that fray may seem, Jing has clearly come out swinging with a number of above-average options, albeit at prices that are also a bit above the norm.

We were immediately struck by the salad bar’s menu after happening upon it at 5Lmeet (right across from the far more indulgent, much beefier Common Burger flipping Arcade). Instead of a dingy-looking counter with somewhat questionable looking vegetables and a menu replete with generic combos (think Subway), Jing defies the low, ahem, bar set by many a Beijing salad bar thanks to its light and bright decor, clearly vibrant veggies and, above all, the creative combinations on its menu.

The Caribbean Getaway (pictured on the lead image above) that we tried should win The Bowl if ever a contest were to be crowned. That’s because it’s generous portioning, with lots of beef chunks, black beans, corn and tart grapefruit slices all made for a dynamically varied combination of flavors and textures. It filled us up without bogging us down, and the zesty low-fat balsamic dressing helped seal the deal. Sure, the RMB 65 price was a bit steeper than what we’re used to shelling out at generic salad bars. However, the extra cost more than paid off as we left feeling refreshed and full.

Other highlights that we spotted on the menu include the RMB 63 Uncle Manor (full of pumpkin seed and asparagus), the less healthy looking Chipotle Mexico (loaded with Buffalo chicken chunks and white cheddar cheese along with numerous veggies), and pricier options like the RMB 78 Kiss of the Forrest (featuring avocado, mashed potato, tuna, mesclun mix， and more), and the Pacific Salad (featuring salmon, asparagus, mesclun mix and more, also RMB 78). Tempting as those other options looked, we were very satisfied by the salad we settled on in the end. On top of this, we were impressed by the staff, especially our fluently bilingual server, and the highly professional looking curved chopper that her colleague wielded to dice the salad leaves down.

In short: if every salad bar was on par with Jing Salad, we’d have lost weight and embarked on a healthier lifestyle long ago.

Get your fill of greens with our comprehensive coverage of newly opened Beijing salad bars here.

Jing Salad
Daily 10am-9pm. 5Lmeet Guomao (Formerly Trader's Hotel), 1 Jianguomen Outer Street, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街1号(北京5L酒店1楼大堂东侧)

Photos: Kyle Mullin