Shizi Shanxia 狮子山下

Both the Sanlitun branch and the flashy and more upscale Dongzhimenwai-area branch of this chain serve Cantonese diner fare - cha shao pork and goose, fried noodles with beef, yun teng mian and the like. They also do great claypot rice dishes (bao zai fan) and soups. Other Cantonese specialties include the papaya birds nest, braised shark’s fin and Chinese forest frog (also served with papaya), mushroom with abalone sauce claypot rice and the highly recommended fish with pickled vegetable option. Cantonese patrons swear by its authenticity. Annoyingly enough, however, the Dongzhimenwai branch charges for tea. NOTE: THE SKY PLAZA BRANCH IS CURRENTLY UNDER RENOVATIONS AS OF FEB 2010