A Taste of Home: United States

“Everything’s better fried,” chuckles Joanna Crain. I’m sure she’s at least partly joking. Crain and her husband Michael, the founder of Chi Fan For Charity, have brought me to Apothecary for the Sunday fried chicken special, which for them epitomizes the best of American cuisine in Beijing.

I begin by wondering out loud how the Crains define American cuisine, especially in a country where McDonald’s and KFC are often held up as the best the US has to offer. “It really depends on where you’re raised,” explains Michael. “In the South, you have barbecue and roasted meats. The Northeast has clam chowder and things like that. The West Coast was organic before that was cool, and there’s the Asian influence there as well.”

As Texans, Michael and Joanna have an affinity with the food of the South. “The Southern way of living is all about hospitality,” Michael explains. “Making people feel comfortable, making them feel part of your family. The food plays a big part in that.”

Although Apothecary’s menu features other American soul food staples like po’ boys, brisket sandwich and gumbo, the Crains are fans of the venue’s fried chicken Sundays. “There was a period when we came here every Sunday, for about five weeks in a row,” says Joanna. “The consistency is really good here,” she adds. “We kept coming back because we had a friend who loved the fried chicken – it was the same every time.”

A whole chicken (RMB 250) comfortably serves three, with four fluffy buttermilk biscuits and a hefty dollop of coleslaw on the side. If you’re in a smaller group, or you want to try other dishes, order a half-chicken (RMB 125). There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had from gnawing and peeling the meat away from the bones, but the real difference is in the crisp, peppery batter coating the chicken. “You can tell they’ve put some thought into it,” Michael enthuses. “From the seasoning in the batter, which is great, down to the corn bread and the biscuits, both of which are very traditionally Southern.”

We also order the black-eyed pea and tasso ham soup (RMB 60), a traditional New Year dish with obvious resonance for Southerners like the Crains. “For people in the South, black-eyed peas symbolize prosperity and wealth. We’d eat this on January 1, and the more you eat, the more prosperous you’re supposed to become.” The tradition might be lost on outsiders like myself, but it’s a great soup, smoky and just a little spicy.

I’ve always thought of Apothecary as a venue serving down-to-earth dishes in an attractive, but more “serious” environment than that found at places like Nola or Home Plate. For Michael, however, the ambiance at Apothecary complements the feelings he associates with the home comforts on the menu. “The atmosphere makes you think you’re in the South. It’s easy, comfortable. You could plop this down in the States. OK, so the design is maybe a bit more New York, but the overall comfort of everything is nice.”

Michael adds that both Home Plate and Nola “do a really good job” with their own takes on American cuisine, but it’s Apothecary’s combination of good food and a familiar ambiance that wins the day for him. What about American-style pizza? “We love Gung Ho!,” Michael begins, “And we order from them regularly, but sometimes you have a craving for things like Papa John’s.” Joanna dives in with a Kro’s Nest endorsement. “That’s the place for American pizza, at least the way I think of it – big pizza, lots of toppings, really saucy.”

The Crains readily acknowledge that not everything is available in Beijing, but say they’ve adjusted. “Actually,” says Joanna, “When we go home now I’m amazed at how much choice there is. Who needs so many different kinds of ketchup?”

Apothecary Daily 6pm-1am. 3/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District. (5208 6040) 酒术, 朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园3层

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Photo: Nature Zhang